Reporting on Migration in South Africa: A Guide for Journalists and Editors

"The way in which migration is reported on can have damaging, and even fatal, impacts."

This guide is designed to be a tool for journalists, providing them with background information and guidelines for reporting on migration in South Africa. It seeks to create a greater understanding of the issues and facts around migration and offers tips on reporting on migration in an ethical, accurate, and objective manner. It has been compiled with input from organisations working on human rights and migration, such as the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, African Centre for Migration and Society, Sonke Gender Justice, the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa, and many others. Although intended for journalists, it can also be useful for anyone interested in a deep analysis of the problems related to migration.

As explained in the guide, "modern Southern Africa has been shaped by migration and displacement. Historically, South Africans have been forced to move, while the country's resources have been extracted by workers from across South Africa and the wider region. Migration has shaped who we are today....Media pieces on migration tend to focus on negative imaging and consequences of cross-border migration, without taking into account the wealth and diversity that comes along with it." In particular, sensationalist or over-simplified stories on migration or xenophobia have been shown to perpetuate or even encourage violence in South Africa.

The media, therefore, has an important role to play in changing perceptions and reshaping the conversations around this issue. In order to assist journalists in this role, the guide covers the following:

• Useful definitions (e.g. refugee, asylum-seeker, migrant, and xenophobia)
• An understanding of migration in South Africa
• Commonly held myths and facts about migration
• What language to use and avoid
• A checklist of do's and don'ts when writing up an article on migration
• The importance of choice of imagery
• Some story pitch ideas
• Examples of good and bad articles
• Tips for conducting interviews
• An explanation of the difference between sex work and trafficking
• A sample informed consent form for interviews
• List of referrals for journalists to have on hand during interviews and expert organisations to reach out to for comment
• The Code of Ethics and Conduct for South African Print and Online Media
• How to lodge complaints with the Press Council and the Broadcasting Commission