International and Humanitarian Affairs

Short course Media and Aid Organisations: A Relationship at stake 2024

The relationship between aid agencies and international and local media is often ambivalent yet vital for public and operational outcomes. This Short Course aims to explore the theoretical and practical issues and implications of this challenging relationship.
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Information

Period

22 April 2024 - 3 May 2024
2 ECTS credits
50 Distance teaching hours
Around 50 hours of work for the whole course, including live sessions two to three times per week, usually in the early afternoon CET

Language

English

Format

Distance learning

Contact

Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies
+41 (0)22 379 56 50
humanitarianstudies(at)unige.ch
website

Registration

Registration deadline

31 March 2024

Fees:

  • Full price: CHF 1'700
  • Partner rate (ICRC, MSF): CHF 1'360 (20% discount)
  • Special Rate for Government and NGO/CBO Staff: CHF 850. Available exclusively to staff from local and national NGOs, CBOs, and government employees in low/middle-income countries. Proof of local employment and salary required.

There is no available scholarship for this programme.

Chèque formation

Contribution to the SDGs

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development

Objectives

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Characterise the specificities of humanitarian communications
  • Understand the international, regional and local media landscapes, including digital media
  • Engage in media training
  • Assess the concept of “media power” and the logic of media attention and coverage
  • Evaluate the challenges of media relations and the opportunities for humanitarian reporting
  • Examine humanitarian representations and the visual politics of aid
  • Analyse the ethical and deontological outcomes of media relations and messaging

Audience

Professional in the humanitarian, development or social sector looking to develop their competencies in media and public relations
Professional from other sectors (journalism, marketing, PR, policymaking, philanthropy) who wishes to increase their understanding of humanitarian communications
Graduate student with relevant volunteer or intern experience, looking to undertake a postgraduate course to explore the specificities of media and humanitarian collaborations

Programme

  • What are humanitarian communications?
  • Traditional media and the digital revolution (media landscapes)
  • Effective media training
  • Media attention and forgotten crises
  • Humanitarian journalism and crisis reporting
  • Visual politics of aid and humanitarian iconography
  • Ethics of humanitarian communication and deontology of humanitarian reporting

Director(s)

Prof. Karl BLANCHET, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, a joint Centre of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Geneva

Coordinator(s)

Dr Valérie GORIN, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies

Admission criteria

  • a university qualification (bachelor’s degree or equivalent);
  • at least three years of relevant professional experience;
  • excellent command of English;
  • motivation working in the humanitarian sector.

More information about the admission process is available on our application page.

Application File

  • Copy of identity document or passport
  • Passport photo (.jpg format)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Cover letter (explaining what is the reason why you apply for this course and how will the acquired skills help you in your career)
  • Copy of the highest educational qualification obtained
  • Copy of work certificate or official document of the current job position
  • Proof of English language level
  • Employer's funding agreement, if applicable
  • Employer's letter of support (recommended)
  • Scholarship application form (if applicable). Please refer to humanitarianstudies.ch/application.

More information about the application process is available on our application page.

Number of participants

The number of participants is adapted to the chosen pedagogy.

Contribution to the SDGs

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development