This last lesson provides a guideline for journalists and discusses some of the major problems associated with the implemention of peace journalism.
The aim of this learning activity is to enable journalists and journalist trainers to identify some fundamental insights from peace research and their implicatios for both, practical work and the development of training courses.
To implement the model of de-escalation oriented and/or solution oriented conflict coverage described in Section V of this learning unit, Kempf (1999a) has formulated a number of ground rules that journalists should observe.
Observing these ground rules, however, requires more than just good will. It entails, among other things, overcoming the institutional constraints that result from the criteria for news selection, editorial procedures and expectations, the economics of the media, the ties between the media, politicians and the military, etc. It requires emancipating journalists from the (apparent) automatism of social-psychological mechanisms (group processes, perceptual distortions, etc.) in which journalists themselves are trapped, but to which they can react in different ways if they become aware of these processes. Journalists should understand conflict theory (understanding conflict and conflict analysis, conflict management) and possess professional skills and journalistic techniques for writing interesting news stories which will attract attention by portraying the search for multilateral peace solutions, not by exploiting the polarization of conflict parties and the recurring cycles of violence and atrocities.
From a psychological point of view, overcoming institutional constraints on journalists requires them to have not only the courage of their convictions, but also the communicative skills they need in their interactions with institutions. Training programs for journalists which deal especially with this aspect have, to my knowledge, not yet been developed. To develop such programs, we could draw on the findings of organizational psychology (management training), on models of interpersonal change (Bläsi, 2001), as well as on training methods based on an understanding of group dynamics.
The emancipation of journalists from the automatism of social psychological mechanisms first presupposes that sound knowledge of the appropriate social psychological theories and research findings will be taught. Although this is being attempted within the framework of the IPT program at the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR), the time available for it is relatively short. On the whole, it would be desirable to give the social psychological aspects — the work situations of journalists and also the social construction of reality and the role of journalism in this process — a larger place in the education of journalists and to combine imparting theoretical knowledge with contributions from their own experience.
While imparting competence in conflict theory has a central place in the framework of the IPT program, it is given a relatively small place in conflict and peace courses and Transcend peace journalism training. In contrast, the training courses provided by the Conflict Resolution Network Canada concentrate 100% on this aspect of the further education of journalists. In a personal communication, Jenifer Newcombe points out that demand for the courses of the Conflict Resolution Network Canada is fortunately increasing and that the Network does not have the same difficulty in attracting journalists for their training program that was reported by Jake Lynch (quoted in Zint, 2001) for the British NRO "reporting the world," which uses the Transcend model. There, the use of the term "peace journalism" seems to have had a rather off-putting effect. While war correspondents enjoy recognition, peace correspondents are seen from the start as biased and are thus discredited. Lynch thinks that a possible way out of the dilemma is to drop the term "peace" and focus more on factual topics like methods of dealing with conflict. The experience of the Conflict Resolution Network Canada appears to confirm this.
Zint (2001), also mentions the alternative that, assuming good journalism always promotes peace, the only need is to encourage journalistic quality. We can agree with the aim of this alternative, but its use of the word "only" leads away from the institutional, social psychological, and conflict dynamic factors which affect the escalation bias of conventional conflict coverage. Unless they know about these factors, journalists cannot emancipate themselves from them. In addition, the appeal to journalists to learn their craft properly and to deliver quality journalism impinges on their self esteem. Calling for this may thus not increase their willingness to participate in the appropriate training.
Nonetheless, peace journalism training programs cannot get along without communicating professional skills and journalistic working techniques like those that are central to the IPT courses offered at the ASPR and to the Transcend peace journalism courses. My experiences as a lecturer at the IPT courses, at a Heinrich Böll Foundation seminar with journalists from Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in courses for journalism students at the University of Costa Rica have shown that attributing the escalation bias of conventional conflict coverage solely to a lack of professional competence grossly underestimates journalists' constructive potential and creativity.
In practical work undertaken with journalists, four principles have proved worthwhile:
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In order to complete this exercise, we will review the principles for implementing a constructive approach to conflict coverage.
Very good! The first and second incorrect statements are related to the conceptualization of conflict. A conflict can only take a constructive course if it is conceptualized in a co-operative framework with a win-win orientation. And secondly, peace journalism must identify the wrongs and errors of all involved parties.
That is correct. It is essential for peace journalism to impart knowledge of the social psychological mechanisms, as well as institutional and contextual factors that influence the way reporters work. This has to be implemented in combination with communicating professional skills and work techniques. On the other hand, simply arguing that non-compliance with these norms and standards is an indicator for poor work is counterproductive, as it can discourage journalists from participating in training courses.
You have nearly finished the learning unit on constructive peace journalism. In the first lesson you learned the difference between the journalism of attachment and peace journalism. Then we discussed the theoretical concepts that underlie peace journalism, especially with regard to the fundamental contradiction between war and peace journalism and the distortions of perception emerging from aggressive interactions. Finally, the lesson on the two-step model demonstrated how the resulting obstacles can be overcome.
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