African governments and development partners have been urged to increase investment in digital infrastructure to support inclusive e-learning and strengthen ethical migration reporting across the continent.
The call was made this week at the 3rd International CoMMPASS Conference, hosted by Uganda Christian University (UCU), which brought together journalists, educators, students and policymakers to discuss responsible migration reporting aligned with African Union priorities.
The five-day conference forms part of the European Union-funded CoMMPASS initiative, which aims to promote ethical, accurate and people-centred migration reporting while narrowing the gap between academic training and newsroom practice.
Speaking at the conference, Ralph Akinfeleye, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, criticised newsrooms for sidelining migration coverage, noting that it is often overshadowed by politics, corruption scandals and breaking news.
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“Migration is treated as a marginal issue, yet it affects economies, families and national stability,” Akinfeleye said, urging journalists to adopt deeper and more creative storytelling approaches that reflect the complexity and human impact of migration.
UCU Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyenzi warned that restrictions on media freedom undermine public debate and weaken collective efforts to address societal challenges.
“When journalists are restricted, solutions to society’s problems are also restricted,” Mushengyenzi said.
He encouraged journalists and researchers to move beyond reporting population movements and interrogate the political, economic and environmental drivers of displacement. He also cautioned that journalists covering migration and refugee issues face growing risks, calling on CoMMPASS partners to ensure that research findings effectively inform policymakers and regional institutions.
Representing the German Embassy, Alicia Van Den Boom highlighted the expanding role of digital storytelling in shaping migration narratives, particularly in Uganda, which hosts nearly two million refugees.
“Digital and social media platforms are increasingly essential tools for promoting balanced and accurate migration narratives,” she said.
The conference also highlighted structural challenges within the media industry. Monica Chibita, Dean of Journalism at UCU, pointed to poor working conditions for journalists covering migration, noting that the beat is often neglected due to its limited advertising revenue.
She urged media organisations to prioritise migration reporting despite its low commercial appeal, arguing that it plays a critical role in shaping informed public discourse and evidence-based policy.
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Issa Boro of Thomas Sankara University in Burkina Faso said a widening gap persists between newsroom expectations and journalism training institutions, calling for stronger collaboration to uphold professional standards.
“Initiatives like CoMMPASS are vital in bridging this divide,” Boro said.
Participants also shared personal reflections on the impact of the training. Chisomo Sumani, a journalist from Malawi, said the conference had transformed her approach to migration reporting.
“I used to avoid migration stories because I lacked the knowledge,” she said. “The training has given me the confidence and skills to report on migration responsibly.”
Sumani noted that many journalism schools across Africa lack specialised training in complex beats such as migration, underscoring the need for targeted courses to build expertise and ensure ethical coverage.
The conference, hosted by UCU under the leadership of Co-Principal Investigator Monica Chibita, has attracted scholars from across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Since its launch, the CoMMPASS project has trained more than 2,357 journalists and students, partnered with 37 universities, and offers online learning programmes aimed at strengthening ethical and accurate migration reporting across the continent.