Al Jazeera Journalism Review

Kareem Shaheen
BOHONIKI, POLAND - NOVEMBER 18: An unknown migrant, who died in Poland, is buried during a funeral organised by a community of Polish Tatars on November 18, 2021 in Bohoniki, Poland. At least 11 migrants have died in recent months while trying get into Poland from Belarus. Poland and Belarus are currently in a standoff over thousands of migrants, many of them from Iraq, Syria and Yemen, who have amassed on the Belarus side of the border with the hope of entering Poland and the European Union. (Photo by Maciej Moskwa/Getty Images)

How to cover refugee stories ethically 

As Poland grapples with a migrant and refugee crisis at its borders, we examine best practice for journalists covering refugee stories. Part one of our series. 

Read more: Part Two, Part Three, Part Four

 

Contrary to the popular assertion that stories of refugee suffering are falling out of favour with editors, mainstream media outlets routinely cover refugee stories. 

These range from incremental developments in the movement of peoples during escalations in conflicts around the world, to trend and feature stories that mesh well with periodic updates by the UN or humanitarian organisations. 

There is also the occasional viral news story such as the coverage surrounding the tragedy of the child Aylan Kurdi, as well as frequent alarmist coverage in tabloids that cater to anti-immigrant sentiment. 

Both reporters and humanitarian organisations complain that there is so called ‘compassion fatigue’ amongst readers, that they are tired of reading depressing news. This might be true to a certain extent, but it is not the reason media outlets reject refugee stories. Most mainstream media outlets see a public service responsibility in continuing to cover the refugee story.

kAREEM4
A woman holds a picture during a vigil in rememberence of Aylan Kurdi on September 7, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. Thousands of people around Australia gathered to remember Aylan Kurdi, the young Syrian refugee who died in 2015. [Photo by Chris Hopkins/Getty Images]

Refugees do not have to speak to you

In fact, many do not want to speak to the media, either to avoid recriminations affecting themselves or their families by local authorities back home, because they have suffered trauma such as sexual violence that carries with it a societal stigma, or simply because they feel that cooperation with media outlets has not led to an improvement in their lives. Be clear that you cannot control the reactions to your reporting, respect the desire for privacy when it is expressed, and evaluate whether you can grant anonymity if this is requested out of legitimate fear. If they say no, respect that. 

Be sensitive to the on-going plight of refugees

Most refugees are living in a state of persistent trauma. They had to flee their homes, and have gone overnight from the safety of their communities to refugee camps, where the future is uncertain and peril is still very real. Be aware of those stress factors and always treat people with dignity. 

Avoid re-traumatising victims

Refugees who have been victims of torture, sexual abuse and major trauma may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Special care needs to be taken during questioning. Some might be eager to share what they endured in detail so it can be documented. Others might be reluctant and could experience relapses as a result of direct questioning. For journalists without significant experience in interviewing such individuals, it might be helpful to have a case officer from an aid organisation present during the interview, to help build trust and to carefully steer the conversation to best approach the trauma.

Interviewing children 

Media outlets usually frown on the interviewing of children. However it can be difficult to avoid if you are doing a story on child labour, for example. If you are interviewing children - If possible, ensure you have permission from parents or guardians beforehand. Protect their identities at all times by using a pseudonym, blurring their images and using a voiceover.

Kareem1
MYTILENE, GREECE - SEPTEMBER 10, 2020: Displaced Syrian asylum-seekers rest while camping on the side of the following a fire at the Moria migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos which destroyed the camp. [Photo by Byron Smith/Getty Images]

Empathy as a core value 

A crucial part of ethical reporting while covering refugee stories is being empathetic. What does empathy mean? Bearing witness and amplifying the voices of the dispossessed, while appreciating the suffering they have endured. 

Understanding that refugees are not numbers or simply a story that you will move on from once the assignment is over. Caring about the fate of other human beings. 

Acknowledging and appreciating the good fortune that put you in the privileged position of being the interviewer rather than the interviewee in this context, and of being someone who reports on abuses perpetrated against the weak and holds the strong to account. 

Empathy does not mean: 

Reporting the stories you are told in the field uncritically. 

Forgoing the rigours of reporting in the interests of promoting a dramatic narrative that will sell a story, or acting as a campaigner or activist on behalf of the downtrodden. 

Giving false hope to people who might implore you to tell their story in the hope that they will receive more food baskets or win an offer of resettlement (both of which are reasons refugees sometimes speak to reporters).  

Kareem2
BOSANSKA BOJNA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - JANUARY 6, 2021: Members of a migrant family from Afghanistan walk in the rain after being pushed back into Bosnia by Croatian police, after they attempted to cross into EU by foot near Bosanska Bojna. [Photo by Damir Sagolj/Getty Images]

When and how to use numbers 

Refugees are not numbers. Telling their stories in the midst of the media glut and the 24-hour news cycle requires the traditional tools of journalistic practice of rigour, accuracy, impartiality and integrity, but it also requires empathy and an ability to connect with people with wildly different experiences from your own. 

When and how is it advisable to use numbers? The numbers and statistics behind the global refugee crisis are breathtaking but abstract. 

It is helpful to explain in some instances that the displacement of peoples today is the worst it has been since the Second World War, or that one out of every five people you meet in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee. But reducing the gravity of such a tragedy to mere numbers does a disservice to your readers, because it renders abstract the individual stories of suffering and resilience. 

The numbers are not the story. Having a healthy mind will increase your levels of empathy. Mental health, as it pertains to them, is not a subject frequently broached by journalists. However it is important, when not in the field, to engage in diverse hobbies and activities that have nothing to do with your work. Through maintaining your own mental health will help you to have the strength and empathy to report on the tragedies of others. 

Documenting human rights abuses 

Covering refugee stories is unlike reporting on other issues. The levels of trauma and suffering involved complicate reporting on refugees as compared to covering daily breaking news stories or traditional beats (although many of the same ethical reporting issues apply there as well). However it also makes it more rewarding on a visceral level. 

At the most basic level, telling stories about refugees is telling how other human beings, in the midst of trauma and suffering, lead their daily lives. It involves bearing witness to the plight of individuals who have often survived incidents that brought them to the very edge of human endurance and experience.

The stories you will hear as a reporter covering refugees may be deeply moving experiences that offer powerful lessons on the human experience. Absorb them and learn from them, and know that you are privileged to be offered such intimate confidences. Their vulnerable status means that refugees are often victims of human rights abuses. 

Regardless of the type of story you choose, asking yourself about these abuses and documenting them if you find them will build a narrative that allows for accountability. You must observe the traditional rules of reporting on human rights abuses. 

Kareem3
In this photo provided by the Territorial Defence Forces of Poland's Ministry of National Defence, members of the Territorial Defence Force secure the fence at the closed Kuznica border crossing where thousands of migrants have been relocated by Belarusian soldiers on November 15, 2021 in Poland. [Photo by Territorial Defence Forces of Poland's Ministry of National Defence via Getty Images]

These include, but are not limited to:

Detailing with as much specificity as possible the alleged human rights violations.

Understanding why such practices violate international law.

Corroboration of the narratives through interviews with as large a sample as possible.

Asking probing questions and fact-checking claims with other sources of information.

Investing time and energy to cultivate sources with knowledge of on the ground activities in inaccessible areas where human rights violations are taking place. 

Your role as a journalist is not activism 

You might find yourself in the odd situation of being asked to intervene in a matter with aid officials or being implored by a refugee to highlight his or her case. Sometimes they will ask you whether speaking to you will help them secure additional assistance or perhaps be recommended for resettlement. You must be absolutely clear about the limits of your role. 

You are there to listen to whoever will talk to you, to bear witness, and to portray an accurate and truthful image to your readers. Explain that you are only doing your job and that you cannot guarantee that their situation will change because of your reporting. Of course, if you encounter someone facing a life-threatening situation, you should fulfil your duty as a human by trying to help.

 

This article first appeared in the AJMI publication, Covering Refugee Stories

 

 

More Articles

Journalistic malpractice monitoring in Gaza coverage

On this page, the editorial team of the Al Jazeera Journalism Review will collect news published by media institutions about the current war on Gaza that involves disinformation, bias, or professional journalistic standards and its code of ethics.

A picture of the Al Jazeera Media Institute's logo, on a white background.
Al Jazeera Journalism Review Published on: 29 Nov, 2023
Why have opposition parties in India issued a boycott of 14 TV presenters?

Media workers in India argue that boycotts of individual journalists are not the answer to pro-Government reporting bias

Saurabh Sharma
Saurabh Sharma Published on: 23 Oct, 2023
The bombs raining down on Gaza from Israel are beyond scary, beyond crazy

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: As Israel bombarded Gaza for the third night, I found myself closer to a missile hit than I could have imagined

Maram
Maram Humaid Published on: 11 Oct, 2023
Reporter’s Notebook - what I learned from covering the Kalash people

As journalists, our fascination with Indigenous communities can blind us to our ethical obligations to respect privacy and dignity of those we document - we must reflect carefully

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 5 Oct, 2023
The French banlieues and their troubled relationship with the media

Discriminatory media coverage of recent unrest in the suburbs of Paris shows that little has changed since the uprisings of 2005

AN
Ahmed Nazif Published on: 28 Sep, 2023
Why are Zimbabwe’s elections always surrounded by media controversy?

Election season in Zimbabwe has long been shrouded in controversy, with intimidation of opposition activists and journalists, combined with disorganisation at the ballots creating a perfect storm for chaos. This year was no different

Derick M
Derick Matsengarwodzi Published on: 25 Sep, 2023
Analysis: The media’s coverage of the Pakistan cable car incident

It was a roller coaster ride with news organisations all over the world giving minute-by-minute reports on the daring rescue. How does the media create suspense and is this sort of coverage useful?

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 21 Sep, 2023
How to use data to report on earthquakes

Sifting through data sounds clinical, but journalists can use it to seek out the human element when reporting on natural disasters such as earthquakes

Arwa
Arwa Kooli Published on: 19 Sep, 2023
‘I had no idea how to report on this’ - local journalists tackling climate change stories

Local journalists are key to informing the public about the devastating dangers of climate change but, in India, a lack of knowledge, training and access to expert sources is holding them back

Saurabh Sharma
Saurabh Sharma Published on: 13 Sep, 2023
Ethical reporting - how to cover suicide responsibly

Sensationalist reporting of suicide cases has been shown to cause a rise in the numbers of people taking their own lives in affected communities. Journalists must take great care

Abeer Ayyoub
Abeer Ayyoub Published on: 7 Sep, 2023
‘Don’t let someone else narrate your stories for you’ - travel journalists in the global south

THE LONG READ: Life as a travel journalist isn’t just for privileged Westerners ‘discovering’ quaint parts of south-east Asia and Africa

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 1 Sep, 2023
‘People need to stop blindly obeying the law’ - journalists fighting on the fringes in Vietnam

THE LONG READ: Imprisoned, exiled and forced to base themselves overseas, independent journalists in Vietnam are punished harshly if they publish the ‘wrong’ sort of content. Some, such as Luật Khoa tạp chí, are fighting back

headshot
AJR Correspondent Published on: 25 Aug, 2023
Ethics and safety in OSINT - can you believe what you see?

OSINT is increasingly important for journalists in a digital world. We take a look at ethics, safety on the internet and how to spot a ‘deepfake’

Sara
Sara Creta Published on: 15 Aug, 2023
‘Other journalists jeer at us’ – life for mobile journalists in Cameroon

Journalists in Cameroon are using their phones in innovative ways to report the news for many different types of media, but major news organisations have still not caught up

Akem
Akem Nkwain Published on: 1 Aug, 2023
‘Life of journalists is cheap’ - how the Philippines became deadly for reporters

Forging ahead with a career in journalism is fraught with difficulty in the Philippines - and many are walking away. What went so wrong?

Ana
Ana P Santos Published on: 19 Jul, 2023
Analysis: Could AI replace humans in journalism?

Recent advances in AI are mind-blowing. But good journalism requires certain skills which, for now at least, only humans can master

Mei Shigenobu
Mei Shigenobu Published on: 17 Jul, 2023
Analysis: Comparing coverage of the Titanic submersible and migrant boat disasters

Two disasters costing human lives have occurred at sea in the past two weeks, but the media coverage of each was markedly different. How and why?

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 28 Jun, 2023
The silencing of Sudan's journalists - again

THE LONG READ: Detained, beaten and their cameras smashed - Sudan’s journalists are enduring a renewed crackdown on the media

Philip Obaji Jr
Philip Obaji Jr Published on: 7 Jun, 2023
'Rebuilt memory by memory' - recreating a Palestinian village 75 years after the Nakba

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: How it took the collective memories of several generations, painstaking interviews and a determined search through tall grass and prickly plants to recreate a destroyed community

Amandas
Amandas Ong Published on: 4 Jun, 2023
Suffering in silence - the Kashmiri journalists facing a mental health crisis

THE LONG READ: Al Jazeera Journalism Review has interviewed more than 20 journalists in India-controlled Kashmir who are facing exhausting, insurmountable obstacles to doing their jobs safely every single day

Adil Akhoon
Adil Amin Akhoon, Khalid Bashir Gura Published on: 29 May, 2023
How to analyse satellite imagery

When you have a story, but still need to tie up loose ends to answer where or when a particular event occurred, satellite imagery can point you in the right direction

Sara
Sara Creta Published on: 25 May, 2023
OSINT: Tracking ships, planes and weapons

Tracking ships and planes is an increasingly valuable technique in open-source investigations carried out by journalists. In part 4 of our special series, we examine how it works

Sara
Sara Creta Published on: 18 May, 2023
How social media bans have crippled journalism in India’s Punjab

The Indian government has ordered social media platforms to block hundreds of accounts of journalists and activists

Meer Faisal
Meer Faisal Published on: 16 May, 2023
Tear gas and internet blackouts - reporting on protests in Pakistan

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: Following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, violence has erupted across Pakistan. For journalists, it is like reporting from the centre of a storm

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 14 May, 2023