Reporting Migration in 
West Africa

  • Author: Migrants as Messengers project -IOM
  • Level: Beginner
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Quizzes: 5
  • Assessment: 1

Course description

Welcome to this self-guided course on reporting migration in West Africa. 
By taking this module, you will develop a more in-depth understanding about migration and migration-related issues in the region. You will learn about human rights, legal and ethical issues of reporting on this complex topic, as well as best practices. 

The course is aimed at media, journalism and communication professionals and anyone interested to increase their knowledge in this area. The course also offers a useful global overview of migration, providing data, background and summary of laws, policies and agreements governing migration and the correct terminology to use. 

Course content

Introduction

1. Human Rights, Migration and the Media
  • What is migration and who is a migrant?
  • Looking at migration from a human rights perspective

2. Learn From Practice
  • Legal and ethical issues
  • Ethical media reporting 
  • Asking the right questions: The ethics of interviewing migrants 

3. Telling The Story
  • Pillars for professional and ethical reporting 
  • Finding story ideas
  • Social media
  • Gender sensitivity and gender inclusivity in migration coverage 


4. Conclusion
  • Quiz
  • Additional resources 


Course Assessment 
COURSE DEVELOPED BY: 
Drag to resize

Migrants as Messengers project

 Migrants as Messengers is a peer-to-peer awareness-raising campaign that empowers young people in West Africa to make informed decisions about migration. The campaign is carried out directly by returned migrant volunteers who share honest accounts of their migration experiences with their communities and families.

For more information, visit www.migrantsasmessengers.org. Migrants as Messengers is managed by IOM’s Awareness Raising Unit based in Dakar, Senegal.

Who we are 

We are a coalition of migration experts, academics and media professionals offering accessible and relevant courses to support people in the fields of media and communication to report factually about migration and bring genuine stories to light.
Drag to resize

Featured links

Connect with us

An initiative of the International Organization for Migration funded by Irish Aid
Copyright © 2025 International Organization for Migration