Displaced people are not watching TV or listening to the radio of the host countries, mainly due to the language barrier. This we know from local actors, international NGOs, and the Ukrainian refugee community itself, from the teenagers or women refugees, all of them tell us this.
There is also an issue of trust regarding media and the social media platforms that they are getting the information from. If some information is being shared, many refugees will often double check other sources to see whether it is really true or not.
With support from the Government of Japan, UNESCO has launched the Support for Ukrainian Refugees through Media project. It assists the governments of the Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia in their refugee responses. The initiative is part of UNESCO’s contribution to the UN-wide Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine Situation, coordinated by UNHCR.
The initiative will strengthen the capacities of host-country broadcasters in providing reliable news and factual information on key topics of interest and concern to the Ukrainian refugees, in collaboration with UNHCR, the European Broadcasting Union, and national partners. The project takes a novel approach by empowering refugees with the right to freedom of expression, while providing humanitarian assistance to the displaced Ukrainians.
The first stage of the project is a baseline study on the media habits and information needs of the Ukrainian refugees in the three countries. To carry out the research, 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ partnered with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), a leading international NGO working with displaced persons across the globe.
NRC is in overall charge of the study in the Republic of Moldova and Romania, while Caritas is conducting the data collection in Slovakia. The research uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, such as focus groups, stakeholder discussions, and nearly 600 interviews with Ukrainian refugees, carried out in different locations such as schools, private households, and support centres.
The findings of the research will guide the second stage of the project: supporting host-country media organisations to create refugee-related media programmes.
The content will be produced for, with, and by Ukrainian refugees, covering topics that refugees deem of priority concern. Notably, refugees will be able to give inputs on what is being said about them. The news will also cover topics such as education, labour, housing, health, gender-based violence, child protection, services for people with specific needs, and the possibility of returning home when circumstances permit.
To ensure the coverage reflects not only refugees’ viewpoints, but also those of the host populations, the initiative will help media outlets in establishing audience consultative mechanisms. Ukrainian refugees and host citizens alike will engage with the editorial teams, providing comment on refugee-related news content or media programming issues.
Through this project, UNESCO is strengthening fact-based information exchange between refugees and host citizens as audience members. In doing so, it fosters foster social cohesion. The project supports media in their portrayal of the diversity of viewpoints, and governments in their response to the refugee flows.
Additionally, UNESCO will strengthen editorial practices for ethical reporting, conflict-sensitive and solutions-oriented approaches in refugee-related press coverage, thus fostering fact-based and objective reporting for peaceful coexistence in recipient countries.
The Support for Ukrainian Refugees through Media project falls under UNESCO’s mandate to foster media development and support media in crisis preparedness and response. The current implementation phase spans a period of 12 months, starting from February 2023.
