Anything can be news but not everything is newsworthy. Journalism is a process in which a reporter uses verification and storytelling to make a subject newsworthy.
Creating a good story means finding and verifying important or interesting information and then presenting it in a way that engages the audience. Good stories are part of what makes journalism unique. For a journalist to truly achieve this, they need to be on the ground, ‘in the thick of it’, capturing the story first-hand.
The stories that too often go untold are taking place in dangerous and challenging environments, warzones, pandemics, dictatorships. …
Every 60 seconds, 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. Whether refugees or asylum seekers, each and every one of these brave people are simply seeking safety and security.
The narrative often delivered by the mainstream media around refugees, strips them of their previous successes and their ambitions for the future. Portraying them as helpless; whilst, conversely, depicting the country that offers them a home as a charitable saviour.
In this short blog, Arete journalist and celebrated correspondent Jonathan Clayton shares a selection of his experiences gained from documenting refugee stories for over 30 years. …
Photo: Saiyna Bashir/ WFP/ Arete
Famine and the risk of famine are increasing across the world. Climate change, conflict and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have all worsened hunger and food insecurity for some of the most vulnerable communities across the globe.
Thirty-four million people around the world are currently experiencing extreme levels of hunger and malnutrition. Without immediate help, the slightest disruption to their food chain could mean the onset of famine.
At the G7 Summit this June, world leaders will focus on this humanitarian crisis with a Famine Prevention panel. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)…
As the world starts to vaccinate against COVID-19, social, economic, and geographic issues are magnified. These include access to the vaccines for vulnerable communities, misinformation, and gender inequality.
Without clear communication strategies and organised implementation, immunisation campaigns can become ineffective, allowing the opportunity for misinformation and dishonest narratives to enter the discourse and alter the outcome.
There have been recent examples of this with Polio vaccinations in Afghanistan, where religious hard-liners spread rumours of children falling sick from the vaccine, with devastating consequences for three local vaccinators. …
As one of the most engaging digital mediums used to tell stories, animations are king of content.
When stories are complex and delicate, the nature of a more traditional, true to life video, can introduce factors that can distract from the story’s core message.
As an example, when a video relies on the performance of actors, it may not effectively communicate the authentic emotions and feelings of the story. Or sometimes, people watching a video may not be able to engage with the characters, which may turn them off listening to the message.
Through using animated characters or symbols to relay a message or story, the storyteller has complete control, and the content can be more easily…
“Climate Change is a phenomenon that can not be ignored. Raising awareness of the issue, and showing how the effects of a changing climate impact people’s lives, is essential to changing public opinion about the topic and forcing governments to take urgent action to reduce carbon emissions.
A warming planet is currently having a much greater impact in poorer countries, very often those that are not responsible for generating high emissions. As well as the science needed to explain what is happening, photos are essential in shaping opinion and driving change.
I have been working as a photographer for over…
We live in a digital age, where the internet has enabled the connection of people and organisations on a scale never seen before. And, as we enter 2021, the power of social media and blogs to reach new, and existing audiences, for both ‘NGO’s and corporations is firmly established.
Social networks now connect more than half of the world’s population, approximately 4.57 billion people. …
”2020 has been an extraordinary year. For photographers, videographers and writers, it has meant dramatically changing the way they work. Many have been unable to travel, and for those who can, assignments have become increasingly challenging, with new systems needed to ensure that peoples health and well being is prioritised over everything else.
We have seen an increasing demand for locally based photographers, to overcome travel restrictions, which has allowed us to expand our consultant database. At the same time, we have also seen budgets dramatically cut, which has proved challenging. As we look ahead to 2021, we hope that…
As the far-reaching effects of COVID-19 continue to escalate across the world with over 60 million reported cases, now, more than ever, it is essential to tell the stories of those in need.
Although the global pandemic has presented NGOs with new and challenging circumstances for securing funding, some of which we will cover in more detail later, marketing efforts should be ramping up and not winding down. One should not give up telling the hard stories; those about people who are suffering from the effects of COVID-19 and other crises; those in urgent need of support.
The poignant question…
As we sit here, late in October 2020, the status quo remains the same; COVID-19 remains a threat to people across the globe and NGOs continue to do their best to mobilise and support those who have been most affected by the pandemic. Yet, this public health emergency to many is just one more issue they have to deal with; on top of insecurity, natural disasters, poverty and already overloaded health systems. Humanitarian aid has never been needed more.
With people both working and schooling from home, there is an ever-increasing appetite for innovative online content that NGOs are keen…
Arete
Arete is the expert storytelling and training agency for NGOs, UN bodies and foundations.
