Editorial Commissions
Hope in Exile
Marking World Refugee Day on 20 June, “Hope in Exile,” is a photojournalism exhibition delivered by the Refugee Journalism Project and One World Media that sheds light on the experiences of forcibly displaced individuals.
By the end of this year 130 million people are expected to be forcibly displaced or stateless, according to the UN Refugee Agency. The emotional impact on their lives often results in feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression.
The collection of works from eight photojournalists captures a nuanced representation of what it means to be forced to live away from the familiarity of home. Drawing on their lived experiences of displacement from countries where press freedoms have been curtailed, these journalists reveal that amidst the despair of separation, there is also resilience and hope.
The exhibition was installed at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London during June 2024.
Curated by Veronica Otero.
Commissioned by One World Media in collaboration with the Refugee Journalism Project.
Breaking The Frame
Breaking The Frame is a new report conducted by the Refugee Journalism Project, which analyses the representation of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in UK broadcast news. We started by analysing a year’s worth of TV news bulletins, gaining an insight into the editorial decisions made by news producers.
Our participants were commissioned to produce multimedia responses to the research themes, breaking the journalistic frames identified. The result is a collection of stories that showcase the talents of a group of journalists who have a story, but lack a voice.
LIMINALITY
Belonging neither here nor there
Kerim Balci & Henry Glover - Urim and Tummim (2019)
Liminality is the state of being in between; of belonging neither here nor there. With it comes disruption, anxiety and invisibility. But liminality is, however, a temporary state of existence, so with it also comes the hope of future transformation and empowerment.
This was the theme of a recent public event delivered by the Refugee Journalism Project. It explored this transitional period of migratory life from the perspective of persecution, freedom, and resettlement. It took a humanistic approach, encouraging critical thinking about how we perceive human beings who find themselves having to leave their home countries, but who are ultimately survivors.
The event brought together NGOs, editors, activists, journalists, students and university staff in a series of workshops ranging from cybersecurity to identity and mask-making. There were also discussions on issues like mental health and resilience amongst refugees and asylum seekers, and a podcast recording on media representation.
Veronica Otero’s curatorial concept, “Liminality: belonging neither here nor there”, was developed by the Refugee Journalism Project for this public event and exhibition, followed by the work of 16 UAL students and RJP journalists contributors. She also co-curated the work produced, helping participants develop their ideas and preparing them for display.
Her photographic work, “Family encounter: together we share an emotional burden” produced in Iraqi Kurdistan, was also exhibited.
Family encounter: together we share an emotional burden
A series featuring stories by participants of the Refugee Journalism Project, a year-long programme by the London College of Communication, UAL and the Guardian Foundation.
Veronica Otero helped develop the stories from ideas, structure and planning to editing, including compiling visuals.
“I’m afraid of the disease but mostly of dying from hunger”
As the pernicious COVID-19 virus continues to work its way around the world, the voices of the poorest and most marginalised in society have largely been missing from the mainstream media coverage.
The Refugee Journalism Project contacted three journalists who live in Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi – one of the poorest countries in the world – and invited them to help tell the grassroots story of how this global pandemic is affecting those living on the fringes.
Inside Repton Park Virgin Active’s health centre by Veronica Otero.
The London Church that’s a swimming pool
Gary Barlow is crooning in the nave of a redbrick church — a church with a group of gently swaying ladies where a congregation should be, and a swimming pool where pews should be.
© 2025 Veronica Otero
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