Quick Response – www.quickresponse.se
Programme Description:
In 1998 the National Co-ordination Committee of the European Year against Racism set up Quick Response to review and highlight how issues of immigration were being portrayed in the Swedish media.
Every day Quick Response monitors eight national Swedish newspapers. Reviews are also carried out on the TV and radio. The Internet allows for smaller publications to be monitored when possible.
It has been acknowledged by leading Swedish thinkers that the national media play a role in creating stereotypes about ethnic minorities. An ‘us and them’ mentality has become the norm. To counteract this image of migrants Quick Response aims to educate journalists on how to reflect the true diversity of the population they report on. The readers, listeners or viewers are then learning tolerance and inclusion through the information they take in from the media. Just as the media can be used as a tool of separation it can also be a tool of integration. Quick Response holds regular lectures at Journalism schools across Sweden, teaching the students how to accurately represent diversity in their work. Their website includes the findings of regular monitoring. Each time the website is updated a newsletter is sent out to the subscribers. There are currently over 3000 people and institutions that subscribe to Quick Response’s newsletter.
Challenge:
Articles are sent out to subscribers after an issue or situation is over.
Solution:
In order to learn from previous mistakes, we make sure all our responses and reports are researched at the highest level. Our investigation can only begin once a situation has been reported on by others; we can then monitor and evaluate the reporting to comment on its quality.
Impact and Success Stories:
- Studies have shown that Quick Response is relatively well known by the mainstream eam media in Sweden.
- Editors who were investigated by Quick Response for their one sided reports have since apologised.
Quotes:
“We believe that if journalists deconstruct stereotypes and include immigrants and people with immigrant backgrounds into news journalism, this will promote integration.” Arash Mokhtari, Project Manager for Quick Response.
“I’ve seen great improvements in the news media the last couple of years. Quick Response has definitely been a part of this development.” Ylva Brune, Mass Media Researcher.
“The seminar offered me a new way of thinking.” Student who attended a Quick Response lecture.
