Good journalism is difficult work at the best of times. There is never enough information and not enough time. Reporters rely on their training and standards to overcome these difficulties and deliver news which is accurate and impartial. That is the traditional role of journalism — to enable the public to make well-informed decisions.

However, when a society is threatened by violent conflict, journalism faces greater difficulties. Opposing sides seek to control the media. Information can be unreliable or censored. There is personal risk. But this is also when good journalism is most important.

To provide reliable information to the public in a time of violent conflict requires additional journalism skills.

Reporters need to understand more about what causes conflict, and how conflict develops and ends. Reporters need to know where to look for these causes and solutions. By providing this information, journalism makes the public far more well-informed about the conflict beneath the violence, and can assist in resolving it.

This handbook offers journalists an introduction to these skills and understanding. It is based on workshops presented by International Media Support (IMS) and IMPACS for experienced reporters and editors in conflictthreatened societies. Its intended function is to be a reminder for the workshop participants later in their work. For other journalists, this handbook can provide a starting point for new skills and new knowledge for reporting on conflict. This knowledge — called conflict sensitive journalism — can make a difference in societies affected by conflict.

Much of this handbook is derived from the important work of innovators in media training and peacebuilding, including Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick, at Taplow Court and conflictandpeace.org and their Reporting The World and other publications; Fiona Lloyd and Peter du Toit’s Reporting for Peace for Internews; the Institute for War and Peace Reporting; Robert Karl Manoff of the Centre for War, Peace and the News Media; Melissa Bauman at the Media Peace Centre in South Africa; and the original research of IMPACS — The Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society.

Thanks are also due to the participants in IMS Conflict Sensitive Reporting workshops in Sri Lanka and Nepal; to the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) in Sri Lanka and the Nepal Press Institute; to Sunanda Deshapriya, Chiranjibi Khanal, and Binod Bhattari and others; and to IMS and IMPACS and partners for launching these initiatives.

Download Conflict Sensitive Journalism, A Handbook by Ross Howard

PDF format, 248KB, 24Pages.

CONTENTS:

Introduction: Conflict Sensitive Journalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Understanding conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
What is conflict? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
What causes conflict? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Understanding violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Journalism and conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The power of the media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Journalism’s unconscious roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Understanding our influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
How is conflict resolved? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
What is the point of this analysis? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
More alternatives means less conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Conflict analysis for journalists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Good journalism, around the world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Good journalism. What it should not do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
What good journalism should include . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Reliable journalism and democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Reliable, diverse and independent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Conflict Sensitive Journalism. . 15
No bare facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A checklist for conflict sensitive journalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Examples of conflict sensitive journalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Newsroom cultures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Professionalism versus patriotism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Reaching the other side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Examples of conflict sensitive journalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Newsroom diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
A diversity checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Preface:

This publication seeks to contribute to the theoretical refinement and practical realisation of conflict conscious journalism as a tool for usage by media practitioners in conflict-affected areas. With this goal in mind, the handbook is designed to be both a practical everyday guide for those already familiar with the subject, as well as an introduction for those unfamiliar with such practices.

The handbook has been produced in partnership between IMS and IMPACS, as well as the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo and the Nepal Press Institute in Kathmandu, to whom IMS and IMPACS would like to express special thanks. In addition, the in-country research and workshops conducted by the author, Ross Howard, have been instrumental in developing and refining the concepts and tools outlined in this publication. One of these workshops, held by IMPACS-IMS and the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Sri Lanka in June 2002, provided substantial input to this publication.

IMS and IMPACS are pleased to be able to present this handbook alongside their partners and hope that those reading it, whether as a refresher to a workshop or for the first time, find it a useful guide to the conceptual basis and practical everyday use of conflict conscious journalism.

Shauna Sylvester
Executive Director
Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society
Jesper Højberg
Executive Director
International Media Support

Visit Radio for Peacebuilding, Africa Website

Radio has huge potential to have a positive impact on conflict, especially in Africa where it is by far the most effective method of communication.

Radio for Peacebuilding, Africa aims to develop, spread and encourage the use of radio broadcasting techniques and content for peacebuilding.

We want this website to be a useful interactive tool for radio broadcasters in Africa and elsewhere. The site’s objectives are to disseminate materials/knowledge created by radio professionals during the project (training manuals and audio programmes) and to develop positive interactions with you.

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