Analyses

The narrative of refugee children and adolescents has been almost absent from the Italian media since the start of the migratory flows that have been crossing the Mediterranean. While these groups feature erratically in journalist reporting, media attention typically revolves around geo-political facts related to the areas of origin of minors, the hardship of their journeys, and crime-related news, particularly in relation to adolescents. Stories of refugee children and adolescents are seldom heard in the media, leaving them unknown to the public and forming a representation that alternates a frame of victimhood to one of poverty-related delinquency. This research-based article presents the views of some of the main inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations working on the migrant humanitarian response in Italy. Their experience, knowledge, and suggestions on journalist media coverage of refugee children and adolescents have been gathered and offered here through a series of critical points. This article also wants to be a useful resource to organisations involved in similar work and especially to media outlets, for a reflection on their present and future effort in communicating about refugee children and adolescents.