News That Moves - Mediterranean Rumor Tracker

"For refugees making their way to Europe, information is a matter of life and death. Through two-way communication, Internews is to beginning to return dignity to the affected population through information - free of rumor, lies or agenda - so people can find their own way forward."

NewsThatMoves is a website created in the recognition that to be properly informed is a human right and a humanitarian principle for all people who are displaced or seeking asylum, especially in Greece and the Balkans. Internews believes that people need information and communication to make decisions about their futures, access essential services, and make their own voices heard.

To that end, NewsThatMoves provides independent, verified information from humanitarian organisations, government authorities, human rights organisations, and others. Offered in multiple languages, this up-to-date information focuses on safety and travel, available humanitarian assistance, policy changes, border status advisories, and weather conditions. It gave notice of plans to open new refugee camps, for instance. By identifying misinformation and hearsay and responding to it with relevant, factual information, NewsThatMoves also aims to keep the refugee population at the forefront of the communication response. For example, the website has reported on people in one camp who posed as refugees to profit from sales of goods. It also helped aid workers calm near-panic situations caused by Greek ferry strikes. NewsThatMoves does not provide advice but, rather, listens to people's questions and concerns through an interactive component of the website, responding to them with articles and explanations. Smartphone apps help deliver information from the site to as many people as possible.

Mediterranean Rumor Tracker is an associated project of Internews, Translators without Borders, and Action Aid that collects rumours among refugees passing through Europe and either confirms or denies them. Written in Arabic, Farsi, Greek and English and published on the NewsThatMoves website, Med Rumor Tracker was first launched in December 2015 as a free weekly bulletin of the latest misinformation heard by Internews staff and other aid workers. Jeanne Bourgault of Internews explains its impetus: "We saw that the primary source of information among the refugee population was word of mouth, amplified by ever-present smartphones. But much of the information was out of date. Worse, rumor and misinformation was rampant, some of it dangerous and much of it originating with smugglers in Turkey. Some refugees punctured their inflatable boats when they got close to shore, believing that anyone in a seaworthy craft would be turned back. Others swore that carrying a Koran could get you arrested, or that relocation programs were all a lie, or, conversely, that European countries would pay for absolutely everything in their new lives. Identifying and debunking those myths has proven to be as important as any other aspect of information delivery. Word spreads quickly in a refugee environment, allowing rumors to quickly go from a whisper to a roar. And when decision-making is based on rumors ('Should I get on this rubber dinghy? Should I destroy my passport?') the consequence can range from creating unnecessary hardship to death."

Bourgault continues: "Through it all, two-way communication is critical to ensuring that refugees get the information they need. Internews does not just tell them what we think they need to know. We start by talking, interviewing and conversing - listening to what they are talking about in order to understand how to help them best. One way, one-size-fits-all messaging...doesn't meet the needs of mobile, connected populations."