MV members speak to gal-dem magazine about becoming community journalists

MV members speak to gal-dem magazine about becoming community journalists

On 15 March, 2021 gal-dem magazine published an article about three Migrant Voice members who have been training to become community journalists. The article tells their stories and of their journey through the Migrant Voice Media Lab and Newsroom through which they tell their own and other migrants' stories.

Having joined Migrant Voice's Media Lab through the MiFriendly Cities project in the West Midlands, Farisai, Loraine and Althia share the power of telling their own story, and the skills they have gained as community journalists

“After telling my story to everyone, it felt like I was holding my breath for a long time and all of a sudden I could breathe,” Farisai recalls.

Althia explains that participating in the Media Labs newsroom has helped her gain confidence, alongside writing and leadership skills that have resulted in her producing community reporting work she is “truly proud of”. Her dedication to the weekly sessions saw Althia elected by her peers as the editor-in-chief for Beyond magazine for Black History Month.

All three see a need to diversify the kinds of stories told about migrants in the media and for migrants to tell their own stories. As Loraine says, “I never thought I would be writing or doing journalism...My background is in public health. But I saw there was a need for our stories to be voiced after being told these stories are not appealing to the British public.”