The media plays a key role in how refugees and asylum seekers are perceived and, ultimately, how they are treated by the public at large.

The NUJ is only too aware that inaccurate, sensationalist and inflammatory stories harm community relations and can lead to violent attacks against some of the most vulnerable people in society.

When journalists join the NUJ, they sign up to our Code of Conduct; a document that sets the industry’s ethical standards and includes a commitment for reporters not to mention a person’s race, colour or religion unless it is relevant to the story.

The Code has been strengthened in recent years by the introduction of a Conscience Clause stating the union’s determination to defend journalists disciplined for refusing to contribute to a story that breaks the Code of Conduct.
 
We believe the Clause is important not only because it protects our members and leads the way in ethical journalism, but also because it promotes accurate, fair and balanced reporting of these issues, which is the least our readers, listeners and viewers deserve.

This excellent publication will help them receive that. It’s a fantastic resource because it gives journalists all the information they need at their fingertips and, hopefully, will help nail asylum myths by allowing our members to put the correct facts into the public domain.