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The media play a wide range of roles in our lives. Some of these roles are constructive and some are destructive. Recognizing the diversity within media professionals is a first step in critically analyzing how best to use the media to support conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
Media as Information Provider and Interpreter. The media provide people with important information about their environment (e.g. political, cultural, social issues) and respond to more imminent problems (weather, traffic, natural catastrophes, etc.). At least in part, people make decisions about whether to dress for warm or cold, choose political leaders to vote for in elections, and judge other groups in society based on the media.
The media interpret events beyond our physical realm and help us make sense of them. With the improvement of technologies and the advancement of new media such as the internet, media plays an increasingly more prominent role in our daily communication and entertainment.
For example, the Otpor Movement, developed in 1998 by Serbian students, responded to new restrictions on academic and media freedom with a highly unconventional movement called Otpor (‘resistance’ in Serbian). Otpor developed their own grassroots media campaign to provide information and inspiration to all who resisted the Milosevic government (1)
Media as Watchdog. The media sometimes acts as a third party ‘watchdog’ who provide feedback to the public on local problems. Media can bring hidden stories out into the public. Investigative reports can surface public problems. For example, a US journalist uncovered and exposed a veteran’s hospital that was dilapidated, rat-infested, and uncaring (2). This highlighted a problem of how US soldiers are treated before and after their time in the US military.
In Sierra Leone, a video depicting the serious impacts and extent of sexual violence has instigated discussion on the impact of the civil war in that country. The film, titled Operation Fine Girl: Rape Used as a Weapon of War in Sierra, was produced by human rights activists with the international non-governmental organization WITNESS (3). The film demonstrates how media productions can play an important complementary role alongside other post conflict reconciliation processes to promote awareness of critical social issues and bring them into the public arena so they can be addressed.
Media as Gatekeeper. The media can also act as a gatekeeper who sets agendas, filters issues and tries to maintain a balance of views. Media like to portray themselves as ‘balanced and fair,’ even when they privately seek to promote a particular ideological set of ideas and limit the public’s exposure to a wide array of information.
In 2006, a cartoonist in Denmark created international conflict with his message about Islam. The global tensions prompted extensive analysis on how and when media professionals should act as a gatekeeper to prevent certain expressions that could be deemed humiliating or offensive to some groups.
Media as Policymaker. The media has influence on policymakers, particularly as they think about how to prevent and respond to violent conflict. The media is also a tool of
policymakers to get across their message. Some theorists even claim that CNN has taken over policymaking - at least in humanitarian disaster situations. Images on CNN of genocide, famine, and violence force policymakers to intervene militarily to stop death, even if they do not think it is in the best interest of their country to adopt this policy. In Bosnia, for example, the media played a very important role in motivating the public to press their policymakers to intervene to stop the aggression (4).
Media as Diplomat. Sometimes the media is used to cover diplomatic initiatives and send messages back and forth between sides of a conflict. While policymakers usually prefer secret negotiations, sometimes there are no direct channels of communication. If one side wants to test reactions to a negotiation proposal, they may send signals and messages to other groups through the media. At times, the news media will invite leaders of opposing groups or nations onto a TV or radio program to talk with each other. The media may help to create bridges among enemies and build confidence needed to open negotiations (5).
For example, an American television show Nightline regularly invites two or more people from different sides of a public policy issue to be on the show and dialogue with each other. The host, Ted Koppel, makes a point of trying to find common ground between the two sides.
Media as Peace Promotor. Media events can be used at the beginning of negotiations to build confidence, facilitate negotiations or break diplomatic deadlocks to create a climate conducive to negotiation.
Media events such as press releases, rock concerts, or radio programs can celebrate peace agreements and negotiations. The media events may help to promote and
mobilize public support for agreements.
For example, in Burundi, Studio Ijambo is attempting to harness the power of radio for constructive purposes. Beginning in 1995, Search for Common Ground set up Studio Ijambo with a team of twenty Hutu and Tutsi journalists to promote dialogue, peace, and reconciliation. Studio Ijambo produces approximately one hundred radio programs per month to create a steady campaign to promote peace (6).
Media as Bridge Builder. The media can promote positive relationships between groups, particularly in conflicts over national, ethnic, religious identity. The media can lessen polarization between groups in the following ways:
Seeing the common ground between one’s own group and another group of people builds empathy. Such thinking leads toward depolarizing and normalizing relations between the groups in conflict.
Effective use of the media to prevent conflict and build peace requires a careful study of the lessons of social marketing to prepare for effective use of the media.
Source: Bratic V., Schirch, L, "Why and When to Use the Media for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding", Issue Paper 6 of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict / European Centre for Conflict Prevention, Amsterdam, 2007, pp. 9-11.
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(1) Milja Jovanovic. “Rage Against the Regime: The Otpor Movement in Serbia.” In Van Tongeren, Paul, Malin Brenk, Marte hellema and Juliette Verhoeven (eds.) People Building Peace II: Successful Stories of Civil Society. Boulder, US: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005.
(2) Dana Priest and Anne Hull. February 18, 2007. “Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army’s Top Medical Facility.” Washington Post. February 18, 2007. P. A01.
(3) Gregory, Sam. 2005. “Operation Fine Girl Exposes Sexual Violence Witness in Sierra Leone.” In Van Tongeren, Paul, Malin Brenk, Marte Hellema and Juliette Verhoeven (eds.) People Building Peace II: Successful Stories of Civil Society. Boulder, USA: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
(4). Gilboa, Eytan. 2002. Media and Conflict: Framing Issues, Making Policy, Shaping Opinions. Ardsley, NY, USA: Transnational Publishers Inc.
(5) Ibid.
(6) Gilboa, Eytan. 2002. Media and Conflict: Framing Issues, Making Policy, Shaping Opinions. Ardsley, NY, USA: Transnational Publishers Inc.
Media as Information Provider and Interpreter. The media provide people with important information about their environment (e.g. political, cultural, social issues) and respond to more imminent problems (weather, traffic, natural catastrophes, etc.). At least in part, people make decisions about whether to dress for warm or cold, choose political leaders to vote for in elections, and judge other groups in society based on the media.
The media interpret events beyond our physical realm and help us make sense of them. With the improvement of technologies and the advancement of new media such as the internet, media plays an increasingly more prominent role in our daily communication and entertainment.
For example, the Otpor Movement, developed in 1998 by Serbian students, responded to new restrictions on academic and media freedom with a highly unconventional movement called Otpor (‘resistance’ in Serbian). Otpor developed their own grassroots media campaign to provide information and inspiration to all who resisted the Milosevic government (1)
Media as Watchdog. The media sometimes acts as a third party ‘watchdog’ who provide feedback to the public on local problems. Media can bring hidden stories out into the public. Investigative reports can surface public problems. For example, a US journalist uncovered and exposed a veteran’s hospital that was dilapidated, rat-infested, and uncaring (2). This highlighted a problem of how US soldiers are treated before and after their time in the US military.
In Sierra Leone, a video depicting the serious impacts and extent of sexual violence has instigated discussion on the impact of the civil war in that country. The film, titled Operation Fine Girl: Rape Used as a Weapon of War in Sierra, was produced by human rights activists with the international non-governmental organization WITNESS (3). The film demonstrates how media productions can play an important complementary role alongside other post conflict reconciliation processes to promote awareness of critical social issues and bring them into the public arena so they can be addressed.
Media as Gatekeeper. The media can also act as a gatekeeper who sets agendas, filters issues and tries to maintain a balance of views. Media like to portray themselves as ‘balanced and fair,’ even when they privately seek to promote a particular ideological set of ideas and limit the public’s exposure to a wide array of information.
In 2006, a cartoonist in Denmark created international conflict with his message about Islam. The global tensions prompted extensive analysis on how and when media professionals should act as a gatekeeper to prevent certain expressions that could be deemed humiliating or offensive to some groups.
Media as Policymaker. The media has influence on policymakers, particularly as they think about how to prevent and respond to violent conflict. The media is also a tool of
policymakers to get across their message. Some theorists even claim that CNN has taken over policymaking - at least in humanitarian disaster situations. Images on CNN of genocide, famine, and violence force policymakers to intervene militarily to stop death, even if they do not think it is in the best interest of their country to adopt this policy. In Bosnia, for example, the media played a very important role in motivating the public to press their policymakers to intervene to stop the aggression (4).
Media as Diplomat. Sometimes the media is used to cover diplomatic initiatives and send messages back and forth between sides of a conflict. While policymakers usually prefer secret negotiations, sometimes there are no direct channels of communication. If one side wants to test reactions to a negotiation proposal, they may send signals and messages to other groups through the media. At times, the news media will invite leaders of opposing groups or nations onto a TV or radio program to talk with each other. The media may help to create bridges among enemies and build confidence needed to open negotiations (5).
For example, an American television show Nightline regularly invites two or more people from different sides of a public policy issue to be on the show and dialogue with each other. The host, Ted Koppel, makes a point of trying to find common ground between the two sides.
Media as Peace Promotor. Media events can be used at the beginning of negotiations to build confidence, facilitate negotiations or break diplomatic deadlocks to create a climate conducive to negotiation.
Media events such as press releases, rock concerts, or radio programs can celebrate peace agreements and negotiations. The media events may help to promote and
mobilize public support for agreements.
For example, in Burundi, Studio Ijambo is attempting to harness the power of radio for constructive purposes. Beginning in 1995, Search for Common Ground set up Studio Ijambo with a team of twenty Hutu and Tutsi journalists to promote dialogue, peace, and reconciliation. Studio Ijambo produces approximately one hundred radio programs per month to create a steady campaign to promote peace (6).
Media as Bridge Builder. The media can promote positive relationships between groups, particularly in conflicts over national, ethnic, religious identity. The media can lessen polarization between groups in the following ways:
- Showing the other in a similar light to self. Iraqi news media that emphasize how both Shia and Sunni suffer from violence help build a bridge of common empathy.
- Depicting people with the same types of problems.For example, an HBO documentary featuredPalestinian and Israeli mothers who share the same grief, both losing children to violence victimized by the conflict.
- Sharing similar interests and positions. For example, a TV show known as ‘Heroes from Rwanda’ featured stories about people who saved members of the opposite ethnic group from the killings, while often risking their own lives.
- Condemning violence. For example, the Republicans and the Unionists in Omagh, Northern Ireland jointly renounced violent attacks in all newspapers and media in August 1998.
Seeing the common ground between one’s own group and another group of people builds empathy. Such thinking leads toward depolarizing and normalizing relations between the groups in conflict.
Effective use of the media to prevent conflict and build peace requires a careful study of the lessons of social marketing to prepare for effective use of the media.
Source: Bratic V., Schirch, L, "Why and When to Use the Media for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding", Issue Paper 6 of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict / European Centre for Conflict Prevention, Amsterdam, 2007, pp. 9-11.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(1) Milja Jovanovic. “Rage Against the Regime: The Otpor Movement in Serbia.” In Van Tongeren, Paul, Malin Brenk, Marte hellema and Juliette Verhoeven (eds.) People Building Peace II: Successful Stories of Civil Society. Boulder, US: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005.
(2) Dana Priest and Anne Hull. February 18, 2007. “Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army’s Top Medical Facility.” Washington Post. February 18, 2007. P. A01.
(3) Gregory, Sam. 2005. “Operation Fine Girl Exposes Sexual Violence Witness in Sierra Leone.” In Van Tongeren, Paul, Malin Brenk, Marte Hellema and Juliette Verhoeven (eds.) People Building Peace II: Successful Stories of Civil Society. Boulder, USA: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
(4). Gilboa, Eytan. 2002. Media and Conflict: Framing Issues, Making Policy, Shaping Opinions. Ardsley, NY, USA: Transnational Publishers Inc.
(5) Ibid.
(6) Gilboa, Eytan. 2002. Media and Conflict: Framing Issues, Making Policy, Shaping Opinions. Ardsley, NY, USA: Transnational Publishers Inc.
