News · Priscilla Asante
JOURNALISTS TRAINED ON MIGRATION
The International Organization for Migration, IOM, with support from the European Union Delegation in Ghana has organised a trainer of trainer’s workshop on Migration reporting for 50 selected journalists from the southern sector of the country in Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital.
The training is under the ATUU, a Ghanaian-European Safe and Prosperous People’s Mobility project on Migration Governance. The training gave the journalists insights and practical skills in migration reporting and offered them the platform to share experiences and ideas with fellow journalists and industry experts.
A resource person who is also a Lecturer at the University of Media Arts and Communication, UNIMAC, Dr. Stephen Tindi said it is important for journalists to be trained and exposed to migration and it related terminologies since as journalists, they play a crucial role in shaping migration narratives and also serve as agenda setters in society.
He also stressed the need for journalists to be abreast with, and use the precise terminologies when reporting on migration. They are also to be well informed on the activities of institutions like the Ghana Immigration service, Ministry of the Interior and the IOM Ghana who are responsible for tackling issues on migration.
Dr. Tindi identified some frequently used media terms such as illegal migrants instead of irregular migration, migrants instead of refugees, and trafficking in persons instead of smuggling of migrants among others, and urged them to muster its usage in order to train others as well.
Dr. Tindi stated that these terminologies are important to develop a common understanding and goes a long way to foster an objective and balanced approach to migration, supports states in better fulfilling their human rights obligations towards migrants and have a positive impact on the state and public perception on migration. He entreated journalists to report on stories on migration that will reflect the truth and in the interest of the people as media narratives shape migration perspectives.
The project is a three-year two point nine million Euro initiative implemented by the international Organizations for migrations IOM, in partnership with the ministry of the interior.