Peace jounalism a model for reporting on conflicts<\/p>\n
Soeryo Winoto, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, West Java<\/p>\n
It is not easy for a reporter to cover conflicts and report on
\nthem in a neutral manner that is capable of pleasing and
\nsatisfying both warring groups, without the insertion of personal
\nopinions based on the reporter's religion and ethnicity.<\/p>\n
Whereas media reports are expected to contribute in toning
\ndown the situation on the battlefield, reporters, editors and
\nmedia owners are said to have their own \"visions and missions\".<\/p>\n
Following various conflicts across the world, the term \"peace
\njournalism\" was coined in a bid to remind the media to side with
\nhumanity and, at the least, not to contribute to the worsening of
\na conflict situation. \"Peace journalism\" training sessions for
\njournalists have been held in a number of places, and speakers at
\na one-day seminar on Saturday reiterated their importance.<\/p>\n
The seminar on globalization, religion and the media was held
\nin Bandung by the Bandung Islamic University (Unisba), German
\nService for Academic Exchange (DAAD), and the Ilmenau University
\nof Technology.<\/p>\n
Thomas Hanitzsch of the Ilmenau University of Technology, one
\nof the speakers, said that the media must be extra careful in
\nreporting conflicts. \"Sometimes, the media may even stimulate
\nterror simply because of its existence: The Taliban, for example,
\nmight not have destroyed the Buddha statues in Bamiyan if it was
\nnot assured of extensive coverage by the global media.\"<\/p>\n
Later in his paper, Hanitzsch turned his attention to the
\nMaluku conflict. He clearly showed how media outlets changed
\ntheir positions based on their respective interests in the
\nconflict between religious communities in Maluku.<\/p>\n
The prolonged clashes between Muslims and Christians destroyed
\nharmony within Suara Maluku, the sole daily newspaper published
\nin Ambon up to 1999. Christian and Muslim journalists had been
\nworking side by side in the paper for years. When the war broke
\nout and the city of Ambon had been divided into various Muslim
\nand Christian ghettos, things changed in the newspaper, whose
\noffices were located within a Christian area.<\/p>\n
\"Over time, it became apparent that to a high degree reports
\nsubmitted by Muslim journalists did not get published as the
\neditorial offices were controlled by Christians,\" Hanitzsch said.
\n\"Some days later, all the names of Muslim journalists suddenly
\ndisappeared from the masthead.\"<\/p>\n
More surprisingly, the main shareholder of Suara Maluku, the
\nSurabaya-based Jawa Pos Group, decided to split the newspaper
\ninto separate Christian and Muslim papers: The Ambon Ekspres,
\nwhich represented the interest of Maluku's Muslim minority, was
\nborn.<\/p>\n
Hanitzsch warned that if national media coverage in a
\nmultiethnic and multireligious country like Indonesia sided with
\none party in a certain conflict, it could lead to the threat of a
\nmetastasis of the crisis, affecting territories outside of the
\ncore conflict area. Hanitzsch cited the conflicts in Lombok,
\nwhich occurred after the conflict erupted in Maluku, though the
\nrole of the media here is not clear.<\/p>\n
Another speaker, Santoso S. Hamijoyo, noted the intricacy and
\nsensitivity of social conflicts, rendering them difficulty to
\ncover in an objective, value-free fashion compared to lighter
\nsubjects. The question was how honest journalists could be in
\nview of the conflicting interests of the various groups involved
\nor associated with social conflicts, Santoso, a professor of
\ncommunications, said.<\/p>\n
All parties, including journalists, would find it difficult,
\nthough not impossible, to remain objective or interest-free in
\nthe face of conflicts, especially pervasive conflicts with
\nserious and multiple ramifications in society.<\/p>\n
Reporters could be honest in their news writing about a
\nconflict; but they might not be capable of revealing what was
\nconcealed below the surface, Santoso said.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, one of the first introductions to peace
\njournalism was the arrangement of a visit of a group of reporters
\nto the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu in November 2000.<\/p>\n
The visit, sponsored by the British Council and led by
\nfacilitators Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick, was aimed at
\nexperimenting with peace journalism in the context of the Poso
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
Still, maybe only a few know what peace journalism is really
\nall about and what it means for the day-to-day work of reporters.<\/p>\n
Similar to the concept of \"development journalism\", peace
\njournalism emerged from a normative view on what the media does
\nand what it should do, Hanitzsch said.<\/p>\n
By definition, peace journalism is a program or pattern of
\njournalistic news coverage that contributes to the journalists'
\n\"snaking\" when covering and seeking sources, and coverage which
\npromotes peace. This implies that peace journalism does not just
\nsimply mean the outcome of journalistic work, but also refers to
\nhow journalists act and perceive their roles in reporting
\nconflicts.<\/p>\n
\"The concept of peace journalism looks quite suitable,
\nespecially for Asian cultures where the purpose of communication
\nis to generate social harmony and freedom,\" Hanitzsch said.<\/p>\n
What does peace journalism mean for the day-to-day work of a
\nreporter? Journalists may say it's just basic, good journalism --
\nbut the tips for conflict reporting as cited by Hanintzsch are
\nindeed essential reminders.<\/p>\n
The following 10 practical suggestions are quoted from Johan
\nGaltung and Richard C. Vincent, drawing on the coverage of the
\nsecond Gulf war in 1991:<\/p>\n
1. Cover both sides<\/p>\n
2. Push to get access to locations, people and topics<\/p>\n
3. Don't stick to elites as news sources<\/p>\n
4. Avoid glorifying warfare technology<\/p>\n
5. Don't cut out \"blood and guts\" stories since they show the
\nreal horrors of war<\/p>\n
6. Publish accounts on \"ordinary\" people<\/p>\n
7. Provide background information<\/p>\n
8. Be aware of spin-doctors who try to manipulate you<\/p>\n
9. Accounts on how media or journalists cover conflicts should
\nnot push the actual conflict aside<\/p>\n
10. Communicate and support peace initiatives.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/peace-jounalism-a-model-for-reporting-on-conflicts-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }