From 13 to 16 December, the German-funded project "Migration Awareness Raising in Iraq and Pakistan" (MARIP) will organise a workshop on migration reporting for journalists from both countries. Participants will be selected via a competitive process, which accepts applications until 7 November 2019.
The media plays an important role not only in informing and sensitizing public opinion and public discourse, but also in shaping policy approaches to migration by reporting on migration issues. By underlining the most pressing migration challenges, informing about numerous benefits of migration, capitalising on certain migration topics and omitting others, the media has a vast influence on the formation of a broad image and perception of migration itself.
The new ICMPD-led project, MARIP, recognises the key role of the media and has developed a workshop to provide migration expertise to journalists from Pakistan and Iraq. It will take place from 13 to 16 December in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants will be exposed to a broad range of migration topics including legal and labour migration, prevention of irregular migration, trafficking & smuggling, and receive training on how to report, and not report, on them.
Eligible candidates have to be citizens from either Pakistan or Iraq and should work as employed or freelance journalists. They should have basic knowledge of or a keen interest in working on migration topics. All travel, accommodation and training expenses will be covered; participants will be selected by mid-November via a detailed call for applications.
Participation should result in the publication of stories on migration topics by the end of January 2020 in Pakistani, respectively Iraqi, media outlets.
About MARIP
The overall objective of the MARIP project is to raise awareness on safe, orderly and legal migration and the dangers and consequences of irregular migration, human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Its key features are migration awareness campaigns in both countries as well as engaging media and journalists from both countries to support better understanding of and reporting on migration topics in mainstream media.