Modou Joof, Secretary General of the GPU and a journalist with more than 15 years of experience, emphasises the importance of equipping Gambian journalists with the tools to cover migration effectively and believes that the knowledge gained from this training session will be crucial in better informing the public and influencing migration policies at national and regional levels.
Can you briefly explain what motivated the GPU to be part of this migration-reporting initiative?
The GPU is mandated to promote media development and provide capacity building for journalists and media workers. The aims and objectives of the INFORMA project align perfectly with our mission to professionalise the Gambian media industry by providing our members, journalists, and media workers with the necessary knowledge and skills. This is why, when the IFJ approached us to collaborate on its implementation, we found it both apt and timely.
What are the main challenges that journalists face in the Gambia when covering the phenomenon of migration?
The major challenges include a lack of capacity in terms of knowledge and skills to report on the migration phenomenon effectively, efficiently, fairly, and accurately. As a result, there has been limited reporting on migration, particularly on substantive stories such as in-depth analytical articles and human-interest features. The existing coverage of the migration phenomenon is mostly limited to event-based reports, such as workshops organised by organisations focusing on the subject. Additionally, some reports on migrant returnees - migrants who return to their countries of origin - inadvertently perpetuate negative stereotypes, which increase their vulnerability to discrimination and abuse.
What stereotypes about migration is the project aiming to challenge?
In the Gambia, some of the stereotypes associated with migration reporting include blaming migrant returnees for the perceived increase in crime rates. There are also stereotypes that accuse non-Gambians, particularly those from neighbouring countries, of saturating Gambian markets and dominating the fishing industry, thereby putting local business people out of work. The project aims to address these local misconceptions.
At the international level, the project seeks to challenge several stereotypes, such as "refugees flee in search of a better life", "just build the borders properly, and the migration crisis will stop", "migrants commit more crimes", "migrants are stealing our jobs". "all migrants are asylum seekers" and "most African migrants are travelling to Europe". Many of these stereotypes are untrue and serve to further alienate and endanger migrants in destination countries.
To what extent can journalists influence public opinion on this phenomenon and help promote safe migration?
When journalists are well-trained, which is what the INFORMA project aims to achieve, they can approach the subject of migration from a broader, more inclusive, and positive perspective. Migration is not a crime. It is therefore crucial to build the capacities of local journalists to view migration in a more holistic way, addressing the phenomenon from an international and a local perspective, and the opportunities, challenges, and solutions it entails within these contexts.
By allowing various groups to speak for themselves and share their stories and perspectives on migration, telling in-depth stories from a human-interest angle, and scrutinising migration policies both internally and externally, journalists can significantly influence public opinion and public policies within and beyond the Gambia. Additionally, journalists need to highlight the dangers of irregular migration*, while educating the public about local opportunities that potential irregular migrants can pursue in their home country.
* “Movement of persons that takes place outside the laws, regulations or international agreements governing the entry into or exit from the State of origin, transit or destination [...] The fact that they use irregular migration pathways does not imply that States are not, in some circumstances, obliged to provide them with some forms of protection under international law”, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
What skills and knowledge did Gambian journalists gain from the ‘train the trainers’ workshop to provide more nuanced and trustworthy information to the public?
The trainees gained a broader and deeper understanding of topics such as ‘What is migration?’, ‘International and local migration’ and the ‘Ethical standards of migration reporting’, among others. Emphasis was placed on how to cover migration issues in a way that upholds the public’s right to quality, comprehensive, independent and pluralistic information. Gambian journalists also acquired knowledge and skills in researching, verifying, contextualising, prioritising, and publishing high-quality information on migration. With access to various useful resources on migration, they are now better equipped to produce more trustworthy news and analysis on the topic — especially as they will be training local journalists on migration reporting in the regions.
What are the biggest challenges the INFORMA project is facing in the Gambia, and what impact do you hope the project will have on migration policies?
The biggest challenge is to reorient local journalists, particularly those who will be trained on migration reporting in the regions, to move beyond workshop or event-based reporting, and to abandon stereotypes and sensationalism, especially when covering irregular migration ‘returns’ (which are often inaccurately referred to as deportations) and deaths at sea.
The INFORMA project presents an opportunity to change negative narratives about migration and to focus more broadly on issues and stories that can influence public opinion and policies. This is what we aim to achieve with the upcoming local training on migration reporting in three regions of the Gambia. Once local journalists acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in migration reporting, we are of course hopeful that this project will change the course of migration coverage for the better.
What feedback have you received from journalists who attended the session?
Overall, participants were impressed with the workshop. Some mentioned that they found the sessions to be very informative and engaging, and they are eager to share the knowledge gained with rural and community journalists, who will participate in the local training on migration reporting. They also recommended that the IFJ and its partners provide grants on migration reporting to support more in-country reporting on various aspects of migration and consider funding additional local training to cover more regions in the country.
In the coming months, the newly trained trainers will organise sessions at the national level to share their knowledge and skills with fellow journalists. Dates will be provided soon.