The COVID 19 pandemic has hit hard in many countries where thousands of stateless people, migrants and displaced persons have found refuge. Often living in poor sanitary conditions, they are particularly exposed to a high risk of contamination and spread of COVID 19. Often working in low skilled jobs, they are further weakened by the economic crisis caused by the health crisis.
In order to enable media in these countries to investigate and inform about the reality of this unprecedented crisis affecting migrants, the Union de la Presse Francophone (UPF), with the support of UNESCO, launched in spring 2020 and for a period of one year, a skills-building programme for some fifteen media in Lebanon, Morocco, Niger and Tunisia. These training activities for journalists strengthen access to information, address the effectiveness of the responses and issues related to migration according to the principles of ethical journalism.
The period we are going through is critical for several reasons: on the one hand, for the French-speaking media, which are surviving as best they can despite the drop in their income and which must be supported; on the other hand, for the migrant populations who are exposed to COVID 19 and are paying a high price for the closure of the borders and the economic crisis. By informing about their distress situation, the media can help these populations. The project we are carrying out with the support of UNESCO meets this need.
Several training workshops carried out by UPF have resulted in the production of about thirty reports (written press, radio, TV) broadcast in French or Arabic in the 4 countries covered by the project. The reports highlight the daily life of migrants in periods of containment, the very serious economic difficulties encountered, the health situation in the camps as well as the humanitarian initiatives proposed by the host countries.
The productions remind us how essential the work of the media is in responding to crises and disasters in order to offer populations a fair and balanced perspective far from the stereotypes and misinformation often conveyed about migrants and the COVID pandemic.
In addition to equipping them with techniques and skills in dealing with migration and health issues, the ultimate aim of these training courses is to raise awareness of the media about their own impact in providing solutions.
As a United Nations agency with a specific mandate to promote "the free flow of ideas by word and image", UNESCO aims to foster the development of free, independent and pluralistic media. In this way, media development encourages freedom of expression and contributes to the strengthening of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the fight against poverty.