CMCF calls for greater accuracy, context in refugee reporting

KUALA LUMPUR: Media practitioners and stakeholders have been urged to ensure refugee-related news reports and online content are accurate, contextualised, and free from unnecessary generalisations.

The call was made at the Roundtable Workshop on Refugee Narratives: Media, Influence and Public Perception, organised by the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) – Refugee Policy on Wednesday.

The workshop brought together representatives from the media, government, civil society, digital platforms, and affected communities to discuss how news reports, headlines, images, and social media content shape public perception of refugee issues.

CMCF chief executive officer Mediha Mahmood said in a statement that misleading content was not necessarily completely false, but could involve genuine material presented without sufficient context.

"Some of the most misleading content is not completely false. It can be a real video with the wrong caption, a fact stripped of context, or a headline that makes the story say more than the facts do.

"Good reporting does not mean softening difficult issues. It means making sure the facts are accurate, properly contextualised and not made to carry conclusions they cannot support," she said.

APPGM – Refugee Policy deputy chairman Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman said the media should give space to different perspectives, including those of the government, local communities and refugees.

"The actions of a few should also not be used to judge an entire community.

"We are not asking the media to take anyone's side; we are asking them to stand for truth, accuracy and humanity," he said.

In the discussion, participants examined anonymised examples of how events could be framed differently, how unverified claims gained credibility as they moved across platforms, and how genuine photographs, videos, statistics and official-looking documents could be circulated without sufficient context.

"The workshop also covered editorial decision-making, the evolution of claims across digital platforms and practical steps stakeholders could take within their respective roles.

"Participants discussed shared resolutions covering accuracy, verification, relevant context, responsible use of headlines and visuals, and avoiding unnecessary generalisations," the statement read.

CMCF said it will review the findings to identify follow-up measures, including reference materials, improved access to reliable information and further engagement with media and other stakeholders.