Reporting asylum The UK Press and the Effectiveness of PCC Guidelines January - March 2005 By the ICAR public images partnership for National Refugee Integration Forum, Community and Media Sub-Group and Funded by Immigration and Nationality Directorate, UK Home Office Kate Smart Roger Grimshaw Christopher McDowell Beth Crosland Reporting asylum The UK Press and the Effectiveness of PCC Guidelines Researcher Kate Smart Academic Directors Dr Roger Grimshaw Dr Christopher McDowell Coordinator Beth Crosland Advisers Mike Jempson Rich Cookson Additional Researchers Hana Esselink, Amadu Khan, Forward Maisokwadzo, Pearl Thevanayagam Conducted by the ICAR public images partnership for National Refugee Integration Forum, Community and Media Sub-Group Funded by Immigration and Nationality Directorate, UK Home Office Contents About the Authors 4 Accurate Terminology 7 List of Abbreviations 7 Executive Summary 9 Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction 23 Chapter 2 Methodology 49 Chapter 3 Analysing asylum reporting in the context 59 of a regulated minimum standard Chapter 4 Analysing asylum reporting in the context of best 84 practice, balance and refugee integration Chapter 5 Conclusions and recommendations 135 Bibliography 159 Appendix 1 List of articles referred to MediaWise 166 Appendix 2 Reporting asylum and refugee issues, information 167 leaflet produced by MediaWise (The PressWise Trust) for the NUJ Ethics Council, with support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Appendix 3 Tables for articles with an individual focus 169 Appendix 4 Analysis of ‘1 in 20 asylum seekers is HIV’ 177 Appendix 5 Testimonies of refugee journalists 181 Reporting asylum About the authors The ICAR public images partnership set up to undertake this research comprises the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees (ICAR) at City University, asyluminitiatives, MediaWise, the Refugees, Asylum seekers and the Media (RAM) Project and the Refugee Council. The research was conducted by Kate Smart, with academic direction provided by Dr. Roger Grimshaw, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, King’s College London and Dr Christopher McDowell the Director of ICAR. The project was co-ordinated by Beth Crosland at ICAR. Project Advisors and Researchers Project Advisers included Mike Jempson, the Director of the Mediawise Trust and Rich Cookson a freelance journalist who conducted interviews with newspaper editors and undertook indepth analysis of newspaper reports. In addition, the following people conducted the research for MediaWise: Rich Cookson is a freelance writer and investigative journalist. He has been writing about social, environmental and media issues since 1998. After editing The Big Issue South West, he went freelance and has worked for The Guardian, Independent, Observer, Daily Mail, and BBC television. He also works as a researcher for MediaWise, and co-ordinated this project. Hana Esselink is a freelance journalist and writer. She graduated in 1995 with a BA Honours in Literature and Philosophy and was trained by the BBC in Radio and Video digital skills. In London, she has worked for local boroughs with large ethnic communities, and in the Netherlands for Online/More Colour in the Media. She has written the biography of a 1940s French singer, and is currently writing a contemporary novel set in Soho, London. Amadu Khan is a refugee from Sierra Leone. A human rights journalist, poet and community development practitioner, he has undertaken research on asylum seeker and refugee issues, social inclusion, participative democracy, environmental injustice, global development and the media. Previous academic research includes journalism and armed conflict in Africa, African literature, verbal art forms and folklore. Since arriving in the UK he has worked as a consultant for the Open University, the UK-based international human rights organisation Article 19, the Refugee Survival Trust and Oxfam Scotland. Forward Maisokwadzo is an exiled journalist from Zimbabwe. He worked on the Zimbabwe Independent, and has freelanced for the South African Sunday Times, UK Sunday Times, Voice of America and the Guardian. He holds an MA in International Journalism from City University. He is currently the RAM Project’s Project’s Communications Officer. Pearl Thevanayagam is an exiled journalist from Sri Lanka. She has worked at The Weekend, Daily News, Sunday Leader and Weekend Express in Sri Lanka and had work published in the Times of India, Wall Street Journal and UK’s Press Gazette. She sought exile in the UK in 2001 after she was arrested and received death threats, in connection with her work. Since arriving in the UK, she has worked for the Refugee Council and MediaWise. Reporting asylum ICAR The Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees (ICAR) at City University is an independent organisation that undertakes research and provides information and analysis on asylum issues in the UK and globally. In recent years ICAR has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the need for improved standards in newspaper reporting on asylum seekers and refugees. ICAR’s work in this area includes producing research reports, hosting workshops and providing a fact-checking service. For further details see: • Media Image, Community Impact. Assessing the impact of media and political images of refugees and asylum seekers on community relations in London. Commissioned by the Mayor of London, ICAR, July 2004. • Reflecting asylum in London’s communities - monitoring London’s press coverage of refugees and asylum seekers: an analysis of press reporting January - February 2005, conducted by the ICAR public images partnership for the Greater London Authority • The challenge of reporting refugees and asylum seekers: ICAR report on regional media events organised by the Presswise RAM project .ICAR and RAM, London, Nissa Finney, April 2003. • Understanding the Stranger (http://www.icar.org.uk/?lid=334) • Ask ICAR (http://www.icar.org.uk/?lid=1582) All available on the ICAR website www.icar.org.uk RAM Project The Refugees, Asylum seekers and the Media (RAM) Project was set up in 1999 by MediaWise to campaign for fair and accurate coverage of asylum seekers and refugees. Its activities have included the production of research and guidelines for journalists, bringing together media professionals, refugees and asylum seekers to discuss how coverage can be improved, and the creation of local campaign groups that work with local and regional media. MediaWise, formerly known as PressWise, is a registered charity which began as a voluntary organisation in 1993, set up by ‘victims of media abuse’ backed by sympathetic journalists and media lawyers. The Trust champions press freedom and responsible journalism, and is committed to the promotion of accurate and fair reporting. It provides: advice to members of the public affected by inaccurate or unfair print or broadcast coverage; information about media ethics, law and regulation, and how the media operate; research into aspects of media practice, representation of minority groups, and media regulation; training for community groups on how to make best use of the media, and for journalists about more effective ways of reporting problematic issues. The organisation has a rights-based approach to media ethics. It believes that: press freedom is a responsibility exercised on behalf of the public; the public has a right to expect accurate information from the media, and should be informed promptly when inaccurate information is published; and those treated unfairly by the media are entitled to independent advice. MediaWise journalists have devised and delivered training programmes for media professionals and non- governmental organisations in over 25 countries, with the International Federation of Journalists, the British Council, UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO, among others. It employs experienced journalists and collaborates with NGOs, media and academic bodies and international agencies. The Refugees, Asylum seekers and the Media (RAM) Project was set up in 1999 by MediaWise to campaign for fair and accurate coverage of asylum seekers and refugees. Its activities have included the production of research and guidelines for journalists, bringing together media professionals, refugees and asylum seekers to discuss how coverage can be improved, and the creation of local campaign groups that work with local and regional media. Reporting asylum 5 Other projects include: • Children and the media (since 1997) • Media and diversity (since 1997) • Health and the media (since 1998) • Suicide and the media (since 2001) • Journalism and public trust (since 2004) Refugee Council The Refugee Council is the largest organisation in the UK working with asylum seekers and refugees. It is an independent organisation and registered as a charity funded by local, central and European government grants, grants from trust funds and corporations and funds provided by individuals. The Refugee Council’s work includes: giving advice and support to asylum seekers and refugees to help them rebuild their lives; working with refugee community organisations, helping them grow and serve their communities; caring for unaccompanied refugee children to help them feel safe and supported in the UK; offering training and employment courses to enable asylum seekers and refugees to use their skills and qualifications; campaigning and lobbying for refugees’ voices to be heard in the UK and abroad; keeping them high on the political agenda and discussed