1. Sharing the Responsibility
Media reporting on HT
Sharing the Responsibility

2. Exercise
How do you find sentences ruled by the court/proposed by the prosecution in the given case?
Is the girl in the given case a victim of human trafficking or not in your opinion? Do you think an average reader’s opinion would differ to yours?

3. Topics to cover: Role of the media
Research on media framing of HT for sexual exploitation
Findings of relevance to you
* Descrepancy between what AT actors want to say and what is newsworthy
Towards responsible reporting on HT

4. Media Framing of Sex Trafficking in UK, NL & SRB
Lost souls

5. Role of the media Awareness raising and prevention
Moral panics vs. informing
Mobilizing public support for eradication of trafficking
Political will, focus on the right action, problem that CAN be addressed
Reinforcing policy change
e.g. Modern Slavery Act (2015), harsher migration control; Berman (2003), Farrell & Fahy (2009), Gulati (2010)
Monitoring tool
e.g. criminal justice, AT mechanism, protection of victims’ rights
Deconstructing stereotypes and representing trafficking genuinely
Victim vs. survivor, foreign problem, whore, etc.
Shaping the environment in which trafficked people recover
Support vs. discrimination

6. Research on media framing of THB
Quantitative & qualitative analysis of media reports on trafficking for sexual exploitation
Fieldwork in Serbia, The Netherlands, United Kingdom
Interviews with media experts (journalists, editors, film makers)
Interviews with anti-trafficking professionals (NGO, police, state and independent trafficking agencies, academia, prosecution, sex workers organisation, trafficking survivor, lawyer)
3 layers of the framing process

7. Findings Dominant frame - criminal justice
- accent on prosecution, harsher policies and policing
- human rights angle lost
- superficial
- inert
- sensationalistic
- biased
* racial and ethnic biases, e.g. framing of CSE
* preferred victim type

8. Representation of Victims
Whore-victim dichotomy
- reinforcing gender stereotypes
- victim blaming
- inadequate identification and assistance to victims

9. Articles based on interviews with victims
“We used to write more on human trafficking because victims were less protected and we could get to speak to them more easily”.
Interview, journalist, February 2016
Accent on violence if victims are interviewed
- fixed in the ‘victim’ role

10. Unrealistic expectations
“I don’t know if those journalists visited the newsdesk of the CNN’s Freedom Project (…). However, I would like to know why did not any of those journalist who went on a study visit to America established a newsdesk here that would report on human trafficking. I would like for something like that to happen and I am talking about that to people in the USA embassy.” Interview, AT expert, January 2016

11. HT Discourse vs. the Language of the Media
Media (newsworthy)
AT community (important)
Sex, titillation
Recovery & reintegration
Violence
Deconstructing stereotypes
Novelty
Protecting rights
Danger (e.g. OC)
Addressing root causes of HT
Children
Policy implementation
Drama
Adequate terminology
Conventionalism
Criticizing the state
Cases
Activities

12. Towards responsible reporting: AT community
Language – use appropriate language and avoid legal terms, long sentences etc.
Give media something they can use:
What translates into a good story?
How and when do I want to communicate something?
What media are you targeting?
Give alternatives (visuals, case studies, new angles)
Keep in mind things that often go wrong and take action to prevent (e.g. titles, terminology).
Don’t take part in harmful practices

13. Towards responsible reporting: Journalists
Think about consequences
Devote time to your story
Explore new angles
Be critical, not inert
Give in return
Share your knowledge

14. Towards responsible reporting: working together
Build trust and devote time to building relationships with journalists/AT experts
Communicate your needs and frustrations
Use appropriate language (avoid long sentences, legal terminology / avoid sensationalism, inadequate terms – e.g. white slaves)
Shift the focus back to human rights