Decolonizing Narratives in Humanitarian Journalism

Research Article
Written By Margherita d’Avella

Abstract

In the field of humanitarian aid and development, the need for reform has never been clearer. Much of the media and aid coverage of crises, particularly in the Global South, continues to rely on outdated frameworks that perpetuate colonial power dynamics. This narrative often positions Western actors - whether journalists or NGOs - as ‘saviours,’ while local communities are reduced to passive victims. This policy brief explores how media coverage reinforces this neocolonial asymmetry and outlines recommendations for decolonising humanitarian journalism to better represent the agency, resilience, and complexity of affected communities.

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The need to decolonize aid and journalism

The international aid sector has long been criticized for its paternalistic and top-down approach, which marginalizes local actors and reinforces Global North control. Despite calls for localization and more locally-led humanitarian responses, only a small fraction of international aid directly reaches local actors (ORF, 2024). This reflects a broader issue in humanitarian coverage - the tendency to frame aid efforts as something that originates from the Global North, with communities in the Global South depicted as passive recipients of assistance. Such a narrative not only undermines the agency of local populations but also perpetuates an asymmetrical dynamic in which local communities are seen as ‘problems’ to be solved rather than as active participants in their own development (Paulmann, 2018).

Journalistic practices contribute significantly to this dynamic. Much of international reporting on crises is episodic, inflated, and rooted in event-driven coverage that fails to engage with the underlying complexities of the situations being reported. These limitations exacerbate stereotypes, portraying entire regions as sites of perpetual conflict and suffering, rather than recognizing the resilience and agency of the people living there (Gathara, 2024).

The perpetuation of neocolonialism in humanitarian news

The dominant ‘savior’ narrative in humanitarian journalism reduces local communities to mere backdrops for stories about Western intervention. This framing, often seen in conflict and disaster coverage, is a direct legacy of colonial practices that continue to shape the way humanitarian aid and crisis reporting are portrayed. As a result, the media often casts Western actors - journalists and NGOs alike - as the ‘heroes,’ the ones ‘saving’ passive, helpless populations. This dehumanizes affected communities by stripping away their autonomy and reducing them to objects of charity and intervention (Khalid, 2024).

At its core, this issue is about the power imbalance embedded in the reporting process. Journalists from the Global North often tell stories about Global South countries without meaningful collaboration with local journalists or input from local communities. In many cases, the media perpetuates the myth of ‘neutral’ objectivity, ignoring the significant power dynamics that shape how stories are told. The language and framing used by journalists, for instance, to report on poverty are oftentimes rooted in colonial histories and fail to acknowledge the structural causes of poverty, such as colonial exploitation and the extraction of resources (Granger, 2021).

Existing practices: localization of journalism

In recent years, several efforts have been put forward to localize journalism and shift away from the traditional ‘Western-centric’ narrative. Local journalists are increasingly seen as key agents of change in telling more authentic, nuanced stories about their own communities. This approach recognizes the importance of local knowledge and perspectives in shaping the narratives around crises and challenges the ‘outsider’ lens that has traditionally dominated humanitarian reporting (Aly, 2021).

One example of rethinking journalism ethics to support localization is the concept of Afrokology, which reimagines journalistic practices from an African standpoint. Afrokology critiques dominant global North ethical frameworks as incomplete and rooted in colonial epistemes. It proposes a decolonial approach that centres African lived experiences and values as foundational rather than supplementary to global journalism ethics. By prioritizing African perspectives, Afrokology aims to transform journalism standards in Africa and across the Global South (Mano, 2021).

However, while there has been some progress, the mainstream media remains largely dominated by journalists from the Global North. Many of the stories that shape public understanding of humanitarian crises continue to be told by few international correspondents, whose cultural and historical distance from the issues they cover often leads to shallow and incomplete representations of the affected communities. As Ferguson (2024) highlights, journalists who cover crises often fail to engage deeply with the people they report on, focusing instead on sensationalist events rather than the lived experiences of the communities affected by them.

Gaps in humanitarian media coverage

Despite the growing recognition of the need for localization of journalism, several significant gaps persist. International journalists often prioritize stories about external interventions, such as those by NGOs, while neglecting the contributions and leadership of local actors. This narrative sidelines local efforts and reinforces the idea that communities in the Global South depend on external support to respond to crises. By underreporting local initiatives, this type of coverage perpetuates stereotypes about the inability of these regions to manage their own affairs, reinforcing neocolonial perceptions of dependency and diminishing the visibility of local resilience and agency (ORF, 2024).

Another gap is the lack of local journalism in humanitarian responses. While local media play a crucial role in shaping public opinion and providing vital information to affected communities, they are often underfunded, undervalued, and sidelined in favour of international coverage. This lack of representation means that local perspectives and voices are often marginalized, reinforcing the outsider-driven narratives that continue to dominate the discourse on humanitarian crises (Khalid, 2024).

Additionally, many foreign correspondents struggle to draw connections between historical, political, economic, and environmental factors in crisis reporting. Dr. Chrisanthi Giotis (2022) argues that decolonizing foreign correspondence is essential to address this issue and to create a truly global public sphere. This approach emphasizes the inclusion of the voices and knowledge of marginalized communities caught in resource-driven conflicts. Such reporting techniques shift the focus from sensationalism and sociohistorical myopia to a more connected and nuanced understanding of crises across time and space. Without such changes, the media fails to fully capture the lived realities of those most affected by crises.

Recommendations for decolonizing humanitarian journalism

  1. Promote local journalism: Media organizations must prioritize the inclusion of local journalists in reporting on humanitarian crises. This can be achieved through partnerships between international and regional outlets, which can help ensure that stories are told from the perspective of those directly affected. Funding and training for local journalists is crucial in strengthening their capacity to produce high-quality, contextually relevant reporting.

  2. Rethink the ‘savior’ narrative: Humanitarian journalists and NGOs should actively work to dismantle the ‘savior’ complex by focusing on the agency of local communities. This means reporting on the efforts of local actors, whether grassroots organizations or community leaders and highlighting how they are driving change in their own contexts. Coverage should move away from portraying communities as passive victims and instead emphasize their resilience, strength, and ability to lead their own recovery (Aly, 2021). Afrokology, with its call for African-centered ethics, offers an Africa-specific framework for shifting the narrative by prioritizing local knowledge and ethical frameworks in journalistic practice, helping to break down the saviour complex that dominates much of humanitarian coverage in the region (Mano, 2021).

  3. Shift away from event-driven coverage: Humanitarian journalism should move away from event-driven, episodic reporting focusing on sensationalist moments instead of engaging with long-term, structural issues. As Giotis (2022) argues in Borderland: Decolonising the Words of War, decolonised reporting techniques can help journalists connect politics, economics, and environmental factors, fostering a deeper understanding of crises and challenging reductive narratives. This requires a deeper understanding of the root causes of crises and the complex historical and political factors at play. Journalists should aim to tell stories that reflect the full complexity of the issues, avoiding simplistic portrayals of crisis and suffering (Khalid, 2024).

  4. Expand definitions of quality journalism: The definition of ‘quality journalism’ should be expanded to include more inclusive and equitable standards. This means moving away from traditional Western notions of objectivity and embracing a more holistic approach that accounts for the power dynamics at play in crisis reporting. Journalists should be encouraged to reflect on their own positionality and the impact their work may have on the communities they cover (Khalid, 2024).

Conclusion

Decolonizing humanitarian journalism is a critical step toward ensuring that crisis coverage is more accurate, equitable, and empowering. By shifting the focus from Western intervention to local agency, promoting collaboration between local and international journalists, and rethinking the ethical foundations of reporting, media organizations can help dismantle the neocolonial structures that continue to shape the way humanitarian crises are portrayed. Through these efforts, we can begin to build a more just and representative media landscape that reflects the complexities and strengths of the communities it covers.

Bibliography

Margherita d’Avella

Margherita d'Avella is a young professional specializing in transitional justice, emergency management, and humanitarian relief. She has been involved with various international organizations and NGOs, including the FAO (UN), Amnesty International, and the Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research, committed to peacebuilding, reconciliation, and community empowerment in crisis-prone areas.

She holds a Master's Degree in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies from King’s College London and a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from the University of Groningen.

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