HUMAN TRAFFICKING MANUAL FOR JOURNALISTS HUMAN TRAFFICKING MANUAL FOR JOURNALISTS Authors: Print run: 1000 primeraka Ivana Radović Printed by: Original Jovana Bogićević Marija Anđelković Marijana Gligorić Miloš Teodorović Miša Stojiljković Nadežda Milenković Olivera Miloš Todorović Olivera Otašević Saša Leković Svenka Savić Tamara Vukasović Press clipping: Medijska dokumentacija EBART Public opinion poll: TNS Medium Gallup Note: All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied for educational and other non- commercial purposes, provided that any such reproduction is accompanied by an acknowledgement of the ASTRA – Anti Trafficking Action. Disclaimer: The views herein expressed are solely those of the author and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the OSCE Mission to Serbia. The publication of this report was made possible by a generous support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia. Published by: ASTRA – Anti Trafficking Action Belgrade, Republic of Serbia [email protected] www.astra.org.rs ©ASTRA 2008 Translated by: EuroContract-Conference Systems TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHORS . 5 GENERAL OVERVIEW What is human trafficking? . 9 Human trafficking – illegal migrations – prostitution . .11 Causes of human trafficking . 12 Reality of trafficking victims . 16 Stereotypes about trafficking in women . 19 HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SERBIA Institutional framework . 23 National legislation . 25 Serbia as the country of origin / transit / destination . 30 Child trafficking in Serbia . 34 ASTRA SOS Hotline statistics . 37 Opinion poll on the human trafficking problem in Serbia . 51 MEDIA PRACTICE Media reporting about trafficking in women: the hunt for victims - Saša Leković . .77 Ethical doubts – Kristina’s story - Saša Leković . 88 How to interview a trafficking victim? A journalist or a human being - Miša Stojiljković . 113 Will they recognize me? - Olivera Miloš Todorović . 118 Human trafficking – a topic that requires special approach: the victim first - Miloš Teodorović . 123 Commercials for the soul - Nadežda Milenković . 127 MEDIA PRESENTATION OF TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN AND TERMINOLOGY USED IN THIS FIELD The content analysis of the print media in Serbia . 133 Terminology related to trafficking in women – Svenka Savić . 143 USEFUL INFORMATION Recommendations . 151 List of literature and websites relevant for the human trafficking problem . 152 Moves that treat the problem of human trafficking . 154 List of anti-trafficking organizations and institutions . 156 Fragments of different Journalists’ Codes of Ethics . 157 Manual for journalists 3 INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHORS Introduction by the authors This Manual was created with the intention to offer all those who write or wish to write on the phenomenon of trafficking in women fundamental information on the problem itself, and give recommendations for writing, all for the purpose of the most precise possible presentation of the problem to the citizens, in the interest of women victims of trafficking and all the persons dealing with them. The second edition of the Manual that you have in front of you provides a cross section of the most significant aspects of the problem of trafficking in women as experienced by an organization from Serbia. NGO ASTRA, the publisher of the Manual, is a women’s non-governmental organization which works on the prevention of human trafficking and offers direct assistance to the victims. This Manual has been created on the basis of our eight year long experience in fighting human trafficking in Serbia. In the period between March 2002 and November 2008, ASTRA SOS Hotline received 8,533 calls. During the same period, 275 trafficking victims were identified, of whom 41% were children. We advocate the position that trafficking in women is just one of the forms of violence against women, that is, of the violation of women’s human rights. We define it as trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and trafficking in women aimed at exploitation of labor e.g. work at home or forced marriage. We speak of trafficking in women when a woman is recruited by deception, coercion, threat, force, exposed to violence and forced to engage in jobs which are exploitative, in slavery-like labor, and which are, therefore, the violation of human rights that are guaranteed by birth. Due to the complexity of this phenomenon, we have tried to fully cover all its aspects. Due to the fact that trafficking in persons, but especially in women and children, has been marked as a priority of political officials around the world and that it is present in the media more than ever, this Manual was created as a response to the current way of presenting the problem of trafficking in women and to the existing assistance mechanisms in the Republic of Serbia. The second, extended edition of the Manual for Journalists, besides offering a definition and historical outline, also provides a general overview of the situation and new trends in human trafficking in the world. The Manual presents the fundamental information on the problem of trafficking in women, on who the victims of trafficking are, how they are recruited, and on the causes of trafficking in women. It speaks of trafficking in women as another form of violence, on the difference between trafficking in women, prostitution and illegal migration, on the violence a woman experiences as a victim of trafficking, and on prejudices we often hear concerning the problem of trafficking. In the second section, the Manual speaks of the extent of trafficking in women in Serbia, the mechanisms developed to this day for the purpose of suppressing trafficking; it stresses the data collected by means of the SOS hotline for victims of trafficking; it presents national legislation that governs the problem of trafficking in women, as well as the data on trafficking in children. Moreover, in this section you may read what the citizens of Serbia think and how much they know about this topic. In order to reach out to as many journalists as possible, we have tried to include experts, excellent journalists who have been practicing investigative journalism in the area of trafficking in women for years or who have otherwise been contributing to the prevention and suppressing of this problem. Our idea was that it would be most useful for journalists to read about the experience of their peers working in the area of radio, TV, documentary journalism, print media and marketing. This section Manual for journalists 5 INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHORS also contains a comparative analysis of the print media in the period May-October 2008 and throughout 2003, in order to assess qualitative progress in the reporting by Serbian media on the problem of human trafficking. Also, we have tried to analyze terminology, the intensity of writing and the visual presentation of the problem of trafficking in women as it appeared in the print media, as well as to give recommendations to all those who write or are preparing to write on the topic of trafficking in women. The last section contains additional references and contacts of relevant institutions, international and nongovernmental organization in the country and abroad that may be of use for all those who are doing in-depth research of this problem. Adequate media reporting on this problem is very important for deconstructing prejudice and stereotypes, popular awareness raising, preventing future recruitment and improving the quality of assistance and reintegration process of persons who have managed to come out of the trafficking chain. We considered this to be in our common interest. Therefore, we hope you will find this Manual useful for your work. Should you have any questions, confusion or you need additional information, call ASTRA, we will be glad to help. Authors 6 GENERAL OVERVIEW GENERAL OVERVIEW Have you ever watched waves at sea? Violence is like a sea wave. You see it coming, but you cannot evade it. You have no choice – when it finally reaches you, it gets hold of you. Everything is out of your control, you are in the wave, desperately trying to free yourself, but the wave has its course, a life of its own. And then it breaks – and you never know where it broke, where you are now… That was my life – everything I wished was at least some possibility of choice – a chance to evade that wave. To live my own life. Then I got the feeling that this chance appeared and – I left…. (The Story of a Woman Victim of Trafficking, radio drama, Siobhan Cleary) What is Human Trafficking? Human trafficking is a global phenomenon that hits all countries in the world: countries in political and economic transition, underdeveloped and developing countries, countries in war and post-conflict countries that appear as the countries of origin and transit of trafficking victims, and economically developed countries that appear as the countries of destination. Terms “the country of origin/source country”, “transit country” and “destination country” are not absolute categories – one country may be any of these in specific cases. Also, economic development and the wealth of destination country cannot be observed independently from the situation in the country of origin. There are not reliable and comprehensive data on the size of the problem of human trafficking, but estimations made by international organizations and some national agencies may serve as a good indicator. According to the UN, 700,000 children, women and men fall victim to trafficking every year1. US State Department estimates this figure at 900,000, of whom 20,000 persons are exploited in the US territory2. In its 2005 Report, International Labor Organization states that 2.45 million people every year become victims of labor exploitation only3. According to UNICEF, 1.2 million children become trafficking victims every year4. Although it is still the dominant belief that only women and children may fall victim to trafficking, the truth is that anyone can be the victim.