- Digital Media Shakers
In the series, Digital Media Shakers, we highlight bold voices shaping public interest and independent media. These are individuals whose passion goes beyond the medium – they are working to create lasting change in the (digital) media industry.
In this Digital Media Shakers edition, we speak with Dr. Noemi Mena Montes, researcher and journalist specialising in migration narratives. From her early work in radio amplifying unheard voices to her current research on media framing and political discourse, she has dedicated her career to reshaping how migration is understood.
RNW Media: To start off, could you tell us a bit about your background and what first drew you to focus on migration, media, and inclusion?
Dr. Noemi: “I originally studied journalism because I have always been drawn to people’s stories, especially those that often go unheard. My first radio program, Lighthouse, aimed to shine a light on voices with little visibility in society.
During my early career, I volunteered with the Red Cross and later at a refugee house in Canada. Listening to people who had fled war and conflict zones deeply moved me, giving me a new understanding of resilience, displacement, and human dignity.
These experiences inspired me to study how media tell stories about migration. I completed a PhD in Migration and Political Communication, focusing on how media and political framing shape public opinion and influence migration debates.”
RNW Media: You’ve worked closely with migrant and refugee communities across Europe. How would you describe the dominant narratives about migration in Dutch and European media today?
Dr. Noemi: “Across Europe, and especially in the Netherlands, migration is still discussed through a narrow lens of crisis, numbers, and control. Narratives emphasise borders and security rather than people and potential, portraying migrants mainly as victims or threats.
In the Dutch context, migration is highly politicised. Politicians usually mean refugees, not labour migrants or international students, which fuels fear and misunderstanding. The fall of the 2023 cabinet (framed as a “migration crisis”) was in fact about managing a relatively small number of refugees.
Still, there are signs of change. More journalists, researchers, and grassroots initiatives are highlighting inclusion, participation, and everyday life, showing how newcomers contribute to communities and the economy.”
RNW Media: How have these narratives evolved in recent years? And what social or political factors have driven that change?
Dr. Noemi: “Since the 2015 “refugee crisis,” public attention has shifted from solidarity to polarisation, with discourse moving toward control, deterrence, and security. Populist and far-right parties have framed migration as a threat to identity and welfare, influencing mainstream political rhetoric. Global events from Syria and Afghanistan to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have reshaped the debate, revealing unequal treatment based on race, religion, and proximity.
In the Netherlands, migration is linked to housing, healthcare, and welfare debates. Politicians usually mean refugees, not labour migrants or students, creating confusion, as seen in the 2023 cabinet fall. Yet there is growing pushback. Journalists and grassroots initiatives are producing more constructive stories focused on coexistence, inclusion, and participation.”
RNW Media: Whose voices tend to be amplified in migration coverage, and whose are often missing? What does this mean for how audiences understand migration?
Dr. Noemi: “Migration coverage in Europe, including the Netherlands, tends to amplify politicians, policymakers, and institutions, framing migration through numbers, security, and control. Migrants and refugees themselves are largely absent or portrayed as anonymous victims.
Media focus on arrivals at Europe’s borders, while crises in Yemen, Sudan, or the DRC rarely receive sustained attention. This Eurocentric proximity bias obscures causes, context, and everyday realities.
When audiences mostly hear politicians and numbers, migration feels like a threat or management problem rather than a shared human experience. Stories of coexistence, contribution, and daily life from migrants, neighbours, employers, and teachers are rarely amplified.”
RNW Media: Can you share examples where media or journalists have succeeded in telling more inclusive, dignity-centred migration stories?
Dr. Noemi: “The most urgent narratives to challenge are those that frame migration mainly through politics, numbers, and control, and those that portray migrants only as crises, threats, or silent victims. What is missing are the voices and everyday experiences of migrants themselves, and of local citizens who live, work, and study with them.
We need alternative narratives that:
Media can either deepen divides or bridge them. By amplifying stories of coexistence, contribution, and everyday interaction, not only political soundbites, journalism can shift migration coverage from fear and abstraction to reality and relationship.”
RNW Media: You often emphasize digital literacy and migrant-led storytelling. In practice, what does it mean to centre migrant voices? And what impact can that have?
Dr. Noemi: “To centre migrant voices means shifting from speaking about migrants to making space for them to speak for themselves. It’s a move from representation to participation, with migrants not only being quoted but deciding what stories are told and how.
Digital literacy is key. When migrants produce podcasts, videos, articles, or social media content, they gain agency over their narratives. This shift isn’t about “giving” people a voice, they already have one, but about creating space to listen.
Initiatives like RNW Media’s youth projects or Humans of Amsterdam show how self-authored stories transform perception: migration becomes a relatable human reality, not an abstract policy issue.”
RNW Media: Through initiatives like the Newcomers Programme and the Re-Starter Foundation, you’ve supported asylum seekers in developing digital skills. What kind of transformation have you witnessed from this work?
Dr. Noemi: “The most powerful change I’ve seen is in confidence, identity, and belonging. Many asylum seekers arrive feeling invisible and without purpose. Programmes like the Newcomers Programme and Re-Starter help them rediscover themselves, rebuild direction, and regain a sense of agency.
Participants often say they feel like students again, contributing members of society with something meaningful to wake up for. Digital and communication skills become tools for learning, empowerment, and self-expression.
Challenges exist, as frequent relocation interrupts studies and relationships, but participants’ determination to learn, connect, and belong is extraordinary. Social contact, buddy programmes, or mentorships can make a real difference.
Re-Starter’s Where Is Home? project brought refugees, migrants, and residents together through storytelling and photography, creating spaces for collaboration, dialogue, and understanding. Integration becomes participation, and transformation happens through connection, seeing each other beyond labels.”
RNW Media: What’s one migration narrative you wish we could see more often in today’s media?
Dr. Noemi: “I wish we could see more stories that focus on connection rather than crisis, showing migration as part of our shared social and cultural reality. Media too often frame migration through borders, numbers, or fear, leaving little space for everyday realities of people rebuilding their lives.
We need narratives that highlight participation, resilience, and collaboration, how migrants, refugees, and local citizens learn from one another and create something new together. Shared spaces, projects, education, and storytelling help people see beyond divisive labels and discover common ground.
I would also like more stories about women, especially those from countries where access to education was limited, who now use digital skills and storytelling to express themselves and lead change.
Ultimately, media should move from fear and dependency narratives toward dignity, contribution, and belonging, reflecting the complexity of migration and the ongoing process of building bridges between people and cultures.”
As Dr. Mena Montes reminds us, migration is not only about movement and borders, it’s about rebuilding, connecting, and belonging. When we allow migrants to tell their own stories, we open space for empathy and understanding that go beyond borders. Media have the power not just to inform but to connect, to make visible the everyday collaborations that shape our shared societies. What we still need are more spaces—digital, educational, and social—where these encounters can happen, and where new narratives of dignity and participation can take root.
Stay tuned for the next Digital Media Shaker in our series!
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