European publisher collaboration shows reality of refugees and migrants

Collaborative European journalism is now essential. Patterns hide in silos. We’ve seen from the U.S. elections how weak state-level data can obscure a national picture. To be able to understand and inform, European media needs to connect the dots and tell stories on a continental level.If necessity is the mother of invention, collaboration is the father. 2017 will see the rise of a new form of European journalism based on working together to report on the issues that divide and connect our continent.

Today, we at the European Journalism Centre are delighted to announce that four of Europe’s most prestigious publishers are coming together to launch The New Arrivals, a long-term project tracking refugees and migrants as they settle in Europe.

Over a period of 18 months, El País (Spain), The Guardian (UK), Le Monde (France) and Spiegel Online (Germany) will closely follow newly-arrived refugee and migrant communities in Europe to illustrate their integration challenges, their humanitarian situation, their professional aspirations, and the impact of their arrival on both the host and the home countries.

• The Guardian will cover the story of a nine year-old Afghan boy now settled in the city of Derby, who fled the Taliban with his parents and six siblings, but became separated from all except his father.
• Spiegel Online will cover a Syrian family who left Damascus and have now been relocated in the northern city of Lüneburg.
• Le Monde will track a Sudanese family who are to be resettled in a remote area of the French interior.
• El País will follow a group of six youths from Cameroon, Morocco, Bolivia and Senegal playing in a local football team in the Andalusian town of Jerez de la Frontera.

This level of European collaboration around such a topic is unprecedented. For months, experienced journalists have been working incredibly hard to source, research and contextualise the families and journeys they are covering. The collaboration on investigative reporting, translation, social media and data visualization has been nothing short of impressive.

With 2017 set to witness over ten national elections, projects of this scale and longevity are vital. Living room conversations about migration are moving into the ballot box. The New Arrivals will help ensure the focus on migrants and refugees remains grounded in reality.

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The European Journalism Centre connects journalists with new ideas. Take a look at our plans for 2017 here. The New Arrivals is funded by the European Journalism Centre via a grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.