3. The Media's Orientation Towards ConflictThis is a featured page

Often, we do not have direct access to information and rely on the media in order to keep abreast with political, social, economic and other events and developments. Therefore, the way media reports, also determines how what we see and hear about conflict, which in turn influences our feelings, attitudes and behaviour. Media, however, is not neutral. In today's world it is complex organisations that are guided by specific rationals: Owners of media organisations, for instance, want to make business, i.e. sell their product; journalists want to publish and therefore select and report in specific ways. In conflict situations, these factors can result in certain orientations that have to be understood by organisations engaging in peacebuilding who want to liaise with the media in a constructive way. This sections aims at promoting this understanding.

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  • The Media's Orientation Towards Conflict. [...]
  • Bratic, V., "Examining Peace-Oriented Media in Areas of Violent Conflict", in International Communication Gazette 2008; 70;487,available at <http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/pmt/exhibits/3040/487.pdf>. While the relationship between war and media is examined in literature, the cases of
    the positive use of mass communication channels in the reconciliation of post-conflict societies are virtually unknown. The goal of this study is to respond to the gap in literature by examining theoretical evidence and practical case studies describing media promotion of peace across the world. As a result, a total of 40 media projects in 18 countries are documented and two case studies are examined in detail. Initial lessons from the practical projects in conjunction with historical developments
    of media in wars suggest that the current practice would benefit from: integration of all available media channels and practices, incorporation of media into other social institutions and processes and regulation of hate media as well as production of peace-oriented media.
  • Wolfsfeld, G., The News Media and Peace Processes: The Middle East and Northern Ireland - Peaceworks no. 37, Washinghton DC, USIP, 2001, available at <http://www.usip.org/pubs/peaceworks/pwks37.pdf>.The news media can play a central role in the promotion of peace. They can emphasize the benefits that peace can bring, they can raise the legitimacy of groups or leaders working for peace, and they can help transform images of the enemy. But the media also can serve as destructive agents in a peace process. They can emphasize the risks and dangers associated with compromise, raise the legitimacy of those opposed to concessions, and reinforce negative stereotypes of the enemy. This report explains how and when the media take on each of these roles.
  • Howard, Ross, An Operational Framework for Media and Peacebuilding, for IMPACS (Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society), Vancouver, BC 2002, p. 6-8. <http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/JDAB-5P3HAB/$FILE/impacs-gender-03.pdf?OpenElement> (accessed 28 August 2009) Ross Howard looks at how the conflict environment impacts the media in different stages of conflict (pre-conflict, overt conflict, post-conflict).
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