The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orientation (UNESCO), and the Ghana Journalists Association have developed a handbook on migration reporting for media practitioners.
The handbook seeks to address gaps in reporting on migration and to build capacities of journalists to produce quality information on migration risks.
This was disclosed by Mr Abdourahamane Diallo, UNESCO Representative to Ghana, at a stakeholders’ forum on media and voices of migration.
The forum discussed findings from a three-year project commissioned by UNESCO and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation dubbed: “Empowering Young People in Africa through Media and Communication”.
The project seeks to address the root causes of migration by improving access to information, freedom of expression and building the capacities of youth and the media.
The project is being implemented in seven other African countries – Senegal, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Cameroun, Guinea- Conakry and Mali.
Mr Diallo said access to credible information on migration was an essential pillar to enable local populations, especially the youth, to make informed choices about migration.
He said they sought to address the gaps in ethical reporting on migration, the tools and resources available, fake news, fact-checking and media and information literacy on migration.
“Media coverage of migration significantly affects the diversity and quality of information received by the public, especially migrants. It also shapes the perception and reaction of society about issues related to migration,” he added.
Mrs Ama Serwaah Nerquaye-Tetteh, Secretary General, Ghana Commission for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), urged media practitioners to continue to raise awareness on risks of irregular migration to deter the youth from engaging in such voyages.
She said there was too much misinformation on migration that was luring the youth to continue to embark on such dangerous journeys.
Mrs Nerquaye-Tetteh said the media had a critical role to play in dispelling the misinformation on migration by providing accurate and experiential information on the risks of illegal migration.