The Eisendrath Symposium: Covering Migration in Europe

Open to Everyone

Across Europe, governments on the right, left, and center are rolling back protections for migrants and supporting new European Union proposals that would allow asylum seekers to be sent to third countries. Even as border crossings have dropped significantly in recent years, human rights groups warn that deterrence-focused policies and sealed borders are pushing people onto more dangerous routes, increasing the risk of abuse, displacement and trauma.

European media coverage of migration has largely centered on political debate, often leaving people’s lives and experiences out of the reporting. What does this imbalance mean for public understanding, and how can we responsibly cover Europe’s shifting migration politics, while ethically reporting on trauma and engaging vulnerable sources whose stories are too often overlooked?

The Eisendrath Symposium honors Charles R. Eisendrath, former director of Wallace House, and his lifelong commitment to international journalism.