Reporting on human trafficking manual published by OSCE, Moscow University, Russian Union of Journalists

The OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, the Moscow State University and the Russian Union of Journalists on 28 March 2013 published a course book for journalism students writing about human trafficking.

The university taught a year-long course at its journalism faculty on reporting human trafficking issues beginning in the spring semester of 2012. The course allowed students to better understand the complexity of reporting on human trafficking cases, and included lectures and master classes by international and national experts.

“I am very pleased with the results of our collaboration,” OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro said. “I hope the manual and other educational tools will be used for many years to come by generations of journalists.”

The Russian language manual provides an in-depth analysis of the current human trafficking situation and covers practical measures that are being undertaken to prevent trafficking and protect its victims. It also emphasizes the need to respect victims’ rights, recognize their vulnerable position, apply ethical and victim-centred approaches, and minimize stigmatization.

“This significant project marks the first time that a Russian-language educational manual has been developed by a journalism faculty in close collaboration with the community of professional journalists, including investigative reporters, and integrated into a university curriculum,” Nadezhda Azhgikhina, Executive Secretary at the Russian Union of Journalists said.

The results of this project will have a lasting effect as the Moscow State University integrated the trafficking course into its curriculum, and an extensive collection of relevant publications has been made available to students and instructors at the Faculty of Journalism library.

This course book will also be made available to institutions of higher education in Russia that focus on media and journalism.

The publication of the manual marks the end of the implementation phase of the project, which began in March 2012 and was made possible by funding from Iceland and the US.