
When you stand up for the dignity of human beings, you are immediately perceived as politicised, said Francesco Rocca, president of the International Red Cross at the 73rd UN General Assembly session on migration, before using a poignant metaphor to describe the shift in how NGOs are perceived - by pointing out that no one questions the role of a firefighter when rescuing people from a burning building.
Moderated by Thomson Foundations OPEN Media Hub team leader, Dominique Thierry, the high-level debate took place in New York on 28th September, 2018, bringing together speakers including the UN special representative for international migration, Louise Arbour, director general of the International Centre for Migration Policy, Michael Spindelegger, and the Tunisian and Maltese foreign ministers, Khemaies Jhinaoui and Carmelo Abela.
Up for discussion were issues such as the narratives constraining world leaders in the migration policies that they can propose, the role of media in the migration debate and how to ensure that all migrants, regardless of legal status, have access to the protection and assistance they need.
Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies briefs press at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. Credit: UN/Loey Felipe
Early September brought reports of more women, men and children drowning in the Mediterranean after their boat capsized between Libya and Malta. Many of the survivors suffered burns from fuel spillage. Others, including pregnant women and children, were taken to a migrant detention centre in Libya, which has been described as harmful and arbitrary by M decins Sans Fronti res.
Giving migrants back their dignity was key to Francescos speech, and echoed in Dominiques follow-up about the incredibly positive stories coming out from Italy, particularly of the Bangladeshi migrants settled in Palermo and bravely taking on racketeers, and the very important work of public authority officials and the police force to give migrants what they were being deprived of in life, their basic human rights.
The second story was by a journalist trained and mentored as part of Thomson Foundations OPEN Media Hub project . It earned her a first-prize award at the second OPEN Media Hub-supported Migration Media Award in Tunisia that took place a few days before the UNGA.
"OPEN Media Hub has led to award-winning stories bringing about an awakening among policymakers."
Dominique Thierry, Thomson Foundation, team leader, OPEN Media Hub With a migration-reporting curriculum and dedicated online course, with face-to-face and hands-on workshops and production mentoring, the OPEN Media Hub has led to award-winning, tremendous stories bringing about an awakening among policymakers, says Dominique. This was highlighted at the UNGA high-level panel discussion.
-- Play
-- --
Watch Thomson Foundations Dominique Thierry moderate a high-level #UNGA debate on migration at the UN headquarters in New York on September 28th, 2018
The Migration Media Award rewards journalists for in-depth and balanced coverage of migration in the Euro-Mediterranean region. In order to win the competition, eligible entries need to consist of an already published story and a proposal for winning an EU-funded contract to produce new content covering migration.
Journalists are under-equipped to foster a new migration narrative away from the victims' stories which lead to a sense of powerlessness, continues Dominique. Thomson Foundation and its partners in the Migration Media Award, aim to foster constructive and solutions-based journalism.
Forty-one journalists from 18 countries were rewarded for journalistic excellence in the way they reported on migration. All winning entries are available here.
Related content
Migration Media Award 2018
Acknowledging the best, and often bravest, in migration coverage from across the spectrum.
Course: The Ethical Journalists Toolkit
A Journalism Now online course designed to increase your ability to cover sensitive subjects and tackle ethical challenges.
Course: Reporting on Migration
An OPEN Media Hub course giving journalists a good understanding of the complex issues of migration, refugees and human trafficking.
Sara Loane Communications Manager
About: Sara is responsible for the creation and delivery of engaging and effective messages, campaigns, publications and print and digital design concepts that support and promote the foundation.
We get around. Explore our project map
Most recent headlines
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today! By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
23/12/2025
New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell Scripps Research scientists developed a technique that maps drug binding in individual cells th...
22/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captiva...
22/12/2025
Hitting the bullseye: Sky Sports readies itself for the biggest PDC World Darts ...
22/12/2025
Unique skillset: Bringing new directors to the world of darts at The Worlds with...
22/12/2025
Gravity Media prepares for a flight of fancy with the PDC World Darts Championsh...
22/12/2025
One hundred and eighty: Gravity Media on hitting the production bullseye at the ...
22/12/2025
The Famous Group's Jon Slusser on Fascinating Fans Through Immersive Content...
22/12/2025
ESPN's Meg Aronowitz on Continuing High-Quality Broadcasts of Collegiate Spo...
22/12/2025
ESPN Takes Data-Driven Storytelling to New Heights with MNF Playbook with Next ...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Paramount Scores Largest Share Increase Among Distributors as Paramount and CBS...
22/12/2025
New multi-year deal integrates Roku's data to fuel Nielsen's measurement suite
Roku gains access to Nielsen's streaming ratings, showing The Roku C...
22/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
22/12/2025
Berklee Wrapped 2025: Our Top News and Stories A look back at a year highlighted by faculty milestones, major film and television projects, Bob Dylan's ho...
22/12/2025
The works of Plato state that when humans have an experience, some level of change occurs in their brain, which is powered by memory - specifically long-term me...
22/12/2025
Partnership integrates complementary satellite data and AI analytics to enhance security, infrastructure, and environmental monitoring solutions for global cust...
22/12/2025
Workflows allow you to create a sequence of planned events which may be added to your template(s) or inserted directly into your sequential or background playli...
22/12/2025
Monday 22 December 2025
Sky extends PGA TOUR partnership until 2029, as Sky Spo...
22/12/2025
Back to All News
Global Anime Hits and New Releases Take Center Stage at Jump Festa 2026
Entertainment
22 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied to clipboar...
22/12/2025
Siobh n McSweeney, Rory McIlroy, Elon Musk, Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin, Ivan Yates and Traitor Paudie Moloney lead new characters for Callan Kicks the Year 2...
22/12/2025
Winner announced in the picturesque surroundings of Wicklow's Avondale Tower and Treetop Walk
Andrew Trimble wins the show in his first series as coach
Th...
22/12/2025
The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT lyric fm.
Ove...
21/12/2025
Back to All News
Legoshi and Haru's Story Reaches Its Finale: BEASTARS Fin...