Eastern African media adopt migration reporting charter

Media stakeholders from ten Eastern African countries have adopted the Mombasa Declaration on Responsible Migration Reporting, committing to ethical, accurate and safe journalism on migration and labour mobility in an effort to improve reporting standards and strengthen regional collaboration.

The declaration was adopted during the Eastern Africa Regional Meeting on Media Capacity Building on Informed Migration Narratives and Local Opportunities in Mombasa, bringing together journalists, editors, media leaders and union representatives from across the region.

The agreement establishes a common framework for journalists and media organisations aimed at strengthening information integrity, safeguarding editorial independence and protecting journalists reporting on migration and other public interest matters.

Migration reporting often extends beyond national borders and therefore requires regional approaches, participants at the meeting said.

Speaking during the forum, Media Council of Kenya (MCK) Coast Regional Coordinator Maureen Mudi said journalists have a duty to provide accurate and contextual reporting on migration issues.

"Migration is a cross-border issue that demands collaboration. Journalists have a responsibility to tell these stories accurately, ethically and with context. By working together across borders, we can strengthen information integrity while ensuring protection for journalists to report freely on issues of public interest," she said.

Participants noted that migration reporting continues to face challenges, including misinformation and incomplete narratives that can affect public understanding of labour mobility and migration trends.

Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) President Omar Faruk Osman urged journalists to maintain factual and human-centred reporting.

"The future of migration reporting depends on journalists who are committed to facts, context and humanity. Our responsibility is to counter misinformation with credible, evidence-based journalism that serves the public interest," he said.

Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) Secretary General and Federation of Eastern Africa Journalists (FEAJ) President Eric Oduor said stronger cooperation among media organisations was necessary to improve reporting and protect media freedoms.

"No single newsroom can effectively tell the migration story alone. Strong regional collaboration among journalists and media organisations is essential in strengthening ethical reporting and defending press freedom across Eastern Africa," he said.

International Labour Organisation Chief Technical Advisor for the Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) Programme Aida Awel said responsible migration reporting depends on access to accurate information and improved journalistic skills.

"Responsible migration reporting begins with accurate information. By strengthening journalists' capacity, we are contributing to informed public dialogue and safer, more regular labour migration pathways," she noted.

The regional meeting brought together media professionals from Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Organisers say the declaration is expected to improve the quality of migration reporting and support safer and more informed public dialogue across Eastern Africa.