Support for Ukrainian Refugees through Media
As part of the UN Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine Situation, UNESCO launched the 鈥淪upport for Ukrainian Refugees through Media鈥 project since February 2023 for 12 months, assisting governments in the Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia in their refugee responses through working with national and local broadcasters.
The initiative made concrete impact in increasing refugees鈥 access to credible and trustworthy information and fostering knowledge-based exchanges and understanding between refugees and host populations.
Through the project 17 beneficiary media strengthened their editorial content on refugees and related issues, publishing nearly 500 news pieces. Over 30 displaced Ukrainian media professionals were engaged in producing content in Ukrainian, as well as trained on modern broadcast equipment and production.
For more information about UNESCO's work on media and refugees, please visit this page.
鈥淭hrough this project, UNESCO strengthened fact-based information exchange between refugees and host citizens as audience members. In doing so, it fostered social cohesion. The project supported media in their portrayal of the diversity of viewpoints, and governments in their response to the refugee flows.鈥
Baseline Study and Survey
The project implementation was guided by research on the media habits and information needs of the refugees from Ukraine in the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Slovakia, based on 700 interviews with displaced women, children, youths, older people, people with disabilities and vulnerable persons.
Content by, with and for Ukrainian Refugees
Mainstream media worked with refugees from Ukraine to produce content for, with and by Ukrainian refugees, on topics of their interest and concern, such as education, housing, health, gender-based violence etc. Ukrainian media professionals were integrated into local teams as camerapersons, editors, reporters, or narrators. Refugee voices were included in media coverage, to foster dialogue, inclusion and mutual understanding with host communities.
Media Capacity Development
Workshops on solutions journalism and ethical and conflict-sensitive reporting as well as monthly mentoring sessions from international and local experts were held to strengthen the editorial capacity and practices of host-country media in covering refugees and related issues.
Stakeholder Inclusion
Government institutions and the UN multi-partner, multi-sector response actors were included in project events and activities, bringing together journalists, humanitarian agencies, and representatives from the Embassies of Japan. This inclusive approach promoted a greater diversity of sources for refugee-related media coverage while fostering collaboration, facilitating expertise-sharing and strengthening partnerships.
Beneficiary countries
Key Partners
The project is part of and funded by
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