By Joel Millman
 

International Migrants Day started with a bang last week, with a brace of articles published in two of the world’s most prestigious media outlets, Le Monde and The International New York Times.

Le Monde published an opinion piece by the Director General as an exclusive.  The International New York Times also published a news piece (“2014 Was Deadliest Year for Migrants, International Group Says”), followed by a second  OpEd  by the Director General.

The Director General was also interviewed in New York for UN Web TV and radio, and appeared at Thursday’s noon briefing.

The IOM media team also provided broadcast media interviews worldwide to discuss the International Migrants Day theme – “Saving Migrants Lives.”  IOM spokespeople were interviewed by Swiss, Australian, Spanish, French, South Korean, Canadian and Malaysian broadcast media.

SOCIAL MEDIA

On social media, IOM engaged audiences worldwide to bring out stories of migrants on International Migrants Day. Calls to save migrants lives have been made via IOM’s main Twitter account, IOM_news, which were echoed by many missions around the globe (#MigrantsDay, #SaveMigrantsLives).

Most tweeted was the DG’s quote on “changing the lens through which migration is viewed.”

The United Nations shared our updated map on Migrants Deaths, which in turn has been retweeted 400 times. The DG was also quoted by UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos.

For more social media action, please follow our Migrants Day Storify.