"Through a combination of interviews, surveys, desk research, and focus group discussions this Information Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) explores trends of information demand and supply within refugee and host communities. The report analyzes their information access, needs, use, flows, and identifies
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means of trust and influence within host and refugee communities in eastern Sudan. The report thus offers a deep understanding of information dynamics and demands of refugees from Tigray and Sudanese host communities. It also identifies entry points for the design and enhancement of humanitarian information, and communication and community engagement (CCE) services for Ethiopian refugees and host communities in Eastern Sudan. The findings reveal that refugees and host communities’ humanitarian information needs are only partially met. It details why refugees and host communities desire to be more involved in decision making processes of humanitarian agencies, and demand active involvement in humanitarian interventions." (Publisher description)
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"El hallazgo más importante de este estudio no tiene que ver con el uso del lenguaje cuando se habla de la migración, sino con la representación del venezolano en los medios nacionales. Se trata, pues, de un estudio pionero que prueba la criminalización de las personas venezolanas en los medios
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de comunicación, ya que la delincuencia es el tema principal con el que se los asocia: el 70% (televisión) y el 80% (diarios populares) de todas las notas que se referían a venezolanos y venezolanas trataban de temas policiales y de crimen. En estas notas, los ciudadanos venezolanos cumplían el rol de victimario en un 65% y en un 15%, el de infractor de la ley. Esto significa que en cuatro de cinco notas o reportajes en las que un lector o televidente en el Perú lee o escucha de una persona venezolana, es porque se la relaciona con un tema de delincuencia, muchas veces violenta. Esto genera en el lector o televidente la impresión de que la migración y las personas migrantes están asociadas con un supuesto incremento de la inseguridad ciudadana. Así el 86,3% de los encuestados opinó que la migración venezolana había contribuido a la inseguridad ciudadana en el Perú. La asociación de la persona migrante con la delincuencia produce, además, distancia, temor o hasta rechazo para con los migrantes. Por su parte, en las personas venezolanas genera un estigma que les dificulta la inserción en la sociedad." (Conclusiones, página 97)
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"The common service for community engagement and accountability, through its consortium members BBC Media Action and Translators Without Borders (TWB), aims to help agencies and sectors working to support Rohingya refugees and local host communities living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh to achieve thi
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s by providing a range of specialist, technical support services. Movement restrictions implemented since the beginning of the pandemic meant that humanitarian programmes were reduced to essential services only in the Rohingya camps, community engagement efforts were restricted, and many initiatives planned for the host community were cancelled. The common service adapted its activities in a number of ways: carrying out online training sessions with practitioners; conducting telephone research with communities; shifting the focus of communication products to meet communities’ information needs around Covid-19; and working with partners to use communication channels which would ensure information was still able to reach communities [...] This evaluation has shown that practitioners feel the common service played a critical role in getting important information to Rohingya communities during this time. It did this through:
- Helping partner agencies understand Rohingya communitiesf perspectives and concerns, and how to communicate with them, based on up to date research and a cultural understanding developed over time (using What Matters? as a vehicle for sharing this information, as well as providing practitioner training and bespoke advice).
- Creating and disseminating audio and visual content which is easy for Rohingya people to understand, and helps volunteers and field staff communicate effectively with them.
- Working in partnership with humanitarian agencies to adapt communication strategies and make sure information was reaching people despite Covid-19 restrictions, for example adapting audio programmes to be played through mosque loudspeaker systems; training Imams to communicate on Covid-19; ensuring content is played at food distribution points and other essential services; and equipping community health workers with simple and effective communication materials about Covid-19 to use in door to door visits." (Executive summary)
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"Studies have shown that many irregular migrants embark on journeys without accurate or complete information about migration. In response, IOM and other organizations run information campaigns intended to inform potential migrants of the dangers associated with irregular migration and to facilitate
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informed decisions. The use of online and social media platforms for these campaigns has become increasingly popular in recent years, due to their potential for quickly reaching millions of people at low cost. While the evidence base for offline information campaigns has been gradually improving, it remains unclear how online communication campaigns affect potential migrants, and methodologies to do this remain underdeveloped. This report therefore presents results from a pilot impact assessment of an online campaign based on Facebook posts in Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal during September 2019 and February 2020 [.] Conclusion: Facebook ad campaigns can reach many people quickly. However, large audience sizes and relatively cheap costs come with a trade-off. The impact of an information campaign on potential migrants’ perceptions, attitudes, knowledge and behaviour remains largely unknown because many Facebook users that engage with the campaign do not fit the intended target group. The advantage of offline over online campaigns is that implementers have more control and information about who attends activities or who is exposed to campaign content. The engagement of users with campaign posts varies largely by audience and post characteristics. Campaign and social media teams are well advised to conduct pilot tests before scaling up activities. Pilot tests can inform a customized approach for each online activity on Facebook, and thereby maximize impact. In addition to A/B tests, lift tests may offer a useful opportunity to test the impact of Facebook posts. Compared to impact assessments of offline information campaigns, measuring the impact of Facebook ads on potential migrants presents several unique challenges, including: Many potential migrants are not on Facebook or do not use ad content to seek information about migration. Internet connectivity is also limited in many West African countries. While Facebook allows users to narrow down target groups, it is not clear whether those Facebook users that are exposed to the content fit the profile of potential migrants. Whether the intended target group is reached can be affirmed only through surveys, which have a low response rate; It is not possible to interview the same Facebook users several times to track changes in their perceptions. Engagement metrics like post reactions, link clicks or video plays can be useful indicators. However, these low-engagement metrics do not offer clear evidence of the short- or long-term effects on Facebook users." (Executive summary)
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"IOM seeks to provide practical guidance on designing, delivering and evaluating effective communication campaigns relating to migration. The guidance covers different approaches, themes, programme areas and methods to improve relevance, audience participation and results. The aim is to identify and
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navigate the main elements and pitfalls for carrying out a communication campaign within the scope of the Organization’s work. This resource is designed to support IOM staff and migration professionals by providing tools and templates for producing effective and responsive campaigns in unique and challenging migration contexts. The guidance given in this publication is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 presents a definition of communication campaigns specific to the migration sector, and the background and purpose of these guidelines. Chapter 2 focuses on guiding principles, ethics and related areas, including obtaining informed consent. Chapter 3 addresses campaign design and planning, including analysing the context, defining campaign goals, framing the problem, identifying audiences, setting objectives, designing messaging and assessing the information landscape. Chapter 4 looks at campaign implementation, and also gives examples of some creative IOM communication campaigns. Chapter 5 provides an overview of different approaches to monitoring and evaluation (M&E), demonstrating the tools and methods, including carrying out an impact evaluation." (Introduction)
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"This glossary serves as a guide for journalists, researchers, trainers and other stakeholders who conduct trainings or write about women’s labour migration, and who write about violence against women in the context of migration. It has been compiled as part of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to El
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iminate Violence Against Women and Girls. Language used in different communication materials and trainings puts forward specific positions and impressions, including at times perpetuating stereotypes. Thus, it is crucial to be clear about terms and definitions related to women migrant workers and violence against women, establishing a common ground from which to have conversations and work towards a world in which rights are respected for all and one in which women’s voice, choice and agency is recognised. This glossary presents rights-based terminology, which is based on international law and internationally agreed guidance wherever possible." (Introduction)
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"This article aims to investigate the regulatory, financial and political environment negotiated by oppositional Syrian media operating in exile in Turkey, as well as to identify the main tactics used by them in negotiating between these constraints to ensure their survival in an increasingly diffic
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ult environment. As the war in Syria increased in intensity, many oppositional media chose to move their centres of operations into Turkey - forcing them to adapt to a completely foreign regulatory environment, and an unstable political context. Furthermore, and in parallel, their institutional links with the media development sector were being deepened as well. The study draws on in-depth interviews with Syrian media professionals in Turkey, as well as with their interlocutors in international media development organizations. Using Michel de Certeau’s model of strategies and tactics, the study aims at arriving at a better understanding of the complex system of choices made by exilic media organizations to guarantee their survival and achieve their objectives. Within the strategic universes circumscribed by the powerful institutional actors of the Turkish state and the international media development sphere, one can locate the agency of Syrian media actors in their responsive tactical manoeuvrings. The article contends that the tactics employed are also reflective of the identity of these media actors located at the intersection of the alternative, exilic and oppositional." (Abstract)
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"As you have seen in this handbook, the media can have a huge influence on the overall image of migrants and on migration itself, contributing strongly to the formation of a public discourse and opinion-making on this topic and highlighting the most pressing migration challenges or the various benef
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its of migration. As the public tends to inform itself through the media, the impact of the latter on determining the national migration policy of a country has become ever more crucial. The attitude and treatment of migrants by the majority population thus greatly depends on how the media presents them, what issues the media chooses to report on and which ones it omits. The media may either replicate and reinforce existing widespread stereotypes or contribute to a more differentiated and fact-based perception of migrants." (Conclusion)
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"Through an exploration of Facebook groups designed for Russophones and Russians in the Netherlands, this study considers online community belonging negotiations. In doing so, the article aims to address the role of online administrators (admins) in online community construction, seeking to enrich t
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he algorithmcentric literature covering customized feeds. The authors argue that by moderating discussions, approving and banning users, and setting the agenda more generally in the online environments that they create and manage, admins acquire and perform functions that may surpass or compliment algorithmic biases." (Abstract)
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"The SAGE Handbook of Media and Migration offers a comprehensive overview of media and migration through new research, as well as a review of present scholarship in this expanding and promising field. It explores key interdisciplinary concepts and methodologies, and how these are challenged by new r
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ealities and the links between contemporary migration patterns and its use of mediated processes. Although primarily grounded in media and communication studies, the Handbook builds on research in the fields of sociology, anthropology, political science, urban studies, science and technology studies, human rights, development studies, and gender and sexuality studies, to bring to the forefront key theories, concepts and methodological approaches to the study of the movement of people. In seven parts, the Handbook dissects important areas of cross-disciplinary and generational discourse for graduate students, early career researcher, migration management practitioners, and academics in the fields of media and migration studies, international development, communication studies, and the wider social science discipline." (Publisher description)
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"Heranwachsende wünschen sich Medien, die verständlich berichten, Hintergründe und Lösungsmöglichkeiten aufzeigen. Wie das Konzept des konstruktiven Journalismus dabei hilft und wie es in der Journalismusausbildung eingesetzt werden kann, zeigt dieses Buch." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
"Esta Evaluación del Ecosistema de Información (IEA) aborda, desde la demanda, el flujo de información para el acceso a servicios en protección de derechos de la comunidad migrante y retornada en Bogotá, el área metropolitana de Cúcuta y los municipios de Maicao y Riohacha en La Guajira. La i
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nformación para las fases del IEA se recogió utilizando metodologías cualitativas y cualitativas de recolección de datos remotos adaptadas para garantizar la seguridad de los participantes y los investigadores durante la cuarentena nacional obligatoria en Colombia en respuesta a la pandemia por COVID-19. En el marco del programa Conectando Caminos por los Derechos de USAID/Colombia, el IEA aborda algunos temas claves que incentivan o afectan el acceso a la información en derechos y rutas de acceso a protección de derechos entre la comunidad migrante/retornada: la relación entre estar indocumentado y la explotación laboral; la necesidad de una mejor articulación entre las instituciones para direccionar o redireccionar a las personas hacia rutas efectivas de servicios de protección de derechos; las barreras físicas y discriminación que limitan el acceso a la información; la importancia del sentido de comunidad en la diáspora y la experiencia de pares como factor de influencia en la toma de decisiones." (https://internews.org)
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"Our analysis shows that the mediated debates about migration in Western and Eastern Europe are more differentiated, and less stereotypical, as often assumed. Indeed, coverage in media outlets in Western Europe feature more positive aspects and speakers compared to the outlets in Central and Eastern
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Europe. However, even in Hungary and Poland – two countries marked by very problematic developments in media policy – the outlets involved in the study offer a complex picture. The migration-critical stance of outlets closely related to the government is contrasted by the complex coverage of independent outlets. The case of Magyar Hírlap may serve as an illustrative example how outlets close to the government – in this case the massive anti-migration campaign of Prime Minister Orbán – ignore professional norms. Indeed, Magyar Hírlap did not include a single migrant or refugee in the total of 301 articles it has published in the study period. The study identifies professional challenges for outlets in other countries. Similar to previous studies, this study shows that migrants and refugees are mostly covered as a large, anonymous group. Rarely are they identified as individuals, and rarely do they speak for themselves. But our study also shows that the majority of articles only vaguely at best indicate context and origin countries of migrants. Neither do they make a clear distinction between refugees with protected status and migrants. Certainly, this remains a challenge, given editorial constraints and incomplete information in everyday practice. However, journalists should strive to make use of the correct definitions especially in countries where governments deliberately use incorrect labels. Taking the very low share of background articles into account as well, media users across Europe may find it hard to come to their own informed conclusions on migrants and refugees." (Discussion, page 48)
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"The mediation of migration as a crisis has worked to shore up various forms of militarized surveillance, humanitarian response, legislative action, and affective investment. Bridging academic inquiry and artistic and activist practice, the essays, documents, and artworks gathered in Moving Images i
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nterrogate the mediation of migration and refugeeism in the contemporary European conjuncture, asking how images, discourses, and data are involved in shaping the visions and experience of migration in increasingly global contexts." (Publisher description)
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"Im Jahr 2000 gründeten drei junge Männer das Internetportal »Indernet« – einen deutschsprachigen Raum von »Indern der zweiten Generation« für »Inder der zweiten Generation«. Aufbauend auf Material, das sie über 17 Jahre gesammelt hat, legt Urmila Goel in ihrer Ethnografie drei Mosaike d
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ieses virtuellen Raums. Sie beschreibt, wie die unterschiedlichen Teile des Portals (Artikel, Forum, Gästebuch, etc.) genutzt wurden und zeichnet die Entwicklungsschritte des Community-Portals von seiner Gründung bis zum Umzug ins Web 2.0 nach. Dabei analysiert sie rassismuskritisch, wie das »Indernet« zu einem Raum der natio-ethno-kulturellen (Mehrfach-)Zugehörigkeit wurde und welche Ausschlüsse damit einhergingen." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Information and awareness-raising campaigns for (potential) migrants in third countries constitute a central element of current migration strategies, both at the European and national level. However, little is known about the impact of these campaigns and how they influence migratory behaviour.
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ormation and behaviour change: In light of these limitations, we can learn from findings of rigorous evaluations in other fields, such as behavioural economics, and apply those to how information and awareness-raising can influence behaviour. Therefore, information and awareness-raising campaigns must be built on a contextual understanding of how people form beliefs and expectations and how these are transformed into decisions.
Randomized evaluations: Researchers, donors, EU Institutions and Member States are increasingly aware of the importance of creating rigorous evidence and using this evidence to inform policy decisions. To isolate the impact of information and awareness-raising campaigns on migratory behaviour, randomized evaluations are being implemented by some selected researchers and institutions.
Lessons learned: Evaluations presented during the conference indicate that peer-to-peer information campaigns have the potential to raise awareness about the risks and opportunities associated with migration. Another example shows that information on the chances of obtaining a legal status in Europe impacts the inclination to migrate. Rigorous evaluations also shed light on how information campaigns compare against other policy interventions, such as providing economic opportunities at the local level. Most evaluations find that migrants and potential migrants respond to reliable and trustworthy information.
Social networks: Beside rigorours evidence, which is still rare, qualitative evaluations suggest that campaigns should be built on trust: this can be achieved by using personal or peer-to-peer communication channels, a positive narrative, and messages of legal alternatives rather than deterrence. Finally, in order to create contextappropriate messages and to identify the right target group, diaspora communities and local experts are important stakeholders in the design and implementation of campaigns." (Main take-aways, page 2)
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