The project Bridge is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Servicio Espanol para la Internacionalizacion de la Educacion (SEPIE). Neither the European Union nor the National Agency SEPIE can be held responsible for them. -- Number: 2025-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000359236 --

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LEVEL 1. Displaced in Media

BRIDGE Main Challenge: A.2. Gap between regulatory frameworks, institutional discourses and actual inclusion practices

What problem does it address?

Displaced in Media addresses inequalities in access to the public sphere and the production of narratives, where migrants and refugees are frequently portrayed by others rather than recognised as people with their own voice, authorship and narrative agency. It relates to Social Challenge A.2 by addressing the gap between institutional discourses of inclusion and actual practices of media representation.

What does it propose?

Displaced in Media proposes critical cultural co-research based on media literacy and audiovisual co-production. As a good practice, it goes beyond denouncing stereotypes by helping young migrants and refugees develop the skills to produce their own narratives and participate actively in the public sphere. It thus shifts the focus from external representation towards authorship, narrative agency and recognition in the public sphere.

Why is it an inspiring practice?
  • It places migrants at the centre of their own stories as active creators of their narratives.
  • It goes beyond simply critiquing dominant stereotypes (such as crisis or threat frames) by proactively generating narratives about citizenship, rights and coexistence.
  • It uses an open, adaptable and transferable methodology.
  • It promotes horizontal governance and a transnational community of practice.
  • It fosters critical pedagogy and the redistribution of epistemic power.
  • It has strong potential for transfer to Higher Education.
Resources you'll find
  • Displaced in Media Recipe Book.
  • Advocacy publication (Towards Better Media Representation and Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees in Europe).
  • Digital media activism resources associated with the initiative.
  • Audiovisual and narrative productions linked to Displaced in Media.
  • Official Displaced in Media page on ZEMOS98.
Featured results
9
Organisations participating in the transnational Displaced in Media community of practice, focused on media representation and the participation of migrants and refugees.
2
Main publications systematising the project’s methodology and advocacy proposals: Displaced in Media Recipe Book and Towards Better Media Representation and Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees in Europe.
2
Examples of narrative materials documented in the full Good Practice entry: A wall to end all walls and the audio recordings from the Posters Against Walls campaign.
What can visitors learn?
Critical media analysis and deconstruction of stereotypes.
Media literacy and counter-narrative strategies.
Participatory methodologies and Media Labs.
Development of narrative agency and authorship.
Transferable pedagogical tools (Recipe Book).
Understanding the gap between inclusion and social justice.

LEVEL 2. EXPLORE BEST PRACTICE

Introduction

As a community-based, cultural and media project, Displaced in Media addresses inequalities in access to the public sphere and in the production of content about migration. Its diagnosis highlights how migrants and refugees are often the subjects of narratives created by others, dominated by frames of crisis, threat or victimisation, rather than being recognised as authors with their own voice and narrative agency. This reveals the gap between institutional discourses of inclusion and actual media practices.

  • Coordinating organisation: European Cultural Foundation
  • Participating countries: Croatia (HR), France (FR), Netherlands (NL), Poland (PL), Spain (ES), Sweden (SE), Turkey (TR), United Kingdom (GB)
  • Duration: 2016 - 2018
  • BRIDGE Main Challenge: A.2. Gap between regulatory frameworks, institutional discourses and actual inclusion practices
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • SDG 4: Quality Education
  • SDG 5: Gender Equality
  • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Secondary Challenges
  • A.1. Structural and intersectional inequalities that shape inclusion and social cohesion
  • A.5. Discrimination, racism and sociocultural polarisation, including hate speech
  • A.6. Deficits in democratic participation, representation and inclusive governance
  • A.7. Digital ecosystem, disinformation and the need for media literacy and critical thinking

The Challenge

What social issue does it address?

Displaced in Media addresses inequalities in access to the public sphere and the production of narratives about migration. Migrants and refugees are often portrayed by others within frames of crisis or threat, without being recognised as authors with their own agency. This reveals the gap between declared inclusion and actual media practices.

Why is it important?

Displaced in Media is relevant to Challenge A.2 because it addresses the distance between institutional discourses of inclusion and actual practices of media representation. Its main contribution is to shift the focus from external representation towards authorship and narrative agency among migrants and refugees. In Higher Education, it offers transferable methodologies and resources for training in communication, critical media literacy and interculturality.

How does it contribute to the BRIDGE Challenge?

Displaced in Media contributes to Challenge A.2 by addressing the gap between institutional discourses of inclusion and media practices in which migrants and refugees continue to be frequently represented by others. It does so by promoting critical media literacy, narrative co-production and active participation in the public sphere.

How does it work?

Displaced in Media was developed as an initiative based on critical cultural co-research and audiovisual co-production. It brought together citizen laboratories (Media Labs), media literacy workshops and narrative mentoring. Through the analysis of dominant discourses and collaborative work within a network, it provided tools for young migrants and refugees to create their own counter-narratives and participate actively in the public sphere.

What might inspire you?
Ideas for adaptation
  1. Bring first-person accounts of migration into the classroom.
  2. Critically analyse headlines and media framing.
  3. Design university Media Labs for audiovisual co-creation.
  4. Apply the methodological recipes from the Recipe Book in class.
  5. Co-create counter-narratives to challenge stigmatising discourses.
  6. Use digital archives (MediActivism) relating to media activism.
  7. Encourage peer learning among students and migrants.
  8. Facilitate intercultural dialogue between academia, journalism and activism.
  9. Promote narrative agency and authorship among marginalised groups.
  10. Develop narrative mentoring for cultural production.
Resources created

Displaced in Media Recipe Book

Manual

A methodological publication that systematises the learning, tools and “recipes” developed by the organisations participating in the project. It brings together approaches and practical proposals for working with young migrants and refugees on critical media literacy, audiovisual production, narrative creation and participation in the public sphere.

Teaching staff, Students, Professionals, General Public

https://culturalfoundation.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ECF-Magazine-displaced-in-media_recipe_book_Online.pdf

Publication: Towards Better Media Representation and Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees in Europe

Digital publication

An advocacy publication that analyses the media representation of migrants and refugees and formulates recommendations for the media and policymakers. Its aim is to encourage more pluralistic, inclusive communication practices that respect diversity and the participation of those being represented.

Teaching staff, Students, Professionals, General Public

https://ecflabs.org/lab/displaced-media

Digital media activism resources associated with the initiative

Educational resource

Digital resources associated with media activism, audiovisual production and citizen narratives connected to the methodological context of Displaced in Media. They enable users to explore forms of critical communication and cultural participation linked to the production of their own narratives by migrants and refugees. Their relationship with the project must be distinguished from that of materials produced directly during its implementation.

Teaching staff, Students, Professionals, General Public

https://culturalfoundation.eu/stories/feel-show-change-the-mediactivism-guide-to-claiming-a-right-to-your-city/

Audiovisual and narrative productions linked to Displaced in Media

Educational resource

Audiovisual and narrative materials generated through the project’s workshops, laboratories and co-creation processes. Documented examples include A wall to end all walls and the audio recordings from the Posters Against Walls campaign, illustrating collective authorship, counter-narratives and the participation of migrant and refugee voices.

Teaching staff, Students, Professionals, General Public

http://publicaciones.zemos98.org/

Displaced in Media page on ZEMOS98

Digital publication

A dedicated ZEMOS98 page documenting the project’s objectives, context, activities, European collaboration and main areas of work. It provides a stable entry point for learning about the initiative and its approach to media representation, migration, participation and collaborative narrative production.

Teaching staff, Students, Professionals, General Public

https://zemos98.org/