12/01/2021
The ‘Migration and the media’ meeting was held within the framework of the European “Living together without discrimination” project
Communication plays a fundamental role in combating stereotypes regarding the migratory phenomenon and counteracting discrimination. To this end, the virtual meeting for the exchange of experiences “Migration and the media” was held, jointly organised by the Spanish Observatory for Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE) and FIIAPP within the framework of “Living together without discrimination”, a project financed by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, led by AECID and launched in joint delegation with FIIAPP.
During the event, issues such as the importance of the media in building the imaginary or social perception of migration were addressed. There was also a discussion on the monitoring and analysis of news and content concerning the migratory phenomenon and Muslim communities in Spain. Finally, an attempt was made to respond to how such analysis and reports are used to raise awareness among media professionals and the wider population and how best to integrate a gender perspective focusing on these matters.
Based on the presentation of two Spanish initiatives, the experiences of the “Observatory of Islamophobia in the media” led by the Al Fanar Foundation for Arab Knowledge and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMED), with the support of OBERAXE and the project “Inmigracionalismo” promoted by the NGO Red Acoge, the approach employed by these projects was explored in detail, reflecting on the social impact of the media on the consolidation of social conceptions.
“Islamophobia has consequences for the people affected and for society in general”, said Mónica Carrión from the Al Fanar Foundation, outlining the importance that the media have in reinforcing stereotypes regarding Muslim communities and Islam.
This idea was also stressed by Laura Traveso from Red Acoge, who emphasised the role of the media in establishing social conceptions.
The two speakers also explained the contributions made by these projects, from the analysis of information and awareness raising to ensuring a more inclusive and diverse outlook within the media.
