According to the National Migration Service, more than 250,000 migrants crossed the Darien jungle during the first seven months of 2023, almost 10,00 people than the total registered last year. Certainly, this migratory flow is one of the most complex and dynamic in Latin America.

In this context, the media is crucial to providing verified information, informed opinions, as well as unbiased and inclusive narratives. The way in which the media covers human mobility has a tremendous impact on the scope and quality of information received by the public, particularly migrants, as well as the way in which societies perceive and relate to the issue.

The "Communication on the move: Promoting Human Rights-based Migration Narratives" awareness-raising workshop was developed through a participatory methodology focused on dialogue, where theoretical and practical tools were provided for the elaboration of content with a Human Rights perspective.

This is the third of such workshops developed throughout this year within the framework of the Western Hemisphere Program (WHP), which is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) of the United States Department of State.

For journalist Grisell Bethancourt, these types of workshops are valuable "to do interviews and tell stories based on facts and evidence, that contribute to reducing prejudices and raising awareness about the contributions of migrants to society."

She was one of the more than 35 people, including heads of research departments, journalists and communications specialists, who participated in the workshop held on August 8, 2023, together with the Ministry of Public Security.

Dayra Campos, Secretary General of the National Commission against Trafficking in Persons, emphasizes that "reporting on migration cannot be confined to narrating the context, but must delve into the search for people and institutions that try to respond to the migration flows and show the full story, with all the actors involved, through an ethical and human rights approach."

For IOM, the media has an important role to play in improving public opinion on migration, migrants and suppressing discriminatory, stigmatized discourses, deconstructing us-versus-them narratives and enhancing access to reliable information for this population. For more information, contact IOM Panama's communications team via iompanama@iom.int.