Kuwait/25 March 2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Migration agency in Kuwait in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kuwait organized workshops from the 21^st until the 25^th of March, on ‘Responsible Reporting’ for media professionals , to provide a better understanding of the local migration context and enhance their skills and accuracy of information when covering their stories in the media using a compassionate and humane approach.  

This training event was implemented under IOM’s cooperation project agreement signed with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kuwait in November of 2020, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Information. The two workshops were organized within a duration of a week, 3 days workshop targeting media professionals and an additional two-day workshop for social media influencers and university students.

“Beyond these institutional responsibilities, the reality is that thousands of people post negative and hateful content on their social media accounts every day, and at some point, explicitly call for violent action against migrants and other vulnerable groups” Mazen AboulHosn, IOM Kuwait Chief of Mission said during his opening remarks “Comments on social networks are more than just words, and they should not be seen as harmless, especially when social networks are a source of information for migrants and the general public , and contribute to their experiences.”.

H.E. Laurens Westhoff, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kuwait said “In the past 10 years, social media has had increasing influence. Many people on social media do not adhere to the principles of responsible reporting and the algorithms make the receiver hear the same opinion over and over again. We need to be inclusive and allow as many voices as possible to express their opinion then leave it to the receiver to make own decision. I am very happy to be sponsoring this event on behalf of the Netherlands. I also thank IOM and the Ministry of Information in Kuwait for making this workshop possible”.

IOM invited speakers from various concerned entities to present, including the Ministry of Information (MoInf), the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM), Kuwait University, and the Gulf Cooperation Council Joint Program Production Institution (GCCJPPI) as well as renowned news and reporting agencies such as the BBC, Thomson Reuters Corporation and Agency France-Presse (AFP).

Through these workshops, IOM Kuwait aims to empower media professionals to promote ethical and informed journalism by embracing sensitive reporting that is fair and balanced. This is of particular importance when working with migrant workers, including vulnerable persons and communities, who are often portrayed in a negative manner in the media, and yet are amongst the most affected by the current health and consequential financial crises.

The training sessions are a way to inform reporters on the comprehensive migratory situation and the importance of understanding the context in full, with emphasis on human trafficking and its underlying issues. They further aim to guide media professionals on accurate terminology related to the migration management and enhance their skills and provide tips and techniques required for conducting interviews with vulnerable individuals and covering stories on sensitive issues.

Ethical and well-informed journalism is a key element in combatting misinformation and hate speech and promoting social cohesion within each society.

Reaven D'souza – Managing Editor, The Times Kuwait said “Very glad to attend the Responsible Reporting workshop conducted by IOM and Ministry of Information on Migrant Labour. The workshop was very illuminating and gave me a better understanding and insight into the issue. This will greatly help us as we are constantly faced with many dimensions of the issue. “

Iqbal Ahmed, News Producer at Sky News Arabia, Kuwait Office “ I really enjoyed attending the training course over a period of three days, they were fruitful and useful at all levels, especially with the amount of information provided to us by the distinguished lecturers from various entities. It was very important and an added value to our work as media professionals and editors from various agencies. The session topics chosen are very important for all media professionals, because they will actually contribute to strengthening the writing of reports in a more responsible way that takes into account all the social and psychological effects and the extent of its impact.”

Salem Abdul-Halim Al-Kaabi, Senior Media Specialist -Programs, Ministry of Information “The session aimed at promoting the values of free and responsible media work and focusing on the central role of the media in producing responsible reports that are fair and balanced and that supports the Sustainable Development Goals, that are in line with the global agenda”.

For more information please contact: Dana Al-Othman at IOM Kuwait, Email: dalothman@iom.int