| 17th
August 2005
London
salutes local coverage of refugees
LONDON,
August 17 (UNHCR) - Refugees and asylum seekers are the subjects
of frequent, negative coverage in some British newspapers, reporting
that has contributed towards making them targets of public hostility
and exclusion, according to a survey commissioned by London's mayor.
In an effort
to turn around some of the hostile coverage and highlight good practices
by sections of London's press, Mayor Ken Livingstone recently launched
the London Local Press Awards to draw positive attention to the
contributions made by refugees and asylum seekers to London's thriving
ethnic mosaic.
The initiative
is part of an effort by the Greater London Authority to spotlight
good practice in reporting on refugee and asylum issues that helps
foster a more positive context contributing to the safety of asylum
seekers and refugees, and good community relations.
Speaking at
the recent ceremony for the newly established London Local Press
Awards, Mayor Livingstone said he wanted to honour achievements
by London's local papers reporting on refugee and asylum issues
and the challenges the exiles face in adapting to life in the United
Kingdom.
"The media
has a responsibility to present a fair and accurate picture of London
and its diversity," said Livingstone. "These awards aim
to recognize those local newspapers which are acting in a more responsible
way."
The decision
to launch the Local Press Awards with support from UNHCR, the Metropolitan
Police Authority and the National Union of Journalists grew out
of a study commissioned by the mayor that examined media images
of asylum seekers and refugees.
The 2004 report,
"Media Image, Community Impact", noted that unbalanced
and inaccurate coverage in the national press is likely to cause
fear and tension within communities across London. It said that
increased community tensions can trigger incidents of racial harassment
of asylum seekers.
Among the Local
Press Awards winners were London's Highbury and Islington Express,
which claimed an award in the news reports category, while the Wembley
Observer picked up the prize for background and comment material.
Al-Muntada, an Iraqi community paper, triumphed in the news, comment/visual
coverage category.
East End Life,
London's only weekly council newspaper covering the ethnically diverse
Brick Lane neighbourhood which has seen refugee arrivals since the
17th century, was recognised for its coverage in the visual material
category.
"This award
means a lot to East End Life," said the newspaper's ecstatic
editor, Laraine Clay. "The GLA [Greater London Authority] award
is a tribute to the generations of people who have sought refuge
here and to those who have welcomed them."
Bemma Donkoh,
UNHCR's representative in the UK, said the awards ceremony can help
Londoners better understand and sympathise with the refugees and
asylum seekers living in the city.
"This event
is about ensuring that the stories of the refugees and asylum seekers
living amongst us, and the reality of their plight, get the recognition
they deserve," Donkoh said. "It is also about encouraging
objective and constructive reporting and discussion on how our society
deals with the issues surrounding the complex migration movements
of our present age."
In her speech
at the awards, Donkoh said that when the media give refugees and
asylum seekers a chance to tell their own stories, "you permit
powerful images about the value of asylum to reach the wider public."
She said UNHCR hopes other communities across the UK and governments
elsewhere in Europe would emulate London's example and do more to
ensure that refugees are integrated.
A member of
the judging panel for the awards, Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty,
said the London Local Press Award was a breath of fresh air as it
was about celebrating the positive side of refugees.
Tensions among
the UK's different ethnic communities were further heightened recently
in the wake of the appalling July 7 bombing attacks in London that
killed 52 people, and a series of attacks two weeks later, according
to the Metropolitan Police.
By Danielle
Bersch and Ahmed Momoh
UNHCR London
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