REFUGEES IN THE MASS MEDIA
When: Wednesday 20 August 2003
Venue: Seminar Room, Graduate School Humanities and Social Sciences,
Ground Floor, South-West Engineering Building, Wits University, Johannesburg-SA
Time: 15:00 - 18:00 pm
Presented by: Forced Migration Studies Programme (FMSP)
Introduction
The Forced Migration Studies Programme, University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, South Africa presents the first workshop on the representation of
refugees in the mass media as a way forward to enhance academic and research
debate on refugees in the media.
Summary
The number of conflict situations in Africa and around the globe coupled with its representation in popular media pose challenges to states and non-state actors. Media rhetoric continue to elude substantial refugee issues thereby
ostensibly creating cultural, political, social and economic tensions among
receiving and sending states; refugees and receiving states; refugees and host communities; and refugees and humanitarian organizations. Worst of all is the negative representation of refugees in the media, which unequivocally delimits
state consideration of the dynamic persecutory flight factors, hence rendering refugee protection complicated and complex.
This workshop seeks to critically address and analyze inequalities and irregularities or images of refugees in the media and develop socio-cultural
strategies to encourage development journalism within the matrix of forced
migration. The core question that participants will seek to understand is
whether there is another overture to unpack, capture and crystallize refugee
issues in the mass media?
SPECIFIC OUTCOMES
At the end of this programme students, practitioners and journalists would be able to:
- Critically examine and analyze the way the mass media manage conflict and refugee issues.
- Understand the dynamics of forced migration and how the media make use of these differences in media reports.
- Understand the limits of freedom of expression and its implications to
international relations
- Examine recent conflicts or refugee flows and critically debate
strategies to address information imbalances vis-a-vis states and non-state
actors.
- Understand the role of the mass media in promoting ethnic solidarity, human rights and conflict resolutions.
- Reflect on what should be done public awareness on refugee issues or humanitarian crises.
PROGRAMME CONTENT
Persistent media imaging of refugees: forced migration dynamics in the global
era. Desire Timngum (FMSP, Wits University)
Conflicts, refugee integration and xenophobia in the media: the dysfunction
axis in refugee protection and international relations. David D Zounmenou
(Dept. of International Relations, Wits University)
Refugee crisis and media diplomacy: are the media defacing the facts? Desire
Timngum
Freedom of expression and human rights in the age of refugee crisis and
terrorism: implications to forced removal. Simon Kimani (Freedom of Expression
Institute).
Information superhighway in the era of refugee protection: what
responsibilities and commitments to state and non-state actors? Amani Buntu
(Global Afrikan Congress)
Programme leader
Desire Timngum (Forced Migration Programme, Graduate School for Humanities and
Social Sciences, Wits University).
For participation and further information please contact E-mail:
[log in to unmask]
Contact Telephone: +2711 717- 4031
Website Address: http://www.wits.ac.za/fmsp
Refreshment will be provided
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