To change humanitarian aid, we need to change media coverage too: Patrick Gathara / TNH

Article shared by Tom McDermott

This article by Patrick Gathara is an important reminder of the importance of the stories we tell about humanitarian and development aid.  It applies not just to news media, but also to the 'communications departments of aid agencies, and to us as retirees.  What are the stories we tell of our past experience and how do we tell them?  Who are the 'heroes' and the 'villains' of those stories - local actors or foreign saviours?  Do we obscure 'good' outcomes amid our urge to critique the failures.

Tom

Click here for the article

Summary

Gathara argues that meaningful change in the humanitarian sector requires transforming how crises are reported in the media. He critiques the dominance of Western-centric narratives that portray foreign actors as saviors while erasing local voices and agency. Gathara calls for a more ethical, inclusive approach to humanitarian journalism—one that challenges the structures of power it has long upheld.  Media and reform of aid need to go hand-in-hand.

Quotes
"You cannot decolonise aid without also decolonising how it is reported on."

"The stories we tell about crises determine how the world responds to them."
"International media has too often acted as a cheerleader for a failed aid system."

"People affected by crises are not just victims or backdrops—they are experts, leaders, and storytellers."