Media-Conflict-Migration - the conflict potential of the media coverage regarding migration from the countries of the Arab Spring to Europe: conference report, Bonn, 4 December 2012

In: ifa Edition Culture and Foreign Policy

Abstract

The necessity for better journalistic training and education, as well as more resources for journalists: Journalists should be permitted to report without drawing on sensationalist stereotypes, should be allowed to operate more freely in their field of work and should be relieved from their job-related restrictions. This can only be achieved if their superiors, for example their editors-in-chief are included in such training. If journalists and editors have a broader general knowledge and more balanced views on the topics, coverage will be more objective and closer to reality. More financial resources and time must be provided to the journalists to allow for in-depth reporting rather than event-oriented news.
A closer adherence to journalistic standards and a global harmonisation of such standards: The guidelines for professional, or more specifically, conflict sensitive journalism, must be upheld and the adherence to such guidelines rewarded. The advantages of conflict sensitive journalism must be signalled not only to journalists, but also to media executives and managers, and perhaps most importantly, to audiences. Only if every party involved learns to appreciate the assets of professional journalism, can more balance be achieved in reporting.