Ethical and Inclusive Refugee Reporting – Charting a way forward for media

UNESCO, jointly with UNHCR, will be organizing a linked event on “Ethical and Inclusive Refugee Reporting – charting a way forward for media” on 13 December 2023 at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center (Geneva, Switzerland) in the margins of the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, the world's largest gathering on refugees. 

The tragic stories of conflict, desperation, and the perilous journeys refugees are forced to take are dominating the global media headlines. These are, however, not representative of all refugee experiences nor the stories that refugees themselves want to see. Refugees and related issues are often portrayed with misrepresentation, stereotyping, biases, and racism. At the same time, refugees often face challenges in accessing reliable information and news on their topics of concern and in participating in public debates.  

The Global Compact on Refugees specifically mentions the power of media in fostering respect and understanding, as well as combating discrimination, by providing and disseminating accurate, objective, and quality information on refugee-related matters and ensuring better-informed debates. 

The Linked Event aims to share tangible practices from media on creating inclusive newsrooms, strengthening editorial policies for fact-based and balanced reporting on refugees, recognizing refugees as relevant and respected audiences, and fostering dialogue. The interactive panel session will feature interventions from refugee participants, media outlets, and media development organizations.