Types of Journalist Questions for a Refugee Family
How can the media do a better chore of covering refugee issues? What tools and tips should refugees take when speaking with journalists? In June 2018, The Discourse facilitated iv evening workshops to explore these issues. We invited refugees and settlement workers to join the discussion and share their perspectives.
This toolkit is a summary of what we learned through telephone calls, emails and an in-person workshop series we hosted to bring together newcomers, refugees, academics and those working in settlement services.
We've divided what we learned into two parts: Tips and tools for journalists covering refugee problems, which we published here, and these tips and tools for newcomers to Canada dealing with the media.
1. Ask the announcer questions before agreeing to an interview.
You should ask a announcer questions about their work and arroyo before agreeing to speak. Y'all could enquire to read the journalist'southward past piece of work, about the stories and topics their organisation covers and their standards and practices. This tin can help yous understand what biases that journalist or their media outlet might have. Yous can also enquire a journalist why they desire to interview y'all, how they plan to employ your story, when and how it will be published, and how they will follow up. Considering all of these factors can assistance yous make a decision.
Hither are some questions to consider:
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- Who exercise they work for? (What is the proper name of publication? Are they a freelance reporter?)
- What is the story about?
- What is their borderline?
- What will the final story look similar and how long will the story be?
- How much fourth dimension will the interview take?
- How will the interview be recorded?
- Volition someone accept photos or video of you?
- Will they accept to follow up with anyone about y'all or require any documents for fact-checking?
- Who else will they need to talk to in order to verify your story?
- Where volition the story exist published? What is the audience of the publication? (Is it local, national or international?)
2. If you agree to an interview, be prepared to have your prototype and words recorded.
For example, a journalist might ask:
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- For a telephone or in-person interview which will be recorded
- For you to send a photograph and data about the photo such as who took it, where it was taken and when
- To accept photos of you at the interview or arrange a time for a photographer to take photos of you
- To record video and audio
- For other contacts/people you know that they could interview
- To contact people who tin back up parts of your story such equally lawyers, employers, other family members
3. Ask to see the organization'south journalistic principles and practices. This will give you an idea of how editorial decisions are made.
Each media organization has their ain process to determine what news to cover, what information to include in a story and what data to continue out of a story.
When you are approached for an interview, you tin can enquire journalists for their company's editorial practices. For example, here are The Soapbox'southward 10 principles that guide our editorial practices. Hither are the CBC's journalistic standards and practices .
You can as well enquire a announcer what kind of story they are working on. Different types of stories have different restrictions. For case, daily news reporters typically publish stories very quickly and take a limited word count or air time for Telly or radio to capture data. Reporters who are working in current affairs, documentary or investigative journalism volition accept more flexibility, just will besides likely follow up with you multiple times.
Speaking with a reporter doesn't hateful you will be included in the concluding story and not everything yous tell a reporter in an interview will be included in the story. Sometimes, you might speak with a reporter for hours or over multiple days and simply 1 matter you said is mentioned in the final published story. While your quotes or name might not appear in the terminal story, your experiences and perspectives play a disquisitional office in shaping a journalist'south overall understanding of an effect.
4. Media organizations may take different political leanings. Look at their past coverage to become an idea of where they stand.
Different news organizations can have dissimilar political leanings. Read through their manufactures online to encounter what issues they cover, how they write their headlines and what voices they include in their storytelling to get a better idea.
Also be aware there is a divergence betwixt opinion pieces and news stories. Opinion pieces often express a personal argument. News stories generally do not include personal arguments and seek multiple sides of an effect. You can ask a reporter if they are writing an opinion story or a news story.
5. If yous are worried near beingness identified, tell the reporter before you lot hold to the interview. Confirm what actions they volition take to protect your identity.
Information technology'southward important for reporters to share the identity of the people they interview to add together credibility to the information they are presenting. However, if you are worried for your safety and security, you should explain this to a reporter and they tin can explore ways to protect your identity.
"My advice is for refugee claimants and refugees and protected persons that volition appear on media is exist aware who is asking your information in order to protect your family, your beloved people back in [your] countries," says Sara Lopez who came to Canada six years ago. "This is because there is a lot sensitive information in these refugee cases. And sometimes it's very hard to explain what the situation was."
If you do not want to be identified, yous should bring this up immediately. Here's an instance of how reporter Brielle Morgan used creative photos to protect the identity of a mother she interviewed for a story well-nigh the child welfare system:
6. Your story could be seen around the world
Some media companies focus on impress, radio or tv set, but generally, most publications in Canada also share their content on their websites or through social media like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
The audience for newspapers in Canada is shrinking. Well-nigh people in Canada go online or turn to social media for their news. Here's a recent digital news report from the Reuters Institute that looks at the major sources of news in Canada.
Sometimes, social media comments can be racist and hateful. While at that place are laws that protect freedom of speech in Canada, there are also laws that are meant to foreclose hateful comments . If you lot want to study any comments you meet, social media sites and organizations should have people monitoring comments to remove them if they are inappropriate.
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- Here's how to report potential abuse on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/assist/www/181495968648557?ref=u2u
- Here's how to written report potential abuse on Twitter https://assistance.twitter.com/en/safety-and-security/written report-abusive-behavior
- Here are The Discourse's guidelines for commenting on social media:
http://thediscourse.ca/community-guidelines
7. Be prepared to dorsum upward parts of your story with documentation, photos or names of people you know
Accuracy is one of the most important parts of journalism. Each organisation has different means they bank check data in their stories. If you are interviewed, a reporter might inquire for documentation to support what you are telling them. For instance, if you say you became a Canadian citizen in 2010, a reporter may ask for your citizenship certificate, photos of your citizenship ceremony or to speak with someone who helped yous in that process.
This is not because they don't trust you. It'due south role of the process to make sure what journalists publish is true. Yous tin can inquire what a reporter'southward fact-checking process is and read their editorial practices. Y'all are also free to end an interview or decline to share information if you feel uncomfortable.
8. Confirm if the chat y'all are having is "on the tape" or "on groundwork"
There are unlike types of conversations you tin accept with a reporter. Generally speaking, "on the tape" means everything you say can exist published and y'all can exist identified. Sometimes a reporter volition say a conversation is "on groundwork." Commonly, this means they will use the information you lot tell them just won't quote you. "Off the record" means they volition not study on what you tell them unless they can find other people to verify what you say.
If you adopt to accept a conversation "on groundwork" or "off the record," it is of import to clarify exactly what the reporter means before yous have a conversation with them.
Hither'due south what the Canadian Clan of Journalism says about these kinds of conversations.
9. If yous want to share your perspectives, notice reporters or organizations who have shown involvement in similar topics
Expect for reporters/advancement organizations/social media influencers who cover the problems you are about interested in and contact them directly. If you lot can, send a short electronic mail summarizing your perspectives on the issue, why information technology's important for them to embrace it and why you are qualified to speak to that result. Follow upward with a call if you lot are able to find the direct number.
You should be able to discover their contact information on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or on the websites. The best way to get a reporter's attending is through a short email and a follow up phone call.
Social media is another powerful tool to engage the public. The Canadian Council for Refugees has this listing of resources for advocacy .
You can also contact advocacy groups that are already trying to heighten awareness effectually bug you are passionate about. Hither is a listing of groups beyond Canada that focus on refugee bug.
10. Be prepared that speaking nearly by traumas can exist stressful and triggering
Earlier you agree to an interview, y'all should consider whether you can cope with the emotional stress and how you will answer to emotions that arise from the process.
Here are some organizations that tin offer help:
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- Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture
- Government of Canada newcomer resources
- Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture
- An information sail on supporting refugee clients who have experienced trauma
- A list of resource for newcomers to BC
- Rainbow Refugee
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Background on journalism in Canada: Your questions answered
Throughout our workshops we heard a number of general questions about journalism in Canada. Here are those questions answered:
- What is the role of journalism in Canada?
The media reports on current events, explains and provides context to issues in club, uncovers subconscious truths and holds regime and decision makers accountable for their actions. At The Discourse , we see journalism equally a mode to bring together communities, surface solutions and increase variety in storytelling.
- What is the human relationship betwixt government and media?
In Canada, the government has no direct control over what issues journalists cover. While the media does report on what the government is doing and what elected officials say and exercise, it too holds the regime accountable for its decisions and is often disquisitional of government programs and officials.
The federal government provides funding to the national public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) . This money comes from taxes paid by the public and does not touch editorial decisions.
- How is journalism regulated? Do journalists need a certificate or license?
By and large, journalists do not require any specific degrees or licenses to publish stories, though many cull to take courses or education programs that offer journalism training.
Freedom of expression gives every citizen, including journalists, the right to express their opinions. Department 2(b) of the Lease of Rights and Freedoms protects "freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the printing and other media of communication." To balance that right there are as well laws that protect citizens from fake data as described hither past the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression .
The Canadian Radio-tv and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) regulates broadcast and telecommunication services across the land. This includes cost, accessibility, ownership and broadcast licensing.
Our workshop serial was simply the start of this discussion so we hope to keep updating these ideas as the conversation continues to diversify and grow.
This story was fabricated possible by contributions from over 30 refugees, newcomers and settlement workers who spoke to us over the phone, in person or attended our workshop series. The workshop was supported by staff and volunteers at Pacific Immigrant Resource Social club and Options Customs Services .
This piece was edited by Lindsay Sample, with fact-checking and re-create editing past Jonathan von Ofenheim. With files from Brenna Owen and Julia-Simone Rutgers. The Discourse's executive editor is Rachel Nixon.
Special thanks to the following people who attended the workshops or gave their time and input through other means. We plan to keep calculation to this listing as we get more feedback.
While you lot're here…
What is the one thing that is connected to low voter turnout, the spread of infectious disease, decreasing public accountability, and growing distrust of our neighbours? The decline of the news industry. In Canada, near 250 media outlets have airtight in the past decade.
That'south why The Discourse is stubbornly defended to building a new kind of journalism that serves people, not advertisers. Because Canada needs journalists to provide authentic and unbiased information almost polarizing bug, to reflect Canadians' diverse perspectives, and to agree power to business relationship.
We can just build the new media Canada needs with your aid. Go a member of The Soapbox to contribute to journalism that'southward having an touch. Pay what you tin — it only takes a minute. Thanks.
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Source: https://thediscourse.ca/data/tips-for-refugees-media
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