advice information research & training RAM BULLETIN on media ethics Refugees, Asylum-seekers and the Mass media Project Promoting best practice in media representation of refugee and asylum issues No 27, Apr 2003 RAM seminar ‘great after he had been driven out of EDITORIAL success’ say journos Freetown. And Faqir Mayvand IT’S GONE TOO FAR Judging by the feedback from from Afghanistan used the occasion exiled journalists who attended the to announce that his latest project refugee TV has at last be granted a When The Sun newspaper RAM seminar ‘Working in The UK published ‘Asylum Army’ as front Media’, the 3-day event was a great licence to broadcast by the page heading in one of its March success. Independent Television issues, for a moment I thought that Thirty five journalists from over Commission. an alien force had invaded the 20 countries made the most of the All these positive examples country. opportunity to meet with colleagues encouraged networking, and a fresh Although statistical jargon is a favourite ingredient in most British and hear from representatives of the sense of enthusiasm to get back into work as journalists. During the media, equating the number of BBC, BECTU, NUJ, The Big Issue asylum-seekers with armed forces and others, about the possibilitiesa Sunday morning session, the RAM Project team received renewed sends a dangerous signal. and problems associated with Before the world politics was working in the UK media. support for new ways of engaging heated up with war on Iraq the main For many it gave fresh hope that exiled journalists in its work. agenda regarding asylum-seekers their careers are not over just See the next RAM Bulletin for more was economic. details about what is planned. Many in the UK media complained because they had been driven out of Project. their own countries just for doing that asylum-seekers leave their countries to make a fortune. This their job. SILENT TRIBUTE created enough damage in Over 60 people were present for FOR TERRY LLOYD distorting the real image since few the opening debate on the Friday Delegates at the RAM Seminar bother to explain that there is more evening which featured lively stood for a minute’s silence during at stake than a fortune considering exchanges between Guardian/ the final session in memory of ITN the risk people have taken to come Observer columnist David journalist Terry Lloyd, killed by so- to the UK. Aaronovitch and Stan Szekowka, called ‘friendly fire’ in Iraq earlier in Adding insult to the injury, the deputy editor of the Bristol Evening the week. present trend is all the more As delegates returned home news Post, both descendants of refugees alarming in that it risks triggering came through of the tragic death in further violence by directly to the UK (see report in Iraq of C4 journalist Gaby Rado. categorising asylum-seekers as a COMMUNICATOR column). threat to national security. One of the high points on the Sound & pictures on-line The whole purpose of this Saturday was the applause given to Kosovan e-journalist Besim numbers game is obviously to Jeremy Dear, General Secretary of create further negative impressions Gerguri, was quick to turn the the NUJ, who pledged the union’s of the asylum issue by exploiting the RAM seminar into a website. He support for exiled journalists. current global political agenda. has uploaded images of the event Thirteen immediately signed up as It also sends a subtle signal to and recordings of two exceptional members under the special scheme members of the public to be performers from Exiled Writers Ink particularly vigilant about asylum negotiated by the RAM Project. who entertained participants on the seekers. (How do they know who to Perhaps the most instructive Saturday night. Poet and accordion be vigilant about, since asylum- session was entitled ‘Do-it- player Vida Kashizadeh from Iran, seekers don’t wear badges - yet?). Yourself’, during which four exiled and oud player and singer Sahira In general this approach is not journalists of various backgrounds, only irresponsible but also Saad from Iraq. dangerous. generations and profiles, explained To see and hear more log onto how they had got back into the It widens the gap between the http://www6.redstation.co.uk/gerg37 public and anyone looking ‘foreign’. media business. 9124/uk_exjour_int/ Carlos Reyes-Manzo, exiled from Hence I say this should not be tolerated and needs to be Pinochet’s Chile in the 1970’s now .. and now the film challenged in every available runs the started the Andes Press The RAM Project and Bristol-based avenue. Agency, which now holds over half Omni productions, working with In this regard a lot is expected a million images. Kosovan refugee film-maker Ekrem from us (exiled journalist) and it is Abel Ugba form Nigeria now runs Rrahmani, conducted interviews time to wake up and do something Metro Eireann, Ireland’s only paper with particicants to the seminar. about it. for ethnic minorities. Ibrahim Seaga The fascinating footage obtained Shaw from Sierra Leone, now Meconen Mulgeta will be used to produce broadcast Guest Editor based in Paris, relaunched his Expo- quality material. Times as a web-based newspaper 1 The PressWise Trust tel +44 (0) 117 941 5889 email [email protected] website www.presswise.org.uk RAM Bulletin No 27, Apr 2003 Bridging the gap with a means to express their views Cabinet discussion acknowledged between myth and reality and allow those most affected by "Any coercive intervention in other The Swedish Quick Response the issue of war and peace with an states is of course controversial." organisation offers a model for opportunity to develop strategies Under the new scheme, which agencies dealing with media for dealing with humanitarian and would be managed by the UN but coverage of immigration elsewhere. political crises in the country. funded by the EU, the transit camps According to its programme Veteran journalist Julia Flint has and protective zones might also statement Quick Response was set been appointed Co-ordinating house those who fail to qualify for up: ‘to nuance media reports on Editor of the report. asylum until it is safe for then to questions concerning immigration, IWPR is an educational charity return home. by an initiative from the national promoting peace and development ‘Those granted refugee status co-ordination committee of the by training journalists. would be resettled within the EU, European Year against Racism.’ Visit the website at www.iwpr.net on a burden-sharing basis’, (sic) Project leader Ulku Holago adds: according to the report. ‘We work against stereotypes Burying Blunkett’s bad A document submitted to the spread by the media and encourage cabinet argues that care must be news for asylum-seekers taken to ensure the initiative is not journalists to access a variety of War has kept asylum issues off the seen as ‘dumping asylum seekers information sources.’ front pages in recent weeks. But on the poorer nations’, nor as ‘using Quick Response has since grown not for long. The war is likely to money to enable us to wash our not only into an organisation generate many more refugees – hands of the refugee problem’. providing reliable response to though whether they will want to However the plan is regarded as a biased coverage, but also into the head for the UK if David Blunkett’s useful way to deter ‘potential first port of call for journalists latest proposals come into effect is terrorists’ from attempting to enter writing about immigration. It another matter. Europe as asylum-seekers. provides reliable data about asylum There was little coverage of his and multiculturalism issues. plans for 'zones of protection' for It also works with schools to refugees and potential near areas of Safe havens? promote debates on these issues. conflict (Turkey, Iran and Iraqi The burial on Monday 31 March With growing prejudice from some Kurdistan for Iraqis; Northern 2003 of 600 identified victims of members of the public due to the Somalia for Somalis; Morocco for the 1995 tragedy in Srebrenica was distorted media information about Algerians), and temporary Transit marked by a day of mourning in asylum issues, a project like Quick Processing Centres outside Europe Bosnia. It went unremarked in the Response could play a pivotal role to which asylum seekers could be UK media. in bridging the gap between myth deported while their claims are Designated by the EU as a ‘safe and reality. assessed. haven’, Srebrenica was overrun in Visit the website at According to Home Office Notes 1995 by the Bosnian Serb army www.quickresponse.nu for Editors dated 27 March the new which then rounded up and PressWise is planning a Right of approach is needed because executed up to 7000 civilians. Reply section as part of its - support for refugees is badly At the time Dutch soldiers were revamped website, and will be guarding this safe haven, as part of consulting Quick Response. If distributed; funding is available it may be - the current system requires those a contingent of EU forces in possible to develop a similar service fleeing persecution to ‘enter the Bosnia. They offered no resistance on the RAM project site. West’ illegally, to Bosnian Serbs, and their conduct - over 50% of asylum-seekers in was later the subject of a parliamentary investigation in the Unique new service for Europe don’t meet refugee criteria, yet most of the world's 12 million Netherlands. Iraqi journalists refugees stay in their own regions; Resignations were tendered, and The Institute for War and Peace - rapidly fluctuating and coupled with the fact that Serbia’s Reporting (IWPR) has launched a unmanaged intakes of asylum- president Milosevic was at the time unique service to encourage seekers and refugees, often result in in the dock at the Hague War dialogue between Iraqi journalists poorly resourced responses causing Tribunal, it seemed that the some and experts.