Critical theme: Conflict, climate and migration in Syria – did the media get it right?
IIED's Critical Theme seminar on 3 October, 2016, examined the media reporting of the links between migration, climate change and the conflict in Syria. Did they get it right? Here's what happened:
- The keynote speaker was Alex Randall, programme manager at the Climate and Migration Coalition, an alliance of refugee, human rights, and migration rights organisations. He was joined by IIED director Andrew Norton and discussant Megan Rowling, of the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
- Joining @andynortondev will be #MigrationMedia experts @alex_randall & @meganrowling. Follow it live from 3.30pm… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/782947176704012288 …
- The conflict in Syria has lasted more than five years and has claimed almost half a million lives. The refugee crisis unleashed by the war has pushed the global number of asylum seekers to record highs. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says 13.5 million Syrians need humanitarian assistance, of which 6.6 million are internally displaced within Syria, and over 4.8 million are refugees outside of Syria.
- Randall argued that the story presented about the connection between climate change and the Syrian conflict has not always been accurate. His talk unpacked both the media narrative and the scientific evidence – making the case that the role of migration and migrants has been misunderstood by both the press and the public.
- Lots of people read about #climatechange & conflict in Syria. But why did media write so much last yr, asks @alex_randall #MigrationMedia
- @alex_randall explains why the media interest emerged in 2015 in #climateconflict #climatemigration in #Syria. #MigrationMedia @IIED
- Why 2015? The focus on the tragedy in the Mediterranean, & a pivotal research paper published in the US #MigrationMedia
- There was diversity in how media covered the narrative, but when viewed together a causal chain was evident in coverage #MigrationMedia
- This conclusion is less clear, but was either explicit or implied by the media, says @alex_randall based on study #MigrationMedia
- But: no credible evidence for a resource war in Syria cities + no evidence of any war happening on religious or ethnic lines #MigrationMedia
- That doesn’t mean there'll be no cross-border migration but key focus should be on internal movement, suggests @alex_randall #MigrationMedia
- Unlikely to be migration en masse & that they'll look like refugees: people will look to find work as livelihoods threatened #MigrationMedia
- Will prob be seasonal/circular migration - people likely to move back & forth between rural/urban areas during drought etc #MigrationMedia
- @alex_randall - Ingenious, balanced, and science-based answer to the #climateconflict question. #MigrationMedia @andynortondev @meganrowling
- This is the key insight from @alex_randall which he has presented brilliantly. #MigrationMedia @andynortondev… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/782960173690318849 …
- Rowling reports on climate change policy, humanitarian crises and sustainable development. She specialises in the impacts of climate change on developing countries, and solutions to the problem, including disaster risk reduction and climate finance.
- @meganrowling is now talking about conflict, #climate & migration - watch it live via @periscopeco:… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/782966167749136384 …
- @AlertNet felt uncomfortable with hype about #climatechange, migration & conflict in Syria stories, says @meganrowling #MigrationMedia
- @meganrowling makes solid points about media reporting leaders' words without question #MigrationMedia @andynortondev @IIED @alex_randall
- It’s not enough to cover such stories in a simplistic fashion. Media news must ask more questions & get evidence. #MigrationMedia
- Issues are complex; media shouldn't be afraid of complexity, says @meganrowling #MigrationMedia
- The presentations were followed by a question-and-answer session with the invited guests, hosted by Norton.
- What is the negative impact of simplistic media coverage on #climate, conflict and migration, asks @andynortondev #MigrationMedia
- One negative is that it's easy to get headlines if you claim something will be a catastrophe, says @alex_randall #MigrationMedia
- Also, @alex_randall: "when I’m slightly critical of overblowing the connection [between climate, migration & conflict]..." #MigrationMedia
- "...I get a flurry of emails [hailing me] from climate sceptics. That's not a club I want to be in!" #MigrationMedia https://twitter.com/IIED/status/782969370372870144 …
- There are limits to adaptation, so loss & damage debate is so important for LDCs, says @clareshakya #MigrationMedia
- On 'climate refugee' term: powerful instant appeal but problematic because those to whom it may be applied have rejected it #MigrationMedia
- @meganrowling closes with practical and grounded comments on human faces of #migration - #MigrationMedia @andynortondev @alex_randall @IIED
- Rich exploration today of moral & political dilemmas in media reporting of #climatechange #conflict links @IIED @alex_randall @meganrowling
- The Critical Theme was streamed live on Periscope. Below is Randall's initial presentation:
- Rowling's talk is also available:
- And readers can find out more about the Thomson Reuters Foundation's coverage of climate issues:
Climate | Thomson Reuters Foundation NewsThe Thomson Reuters Foundation stands for free, independent journalism, human rights, women's empowerment, and the rule of law.- A full recording of the event will follow next week.
Conflict, climate and migration in Syria – did the media get it right?Our October Critical Theme seminar is about how the media have been reporting on the connections between migration, climate change and the conflict in Syria. The keynote speaker Alex Randall is programme manager at the Climate and Migration Coalition, an alliance of refugee, human rights, and migration rights organisations.
