JRN 490 Peace Journalism Lesson 6: Media in Conflict

(Peace Journalism in the Philippines)

By Metin Ersoy

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) Peace Journalism is based on the proposition

that the choices journalists make while covering conflicts tend inescapably either to expand or contract the space available for society at large to imagine and work towards peaceful outcomes to conflicts.

Peace Journalism can help society at large think and speak about non-violence and creativity when dealing with conflicts.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) How conflict influences the media?

Media is a part of society. Journalist is also human being, thus, conflict

influences them in a way that, physical, psychological, emotional and mental.

How media can influence conflict? Positive and negative way.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines)

FROM OLD TO NEW

ROLE

•Watchdog

•Commentator

•Independent of issues covered

•Spectator/observer

 

•Enabler

•Communicator

•Independent yet interdependent

•“in the boat”

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines)STYLE/STORIES

•Debate

•Difference

•Polemic

 

•Dialogue

•Common ground and difference

•Discussion

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines)APPROACH TO JOURNALISM

•Seeks simplicity

•Reactive to violent events

•Event-based reporting

•“I am objective”

•Balance = cover both sides equally (quantity)

 

•Explores complexity

•Strategy to understand/uncover the conflict

•Process-based reporting

•“I am fair”

•Balance = represent both sides stories and perceptions (quality)

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines)APPROACH TO AUDIENCES

•Bodily damage/gore increases circulation

•Newsroom sets agenda

•Leaders/experts know best

•Right to know

•“This is the way journalism is done”

 

•Public participation in problem solving builds audiences/readership

•Public has role in setting a agenda

•Ordinary people need to be consulted

•Right to participate in democratic processes

•Exploratory and flexible; rooted in values

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) How different is to cover a war being a

foreigner or being a local (same for NGOs, governments, etc)? Objectivity Balance Accuracy Quality

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) The classical journalistic idea that ‘peace is no

news’. Why violence and conflict are news, and peace is

not? “If it bleeds, it leads” “Healthy, transparent, balanced” Current journalism or mainstream news values are

conflict oriented and it has become a paradox within UNESCO universal journalism principles. The second principle says that, “journalist is opposite to war”, but in the conventional journalism war is the good news, because newspaper will increase the circulation.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines)

Peace journalism seems directly opposite to conventional journalism, however we should not forget that peace journalism is not an invention. Conventional journalism goes far from society problems, and becomes the power of government.

Wolfsfeld (2004) argues that, “…scholars simply find conflict more exciting than peace (p. 9).” The nature of human being has included reflex to extraordinary things, the basic idea behind this reaction is protection. This is why, human being interesting in conflict news rather than peace news. Media, however, uses this human interest in a negative way.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines)

The traditional claim by media is “public demand that kind of news which are including violence and conflict”, even thought there is that kind of demand from public, Kempf’s (2005) studies show how escalate oriented reporting affect the conflict between the conflicting sides.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) Is it possible to be fair and independent covering

your ‘own’ conflict? Yes it is. But how? Peace Journalism assumption can help us to be fair

and independent covering our ‘own’ conflict. Empathy

Stephen W. Littlejohn and Kathy Domenici (2001, pp. 80-81) in their book “Engaging Communication in Conflict: Systemic Practice” suggest six reframe statement which I think they are helpful for media in conflict.

 

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) We can reframe from negative to

positive: Cypriot media should reframe of their news language from negative to positive. They should stop negative presenting of the “other side”.

We can reframe from past to future: Cypriot media should stop blaming each other about what happened in the past and who was the “guilty”.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) We can reframe from hostile to neutral or

positive: Cypriot media should stop seeing each other as “enemy” or “hostile”. They should stop antagonistic discourse in their news article.

We can reframe from individual interests to community interests: Cypriot media should reframe the issues in a way mutual understanding and both community interest.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) We can reframe from compliant to vision:

Cypriot media should stop being compliant because of the past events. They should look at the future, and create a positive vision.

We can reframe from criticism to request: Cypriot media should spend time to criticize each other. They should spend more time to talk on what kind of requests they have.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) Shall media coverage and journalists

inform or promote peace? The normative premise (Shinar, 2004, p.

2) of peace journalism is that if media play a negative role in terms of increasing the tensions between and among the sides of the conflict, they can also play a positive role by promoting peace.

Lesson 6: Media in Conflict (Peace Journalism in the Philippines) The question is, should the media promote

peace? If yes, how can we make them do that? Shinar argues that, “the media should be involved in the promotion of peace, regardless of: a) Conservative objections to an alleged loss of objectivity linked with the promotion of peace; b) Theoretical and practical questions about what version of peace should be promoted; and c) Economic and political institutional constraints built into the media structure” (p. 2).