In April 2025, I attended the Dart Centre Reporting Institute on Childhood Forced Migration in Europe, a Columbia Graduate School of Journalism project. The three-day intensive training institute with journalists and students from across Europe and globally focused on deepening reporting on children and families who are impacted by forced migration and displacement. Through panel discussions, peer to peer learning, practical and hands-on activities on journalism and the practice of self care, trauma-informed and ethical reporting, language and ethical craft, I had the opportunity to assemble relevant knowledge that can be translated into Diaspora Africa’s work- and also a guideline to benefit African-focused journalists and media stakeholders.
Why Children and Forced Migration?
Migration discourse is often clouded with the subjects of adults who make their own decisions on migration. Most times, unconsciously, children are left behind in migration conversations, especially in cases of forced migration. In 2023, the total number of children forcibly displaced reached 47.2 million, with 2.0 million children seeking asylum, 1.7 million Palestinian child refugees, 17.1 million other refugee children and the rest of 28.1 million are children displaced by conflict and 3.1 million by natural disasters. (CPC learning Network, 2025)
People usually on the move are grouped into one category, ‘migrants’ – this definition has created bias in the proper documentation of people on the move, especially for children who are victims of forced migration. These biases stem from inaccurate reporting or improper use of terms in migration reports by journalists and in the media. When there is no clear population grouping in reports, we create gaps that are later filled with assumptions.
As of 2020, 1 in 3 child migrants are refugees.
What Does This Mean for African Newsrooms?
Lack of a migration database continues to cripple research and documentation of children who are internally displaced in Africa. While the numbers above only reflect the number of children who have moved across international borders, displaced children moving internally within the continent remain undetected and hence, children are left unprotected. Journalists and reporters need to recognise the importance of age in the context of forced migration, especially in Africa. And how do we achieve this, by not overlooking children, or focusing only on the population of displaced persons or by reducing victims of displaced people to mere numbers.
Children fleeing situations of conflict or disasters need to be protected as they are the most vulnerable in the migration chain, are victims of trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labour. Our duty as journalists, reporters or editors is to go beyond sensationalism and make sure our stories offer agency to children who are in limbo. UNICEF reports that an estimated 16.2 million children in Africa are internally displaced by conflict and violence. How do our reports ensure that children who are displaced are protected, and how can we include children in our stories?
The Trauma-Informed Practice
As journalists and media professionals covering issues such as migration, refugee crisis, etc., adopting a trauma-informed practice is very crucial in our work. Trauma-informed practice as journalists is to understand the impact of trauma on the people who are on the receiving end, who are being reported about. Adopting this practice empowers journalists to approach reporting with empathy and sensitivity that is needed to tell such stories, and equally gives room to reflect on the general rudiments of craft.
Journalists covering stories of migration, especially in the context of displacement, are hinged on telling stories of individuals who have overcome crises or are still overcoming; individuals displaced and on the move due to disaster or conflict, who already bear the traumatic impact of loss and grief. Trauma-facing journalism provides us with the awareness of evidence-informed guidance on news choices, language usage and ethics in reporting on the impact of trauma on these individuals, families and communities. It also gives us the knowledge of the appropriate use of relevant psychological and scientific terminology and special considerations when reporting on consequential trauma-laden issues such as displacement and covering stories of displaced children.
Internally Displaced Children in Africa Need More Agency
Children who are on the move due to conflict and climate disasters deserve more agency, as trauma and adversity can impact them more than usual, and because they face various intersecting risks, their stories have to be told more accurately, imploring the right tools in reporting. We must ensure we understand concepts like ‘who is a child? What risk do children face? What impact does adversity have on children, and what can be done to protect them?
Our stories have to move from sensationalism to actually listening to children, writing what they want to share, while paying attention to ethics. Our writing and report should be able to provide visibility to the challenges children face; it should go beyond just covering a story or clickbait, it should inspire change, or at the very least provide an accurate understanding of the situation faced by this group. When we
Interviewing Children Affected by Trauma
Many journalists and editors are often conflicted on the best way to report stories of children, especially when the issue of consent is at stake. How do we tell important stories of children displaced when there is no caregiver or guardian to give consent? The issue of consent is such a debate amongst reporters, especially in regards to displaced children who are on the move, travelling amongst groups unaccompanied. For many journalists and newsrooms, in order not to deal with these ethical issues, they face the dilemma of whether to report or not. However, we must continue to tell important stories and adopt a better approach on how we can include children in stories when the issue of consent arises.
Children can’t give consent, and in situations where they’re unaccompanied and on the move, reporters, journalists and newsrooms could adopt an ethical framework that could make sure that the experiences of these children on the move are documented. Children can assent to an interview, but we, as journalists and reporters, should always explain every detail of the process. Newsrooms and media houses could adopt a framework that recognises the rights and protection of children, as this would shape how we report children in our stories. Such a framework could include the Victim Frame – this focuses on vulnerability, helplessness and need for protection of children or Rights Holder Frame – this recognises children’s autonomy, capacity and participation rights.
Using a Framework when Interviewing a Trauma-Affected Person
Using a Framework when interviewing a trauma-affected child could involve making sure that you, as a reporter or journalist, adopt four key elements: Safety, Control, Reflect, and Closure.
Safety: Creating a physical and psychological environment of safety in an interview could make children and victims of displacement feel safe and able to open up. Ask interviewees if they would like to talk in private, and ensure that no harm would come to them because of their stories. Remember that publishing stories about people who are still in volatile situations may compromise their safety, and in cases of reporting children, no report can include the combined information of a full name, a recognisable face and the exact location of the child.
Control: Sometimes, when we interview, we often lead the story by already having a structure or expected outcomes of the interview. When interviewing people with trauma, it is important to give them control of their stories by allowing them to share what they want, how they want it. We can internationally give interviewees control of the conversation by asking them if there is something important they want the world to hear or read about their experience. Allowing them to choose their story.
Reflect: Take time to reflect on your practice – are you putting down the right thing?, are you explaining the terminologies properly to the interviewee – remember that migration terminologies might be ambiguous for children or some persons, carefully explain these terms and make sure the interviewees understand the context of what they’re responding to.
Closure: After an interview, do not leave abruptly; try to engage with the interviewees, ask them what they plan to do next – a welfare check, and explain to them again how you intend to use the reports you have gathered from them.
Conclusion
Tilting towards a trauma-informed journalism approach is no longer a choice but a necessity. As news professionals, building skills in trauma-informed practice will not only strengthen our reporting but will also enhance and deepen our understanding about the people who we tell their stories, what challenges they may face and the best way to write them.
References
- Kachur, P., Why children and forced migration. CPC Learning Centre.
- Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma, n.d. Trauma-informed journalism online) Available at: https://dartcenter.org/ (Accessed 22 Apr. 2025).
- Porterfield, K., Interviewing children affected by trauma. Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma.
- UNICEF, 2024. Data snapshot of migrant and displaced children in Africa: 2024 update. (online) UNICEF. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/ (Accessed 22 Apr. 2025).
- IDMC, 2024. Internal displacement in Africa triples in 15 years since landmark treaty. (online) Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Available at: https://www.internal-displacement.org/ (Accessed 22 Apr. 2025).