Peace jounalism a model for reporting on conflicts

Soeryo Winoto, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, West Java

It is not easy for a reporter to cover conflicts and report on them in a neutral manner that is capable of pleasing and satisfying both warring groups, without the insertion of personal opinions based on the reporter's religion and ethnicity.

Whereas media reports are expected to contribute in toning down the situation on the battlefield, reporters, editors and media owners are said to have their own "visions and missions".

Following various conflicts across the world, the term "peace journalism" was coined in a bid to remind the media to side with humanity and, at the least, not to contribute to the worsening of a conflict situation. "Peace journalism" training sessions for journalists have been held in a number of places, and speakers at a one-day seminar on Saturday reiterated their importance.

The seminar on globalization, religion and the media was held in Bandung by the Bandung Islamic University (Unisba), German Service for Academic Exchange (DAAD), and the Ilmenau University of Technology.

Thomas Hanitzsch of the Ilmenau University of Technology, one of the speakers, said that the media must be extra careful in reporting conflicts. "Sometimes, the media may even stimulate terror simply because of its existence: The Taliban, for example, might not have destroyed the Buddha statues in Bamiyan if it was not assured of extensive coverage by the global media."

Later in his paper, Hanitzsch turned his attention to the Maluku conflict. He clearly showed how media outlets changed their positions based on their respective interests in the conflict between religious communities in Maluku.

The prolonged clashes between Muslims and Christians destroyed harmony within Suara Maluku, the sole daily newspaper published in Ambon up to 1999. Christian and Muslim journalists had been working side by side in the paper for years. When the war broke out and the city of Ambon had been divided into various Muslim and Christian ghettos, things changed in the newspaper, whose offices were located within a Christian area.

"Over time, it became apparent that to a high degree reports submitted by Muslim journalists did not get published as the editorial offices were controlled by Christians," Hanitzsch said. "Some days later, all the names of Muslim journalists suddenly disappeared from the masthead."

More surprisingly, the main shareholder of Suara Maluku, the Surabaya-based Jawa Pos Group, decided to split the newspaper into separate Christian and Muslim papers: The Ambon Ekspres, which represented the interest of Maluku's Muslim minority, was born.

Hanitzsch warned that if national media coverage in a multiethnic and multireligious country like Indonesia sided with one party in a certain conflict, it could lead to the threat of a metastasis of the crisis, affecting territories outside of the core conflict area. Hanitzsch cited the conflicts in Lombok, which occurred after the conflict erupted in Maluku, though the role of the media here is not clear.

Another speaker, Santoso S. Hamijoyo, noted the intricacy and sensitivity of social conflicts, rendering them difficulty to cover in an objective, value-free fashion compared to lighter subjects. The question was how honest journalists could be in view of the conflicting interests of the various groups involved or associated with social conflicts, Santoso, a professor of communications, said.

All parties, including journalists, would find it difficult, though not impossible, to remain objective or interest-free in the face of conflicts, especially pervasive conflicts with serious and multiple ramifications in society.

Reporters could be honest in their news writing about a conflict; but they might not be capable of revealing what was concealed below the surface, Santoso said.

In Indonesia, one of the first introductions to peace journalism was the arrangement of a visit of a group of reporters to the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu in November 2000.

The visit, sponsored by the British Council and led by facilitators Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick, was aimed at experimenting with peace journalism in the context of the Poso conflict.

Still, maybe only a few know what peace journalism is really all about and what it means for the day-to-day work of reporters.

Similar to the concept of "development journalism", peace journalism emerged from a normative view on what the media does and what it should do, Hanitzsch said.

By definition, peace journalism is a program or pattern of journalistic news coverage that contributes to the journalists' "snaking" when covering and seeking sources, and coverage which promotes peace. This implies that peace journalism does not just simply mean the outcome of journalistic work, but also refers to how journalists act and perceive their roles in reporting conflicts.

"The concept of peace journalism looks quite suitable, especially for Asian cultures where the purpose of communication is to generate social harmony and freedom," Hanitzsch said.

What does peace journalism mean for the day-to-day work of a reporter? Journalists may say it's just basic, good journalism -- but the tips for conflict reporting as cited by Hanintzsch are indeed essential reminders.

The following 10 practical suggestions are quoted from Johan Galtung and Richard C. Vincent, drawing on the coverage of the second Gulf war in 1991:

1. Cover both sides

2. Push to get access to locations, people and topics

3. Don't stick to elites as news sources

4. Avoid glorifying warfare technology

5. Don't cut out "blood and guts" stories since they show the real horrors of war

6. Publish accounts on "ordinary" people

7. Provide background information

8. Be aware of spin-doctors who try to manipulate you

9. Accounts on how media or journalists cover conflicts should not push the actual conflict aside

10. Communicate and support peace initiatives.