Migration, fake news and media ethics

07 May 2019 – 12:30 – 14:00

Brussels

12.30-13.00
Welcome and registration of participants

13.00-14.00
Migration, fake news and media ethics

Fears of foreign meddling in elections to the European Parliament have put the focus more than ever before on the powerful role of the media in influencing public opinion and shaping the political choices made by voters. But citizen journalism, the 24-hour news cycle and ‘fake news’ are disrupting the traditional media landscape, causing confusion within the sector and among the public. During the so-called migration ‘crisis’, traditional and new media both failed to report on Europe’s migration phenomenon in an objective and ethical manner. Many have deliberately used sensationalist narratives and false information, thereby feeding nationalist and populist sentiments. Hopes that the United Nations Global Compact for Migration would bring some much-needed sanity into the conversation were dashed when journalists were not consulted, driving away even the most responsible reporters. Given the high stakes, demands are increasing for journalists to move away from sensationalism, distinguish between fact and fiction, and report more accurately on Europe’s migration challenges.

• Do journalists believe they have a responsibility to craft a less hostile and more constructive and respectful narrative on migration and integration?
• Since ‘fake news’ is here to stay, is it time to develop coping strategies for living with it?
• Has the media learned anything from the mistakes made while covering so-called ‘migration crises’?

Speakers include:

• Susan Dabbous, Freelance Journalist and Author of :How would you like to die? Diary of a kidnapping in Syria”
• Tom Law, Deputy Director at Ethical Journalism Network
• Matthias Oel, Director for Migration, Mobility and Innovation at the Europen Commission DG for Migration and Home Affairs
• Inma Vazquez, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Representative to the EU and NATO

Moderated by:
Shada Islam, Director of Europe & Geopolitics at Friends of Europe