Decolonising the Newsroom

Around 60 people from different parts of the world gathered in Madrid to be part of the Decolonizing the Newsroom event coordinated by ZEMOS98 and Conciencia Afro, the two partners organizations of Re:framing Migrants in the European Media. The event took place over four days from July 5 to 8.

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The second day of the event continued with the presentation of the Decolonizing The Newsroom event by the two host organizations: ZEMOS98 and Conciencia Afro. Organizers introduced the programme to the other project partners.

Through conversation they analyzed current media approaches toward migrants and refugees in the European media and created new solutions to lead the Re:framing Migrants in European Media project through its next phase which will last until the end of May 2023. 

The participants were divided into working groups to research, brainstorm, exchange their experience with each other to produce new ideas and suggestions in order to reframe migrants in European Media. Each working group has worked on a different element such as; antiracist media test, soundscapes, campaigning.

They also reflected upon the uses of social media and digital tools in order to achieve better representations. They addressed the question of how the functioning of different social media and digital environments produces certain images in relation to migrants and refugees. Migrant communities and movements usually struggle with different ways of misrepresentation in mainstream media. 

What are the ways to campaign towards better representations of migrants in the media? How to analyze the European visual imagery around migrations and to propose alternatives and fairer visual representations?

On the last day of the Decolonizing the Newsroom event, participants’ outcomes were presented to the public with the hope of changing the shape of the media on reporting migrants. The results of the different working groups comprised the following outcomes:

The public program of activities was live streamed. You can watch all the round-tables, lectures, presentations and screenings here. Laurent Leger Adame, the photographer of the event, is the author of these pictures. Vivian Mule was the visual storyteller of the event. You can watch her narration here