Abstract
The “humanitarian government” has been critiqued for seeking not only to protect but simultaneously control communities affected by humanitarian crisis. This chapter examines the capacity of humanitarian information projects to meet the information needs of refugees within the constraints of the humanitarian structure. It is informed by the author’s experience working for a media initiative that sought to provide “news-you-can-use” to refugees and migrants during the height of the so-called European Union Refugee Crisis, when thousands of refugees and migrants arrived on Greek shores each day. Stories from Greece demonstrate the range of political, structural and ethical concerns that influenced decisions about what information was provided or withheld. The chapter concludes that there is a need for further research to explore the use of protection logics as a justification for concealing information from affected communities in situations of humanitarian crisis.
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Jack, V. (2020). Informing Refugee Communities in Greece: What Is Possible Within the Parameters of the Humanitarian Structure?. In: Matthews, J., Thorsen, E. (eds) Media, Journalism and Disaster Communities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33712-4_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33712-4_13
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