"This report was commissioned to examine the nature and quality of media stories produced by journalists supported by the Voices of African Migrants pilot programme (see http://migrantvoices.org), managed by International Media Support (IMS), in four migration ‘Hubs’ in Africa, and explored how
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local audiences interpreted and responded to those stories. It used content analysis, interviews and focus group discussions. The research findings show that most stories used human interest frames and foregrounded migrant experiences. The migrants’ main contributions to the stories were to provide a human face to hardships and suffering. Meanwhile, NGOs were included to provide facts, statements of general causes of migrations, statistics, and a sense of scale. Government statements were used to provide a comment on policies and solutions. Most articles were supportive in their sentiments to the plight of migrants. Participants in the focus groups (especially migrants themselves) recognised that migrant voices were missing from mainstream media reporting on migration, that reporting on migration tends to be negative, and that there are pressing issues relating to migration that need to be discussed in the public sphere. Focus group participants generally responded with empathy and understanding in response to stories about the hardships migrants face. Some stories provoked a distancing or disruption to understanding, especially when an aspect of the story did not match their prior tacit or cultural knowledge about migration. A small number of stories deeply moved focus group participants." (Executive summary)
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"This report offers a fresh perspective on the information and media landscape in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It presents insights into the human impacts of information challenges and articulates opportunities to design development programming. By bringing a ground-level
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, human understanding to the complex dynamics of conflict in the region, this report seeks to supplement other analyses conducted through geopolitical, historical, or security lenses." (Introduction, page 4)
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"Minority Voices began in January 2009 and ran for three years. It implemented the vast majority of its planned activities and produced the planned outputs. These include the development of an online hub or newsroom, 11 training workshops, production of reports and briefing materials on minority and
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indigenous people's issues and a conference in the EU to bring together minority and indigenous people with journalists and policy makers. The project had ten target EU countries: Czeck Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. The project achieved significant results in terms of the quality of the outputs produced and in the benefits identified by trainees including their increased confidence and skills in engaging with the media. These were subsequently applied notably with their local media. The project also built awareness of and opportunities for journalists in new EU member states to report minority and indigenous communities' issues in development. The flexible approach taken by MRG, learning from experience and adapting to maximise new opportunities contributed significantly to these results." (Executive summary, page ii)
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"The symposium focused in three sections on migration and ethnic minority media coverage within Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and South-Eastern Europe. Special attention was paid to concrete experiences regarding the strengthening of ethnic and diversity media and the potentials as we
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ll as the limits of Diaspora media. The contributions on "Migration and the Media" give concrete practical insights into how to inform effectively on migration issues (Hulst), how to combine edutainment campaigns with social action (Salas) and how to advocate the rights of refugees (Missanga, Horngren). The inputs on "Media, Minorities and Diversity" elaborate the differences between Indonesian Diaspora and minority media (Koesoemawiria), policies to prevent discrimination and stereotyping by a public service broadcaster (Hassen) and the relevance of media monitoring in enforcing ethical journalism standards (Bird). On a conceptual level, lessons learnt on holistic donor strategies (Struthers) and the media approach of the Council of Europe's antidiscrimination campaign (Blion) are discussed. The need for close cooperation between mainstream and ethnic diversity media was not only stressed in the two latter papers, but turned out to be a major common concern of the conference participants. The "Potentials of Diaspora Media" are illustrated by two practical experiences and one research study. The work of the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) points out the effects of first hand visual TV images on international pressure on military regimes (Khin Maung Win), meanwhile the weekly newspaper The Zimbabwean uses a legal loophole to disseminate independent information within a closed society (Mbanga). A study on the Internet usage of migrants in Germany shows that a high percentage has become more involved and interested in political topics regarding their home and host countries (Kissau)." (Executive summary)
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"The capacity of the minority-language (including Serbian-language) broadcast media to inform minority communities in Kosovo about local news is limited. There are several Serbian language TV stations but none of them broadcasts throughout the entire territory of Kosovo. As a consequence, many Kosov
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o Serbs turn to media broadcasted from Serbia. The Kosovo Serb Community as well as other minority communities have repeatedly expressed an interest in their own Kosovo-wide TV station. According to an IREX research, 72% of the Kosovo Serb community would surely or probably watch a Serbian-language TV station covering the whole territory of Kosovo. Access to information and media is a human right as laid down in Art. 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Furthermore, the Constitution of Kosovo explicitly mentions the right of the Kosovo Serb Community to a Kosovo-wide Serbian-language TV channel. There a several different options to address this need – such as a second channel within the RTK umbrella, a public channel outside of RTK’s umbrella, or a commercial Serbian language television station – but there is currently no broad consensus yet among key stakeholders on which option to further pursue. The overall objective of the 12 month Preparatory Assistance project (2009) is to explore all these questions and to lay the groundwork for a Kosovo-wide Serbian/minority language TV channel." (Executive summary)
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