IN THIS ISSUE

• Climate reporting challenges, ideas

• Dispatches from Cameroon, Pakistan,

Myanmar

• Journalists ponder “Remembering the

Past” at event in Kosovo

Special Report: Climate Change and Peace Journalism

A publication of the Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University Vol. 12, No. 1 April 2023
 April 2023 April 2023
Contents To use a non-peace metaphor, the fuse for this special cli-
mate change editon of The Peace Journalist was lit during
heat and lightning strikes), and world water day.

PJ and 16 Myanmar my many interactions with Indian and Pakistani journalists

durng the last three years.
Not only are these climate plagues directly threatening
lives and livelyhoods in South Asia, their ripple effects
Analyzing Twitter reactions to coup could destabilize the entire region, according to journalists
Cover--Top row: From the 2021 fire
that destroyed Lytton, B.C, Canada Climate 19 Webinar I worked with these journalists as part of a cross-border
reporting project sponsored by
from the region. Among the concerns are increased com-
in 2021. (Climate Disaster Project petition for and conflict over scarce resources and mass
Photo/Phil McLachlan) Bottom:
2022’s devastating flooding in Paki- 4 Linking PJ, climate “PJ for a world in crisis”

20 Cameroon Editor’s the East West Center. In my ongo-

ing discussions with the reporters,
seemingly all roads led to the cli-
migration brought upon by extreme heat.

As the contributors in the following pages suggest, respon-

stan. (APP news agency) PJ, climate journalists share goals
Notebook mate disaster that has descended sible journalists must act by collaborating across borders,
The Peace Journalist is a semi-
5 Climate and media Event launches peace press clubs
upon South Asia. This is reflected sharing stories of those who have been climate-impacted,
annual publication of the Center
for Global Peace Journalism at Park Examining the latest research 21 Film launched in the stories jointly-produced by Pakistani and Indian jour-
nalists on their website [Link]. These
educating but not alarming the public about the imme-
diacy of the crisis, and leading constructive debates about
University in Parkville, Missouri. The
Peace Journalist is dedicated to dis- 8 Pakistan “The Path Away from War” stories include ones about toxic air pollution, sustainable
energy, plastic waste, extreme weather (including floods,
what must be done. There is no time to waste.
--Steven Youngblood
seminating news and information
for teachers, students, and
Study: Media during 2022 flooding 22 Kosovo
practitioners of PJ.
Reporting about troubled pasts
Contributors
Submissions are welcome from all. Robert Hackett (pg. 4) is Priyadarshini Sen (pg. 10) tute of Technology, Guwa- Jake Lynch (pg. 19) teaches
We are seeking shorter submissions Professor Emeritus of Com- is an independent jour- hati, India. on the new Master of Social
(500 words) detailing peace journal- munication at Simon Fraser nalist based in Delhi. She Justice degree at the Uni-
ism projects, classes, proposals, etc.
We also welcome longer submis- 10 South Asia University. His collaborative
books on politics and media
writes about
religion, poli-
versity of Sydney. He won
the Luxembourg Peace Prize
sions (1000-1200 words) about Climate reporting brings challenges include Remaking Media tics, social in 2017 for contributions to

12 Intl Media Support 24 Article review

peace or conflict sensitive journal- (2006), Expanding Peace justice, and both theory and practice in
ism projects or programs, as well as Journalism the environ- Peace Jour-
academic works from the field. We Collaboration on climate is vital Afghan media and peace talks (2011) and ment. Joydeep Gupta (pg. 14) is nalism. He
do NOT seek general submissions Journalism Lubna Jerar Naqvi is current- the South Asia Director of enjoyed a
about peace projects, but are in-
stead focused only on articles with
14 Bangladesh 25 Indonesians in KC and Climate
Crisis (2017).
ly freelancing and has been
affiliated with the media for
The Third Pole. Anamika
Barua is a professor in hu-
near-20-year
professional
Media spark cross border dialogue Park University hosts journalists manities and social sciences journalism
a strong media angle. more than 20 years. She is
Steven Youngblood (pg. 5) at the Indian Institute of career.
Deadlines: March 3 (April edition); What is Peace Journalism? is director of the Center for
Global Peace Journalism at
based in
Karachi, Technology Guwahati (IITG).
Nyongamsen Ndasi (pg. 20)
September 3 (October edition). Pakistan. is a peace journalist based in
Peace Journalism is when editors and reporters make choices that improve the Park Univ.,
prospects for peace. These choices, including how to frame stories and carefully & editor of Buea, Cameroon.
Editor: Steven Youngblood, Director, The Peace
choosing which words are used, create an atmosphere conducive to peace and
Center for Global Peace Journalism, Journalist
supportive of peace initiatives and peacemakers, without compromising the Henrik Grunnet (pg. 12) is
Park University magazine.
basic principles of good journalism. (Adapted from Lynch/McGoldrick, Peace an award-winning investiga-
Journalism). Peace Journalism gives peacemakers a voice while making peace Navya Khanna (pg. 16) is a
Proofreading: Ann Schultis, Park U. Dr Shabir Hussain (pg. 8) is tive journalist with a back- peace practitioner who has
initiatives and non-violent solutions more visible and viable. Assistant Professor at Inter- ground in broadcasting. He
emerita faculty 3 years of experience in vol-
A number of valuable peace journalism resources, including back issues of national Islamic University. is a senior
The Peace Journalist can be found at [Link]/peacecenter. unteering and working with
Contact/Social Media: He has published more than adviser with organisations in the devel- Danny Burger (pg. 24) is a
a dozen research articles Internation- junior majoring in communi-
[Link]@[Link]
Twitter-@Peace Journ Center for Global Peace Journalism and book chapters in rec- al Media
Support.
opment-migration nexus.
She is currently pursuing a cations studies and minoring
in graphic design at Park
The Center for Global Peace Journalism works with journalists, academics, and ognised journals on issues Master’s in International De-
students worldwide to improve reporting about conflicts, societal unrest, rec- relating to peace journalism velopment and Humanitar- University in Parkville, Mis-
in Pakistan. Pritha Chakraborty (page souri.
onciliation, solutions, and peace. Through its courses, workshops, lectures, this ian Emergen-
magazine, blog, and other resources, the Center encourages media to reject Dr. Hussain is 14) is an independent water cies from the
sensational and inflammatory reporting, and produce counter-narratives that also a trainer resources management London School
in peace consultant in India. Natasha
offer a more nuanced view of those who are marginalized—ethnic/racial/ Hazarika is a Post Doctoral of Economics
journalism. and Political
A Park University Publication religious minorities, women, youth, LGBTQ individuals, and migrants. Fellow at the Indian Insti-
Science.
pg 2 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 3
 April 2023
Researchers analyze media and climate change
Climate from Pg 4 A review of wide-ranging, current research on media coverage of climate
indicates that audiences respond to change reveals fascinating data about the amount and framing of climate
UN Secretary- PJ framing with more empathy, hope, coverage, as well as how this reporting impacts media consumers.
General António and consideration of alternatives to
How much coverage?
Guterres and war, compared with War Journalism.
A study from the from the Media and Climate Change Observatory at the Uni-
journalists listen While it remains to be demonstrated
versity of Colorado Boulder shows that, “News coverage of climate change in
to women af- on a broader scale, PJ’s apparent
the United States reached an all-time high in October and November 2021.”
fected by floods impact is consistent with the public
Their data also maps changes in that the language media is using to describe
in the Larkana empowerment and larger-than-self
climate change. “More intense words and phrases, such as ‘climate catastro-
district in Sindh values called for by environmental
phe’ and ‘climate emergency’ are being used to describe the phenomenon,
province. (APP communicators.
according to data collected between 2006-2021,” the study said.
news agency)
PJ thus has a lot to offer climate
Language and Framing
journalism. Like gradual conflict
Media coverage of the climate crisis is often characterized by use of dire
escalation and peace-building, climate
language, according to researchers Maxwell Boykoff and Olivia Pearman. In a
change is a long-term process, punc-
study called, “Now or Never,” they write, “News media throughout the world
tuated by periodic dramatic events,

PJ, climate crisis journalism share goals like extreme weather. So, whether
consciously or not, climate journalists
have consistently used dire language in coverage of the SR15 (Intergovern-
mental Panel on Climate Change—IPCC--report on 1.5 degrees centigrade,
2018). In prominent US and UK outlets, many news
Both challenge traditions, seek ethical solutions
have adopted many of PJ’s reportorial
and narrative methods. Conversely,
stories coinciding with the SR15 release emphasized PJ and
a 12-year ‘deadline’ between 2018 and 2030 and the Climate
new experiments in people- and crisis-
There are many affinities between Both paradigms reject the idea that ism, scholars Maxwell and Jules urgency of action needed.”
oriented journalism could inform
Peace Journalism (PJ) and the kind of news simply holds up a mirror to soci- Boykoff ([Link] future PJ projects.
climate crisis journalism (CCJ) that our ety; rather, news reporting is neither [Link]/science/article/abs/pii/ Boykoff and Pearman go on to discuss the drawbacks to catastrophic, dooms-
troubled global civilization urgently ideologically neutral, nor separate and S0959378003000669) argue that day media framing on climate change. “…Fear-inducing communications pro-
One example is the people-oriented
requires. detached from the events it reports. inappropriate “balance” between cli- duce complex and even contradictory results regarding awareness raising and
Climate Disaster Project (https://
The selection of sources and frames, mate science and denialism confused movements to action on climate change…Dramatic and fear-based images
[Link]/who-
In this magazine (October 2021), Jake in media that have significant audi- American public opinion and delayed can raise awareness, but they can also lead people to disengage as a result of
we-are/) headed by former journal-
Lynch defined the core orientations ences, unavoidably has social impacts. climate action during the crucial years feeling helpless and overwhelmed, provoking unintended denial or apathy.”
ist Sean Holman, now professor at
of PJ as peace and conflict (rather war PJ researchers like Lynch and Anna- of intensifying climate disruption. University of Victoria in British Colum-
and victory), truth (exposing misin- Another potentially dangerous framing of climate change can be found in
bel McGoldrick have found that the Had the dominant American news bia. The project involves collecting
formation and propaganda), people propagating a false equivalency, according to researchers Megan Imundo and
traditional focus on negative news media instead followed the PJ precept and sharing the stories of people who
(more than officials and elites), and David Rapp from Northwestern University. Their paper discusses false equiva-
demoralizes audiences. ([Link] of exposing propaganda, they might have lived through climate change-
potential solutions (not just failures lency using the term “bothsidesism,” defined as when “journalists strive to
[Link]/doi/abs/10.1080/14 have done more to investigate the fos- related disasters, like the wildfires
and disasters). One might add under- present both sides of an issue, even in cases where most credible sources fall
61670X.2014.992621?journalCode=rj sil fuel industry’s funding and promo- that famously incinerated the town
lying processes and structures (rather on one side… The argument that climate change is not man made has been
os20 ) tion of climate denialism. of Lytton, and the devastating floods
than isolated events). incontrovertibly disproven by science again and again, yet many Americans
in B.C.’s Fraser Valley in 2021. Con- believe that the global crisis is either not real, not of our making, or both, in
Objectiv- PJ and CJ also have in common ducted by journalism students, the
All of those characteristics could de- PJ and ity, as it is anchorage in intellectual disciplines part because the news media has given climate change deniers a platform in
methodology is sensitive to survivors’ the name of balanced reporting, according to the researchers.”
scribe CCJ as well, if we add the goal Climate conven- – peace and conflict studies, and trauma, and collaborative, includ-
of ecological sustainability into the tionally environmental communication re-
mix. ing co-creating interview questions. In their study, Imundo and Rapp found that false-balance reporting can
practiced, is implicated in providing spectively. Both paradigms recognize Stories are disseminated by media “make people doubt the scientific consensus on issues like climate change,
privileged access to political elites limits to journalism’s power, given partners, and then added to a publicly
Both have a similar ethical horizon, sometimes making them wonder if an issue is even worth taking seriously.”
rather than people impacted by their media organizations’ embeddedness available multimedia “memory vault”
and aim for positive impacts on so- Rapp said, “Climate change is a great case study of the false balance problem,
policies. Lynch and McGoldrick (in in broader social relations and politi- useful to climate journalists.
ciety. But both approaches respect because the scientific consensus is nearly unanimous. If 99 doctors said you
Peace Journalism) hypothesize a cal institutions. Yet they also seek to
journalistic autonomy and profession- needed surgery to save your life, but one disagreed, chances are you’d listen
“feedback loop” between journalism recover a sense of agency for journal- This project (which has been adopted
alism, and seek to improve journal- to the 99…But we often see one climate scientist pitted against one climate
and political action, in which tradition- ists; they are not mere ventriloquists at over a dozen other post-secondary
ism as journalism, not to turn it into denier or down player, as if it’s a 50-50 split.”
al conflict reporting creates incentives for powerful elites. institutions) has a “strong alignment”
propaganda. for conflict escalation and “security with PJ, Holman said by email. “The Also, framing of climate stories, like virtually every other story, often take
crackdowns.” Conventional reporting They also aim to encourage a sense of stories we share aren’t just about
At the same time, both PJ and CCJ on a polarized, political tint. In “The News Media, Polarization on Climate
thus amounts to “War Journalism.” both urgency and agency on the part trauma,” but about “what can be
challenge traditional interpretations of Change,” researchers Toby Bolsen and Matthew Shapiro write, “These frames
of readers. McGoldrick’s research done about climate change and the
objectivity, detachment, balance, and Regarding environmental journal- Continued on next page
“episodic” focus on today’s events. Continued on next page Continued on next page
pg 4 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 5
 April 2023 April 2023
Climate from Pg 5 Climate from Pg 6 Climate Disaster
disasters it’s causing.” Just as PJ Solutions Journalism lematic in the world, but also what is Project student Paul
and political elites who are blocking
“makes non-violent solutions to con- PJ and CCJ also have in common an working, who is leading the way, or, Voll interviews Royal
climate action, and to challenge a
flict more visible and viable, we hope affinity with Solutions Journalism. conversely, who is being left behind.” BC Museum curator
status quo tending towards human
to create an atmosphere supportive to of vertebrate zoology
extermination, it may be necessary to
community-based climate adaptation As defined by Kamyar Razavi, climate “Visual stories of ordinary people Gavin Hanke about his
actually broaden the scope of conflict.
and mitigation.” Journalisms like PJ journalist at a major Canadian news working to mitigate the climate crisis,” experiences during the
That strategy was used by the US civil
and CCJ could help to foster new col- network and doctoral candidate at Si- especially through collective or politi- 2021 Western North
rights movement – increase strength
lective identities –survivors of war or mon Fraser University, SJ is “a special- cal action, “are among the most ef- America extreme heat
by bringing in allies, including sympa-
climate disasters – as a springboard to ized method” emphasizing reporting fective responses to climate change,” wave. (Climate Disas-
thetic media.
constructive action. “on complex issues not just through Razavi emailed. SJ is “the perfect ter Project Photo/Phil
the lens of all that is wrong or prob- place to daylight who is doing that Liberal and Radical Variants McLachlan)
work and what it looks like.” However, those contrasts should not
Research from Pg 5
One Canadian pioneer of this ap-
be exaggerated. Both PJ and CCJ have Tyee, June 20, 2012). Political con- of exposing propaganda. The subtitle
“liberal” and “radical” versions which flict over climate policy was seen as says it all.
have contributed to polarization among segments of the public in the US proach is David Beers, the founder
respectively have much in common. unnecessarily divisive, contributing to
and, in turn, increase challenges faced by communicators trying to raise the and editor-in-chief of The Tyee online
Liberals seek reforms of practice political gridlock. Limitations
salience of climate change as a policy priority.” For example, the research- newspaper in Vancouver. He identi-
within existing media institutions, pre- Unfortunately, PJ and CCJ have
ers discuss differing political frames on the topic of scientific consensus. One fies three avenues for SJ to “cata-
senting PJ as a “better,” more truth- Others, though, see value in some something else in common: a failure
frame shows that 97% of climate scientists believe in human-caused climate lyze concrete positive change” with
ful and complete version of existing kinds of conflict frames. A “green to transform journalism, let alone
change, while an opposing frame indicates “disagreement and debate over respect to climate crisis: stories about
journalism, rather than a fundamental populist” frame could replace society.
the fundamental science among scientists.” individuals who have experimented
challenge to its procedures and self- cynicism with public engagement.
with particular forms of social, po-
understandings. They define peace, Rather than reporting endlessly on Where is PJ in news about Putin’s bru-
Recommendations for journalists litical or cultural change, like a diet
and climate stability, as humanly politicians’ mutual head-bashing, tal intervention in Ukraine’s civil war?
Several climate reporting recommendations for journalists were suggested consisting only of locally sourced food;
shared concerns. Their motto might find stories of communities fight- In Russian state media, NATO is a de-
in a UN-published article titled, “Five ways media and journalists can support second, stories about little-known in-
be, We’re all in this together. ing for climate justice against vested mon fighting a proxy war to dismantle
climate action while tackling misinformation.” These suggestions include: novative local experiments that could
interests – for example, Indigenous Russia. But Western media are also
1. Stop being so overly dramatic. “According to UNESCO, and studies carried be applied more broadly, like commu- By contrast, “radical” versions of land defenders standing tall against awash in War Journalism – from an
out by the Thomson Reuters Institute, the ‘doom and gloom’ narrative can nity gardens; third, analytical reports either paradigm might heed Richard pipelines and governments. Author emphasis on battles and an endless
also make some people simply turn off and lose interest.” on what policies in other jurisdictions Keeble’s call (in Peace Journalism, War Bill McKibben momentously argued parade of military talking heads, to
2. A climate change story should go beyond the climate. Dr. Andrew Revkin have worked well. and Conflict Resolution) to rethink (in Rolling Stone, July 19 2012) that “Our Side” triumphalism, nuclear war
from Columbia University’s Earth Institute recommends “taking a more con- journal-
One could add some of the experi- two decades of policy impotence by minimalization, and lack of historical
textual approach can also create space for stories that might go unreported PJ and ism as “an
ments in public (or civic) journalism environmentalists could be addressed context, complexity, or opportunities
otherwise.” Climate essentially
in the 1990s. Given the opportunity by recognizing and mobilizing against for a diplomatic off-ramp. Even the
3. Get local and think more about climate justice. “By analysing local con- political
to engage in deliberative dialog, what the fossil fuel industry as a permanent internationally recognized Economist
texts and social factors, journalists can also create stories related to climate practice.” He criticized PJ for focussing
solutions do communities generate opponent of decarbonization. magazine – which to its credit takes
justice” the article states. too narrowly on reforming profes-
for social problems of local concern? climate change seriously, unlike many
4. Build trust and engagement that can combat dis/misinformation. Revkin sional routines, rather than pursuing That approach is not so different from conservative outlets in the US – prof-
said, “There is a way in which you can actually not just tell people and poli- campaigning/advocacy journalism,
All these approaches involve reporting interpretations of PJ that emphasize fers War Journalism – like its Septem-
cymakers how big the storm is, but tell them what the expanding bullseye is, alternative media, and citizens’ jour-
on potential solutions, not advocating its commitment to exposing war ber 17, 2022 front-cover headline:
and not just report on the climate part, but the losses driven by the [overall] nalism through the Internet.
for any particular one. propaganda, or challenging structural “Getting the Job Done: How Ukraine
landscape.”
violence – the crushing of human Can Win”. Perhaps that’s not surpris-
5. Be guided by science and embrace ‘yes.’ By this, the authors recommend To be sure, PJ and CCJ don’t always The contrast between liberal and radi- development embedded in racism, ing, given the Economist’s historically
stories that highlight activism and steps forward (yes stories), rather than just fit together hand in glove. There are cal climate journalism emerged in our manufactured poverty, or other close ideological alignment (https://
stories about what societies need to stop doing. some important disjunctures. Their interviews with Canadian alternative repressive institutions. Taking PJ in [Link]/books/3090-
definition of the core problem differs. media, conducted for the co-authored that direction would require coura- liberalism-at-large) with anglo-Ameri-
Also, a media guide by Psychologists for Future Germany lists recommenda- book Journalism and Climate Crisis.
tions for journalists covering climate change. These include: In its dominant versions, PJ sees con- geous, investigative, independent and can elites.
flict itself, and the threat of conflict What did they think of how to handle status quo-challenging journalism.
1. Classify climate crisis as highly relevant, and constantly address it conflict, in the framing of climate sto-
escalation to the point of physical Interestingly, ten years after touting Similarly, while climate reportage in
2. Validate feelings, and their appropriateness ries? Some emphasized the search for
violence, as the problem. CCJ focuses oil executives’ agreement to carbon Canadian media has improved in re-
3. Highlight constructive coping strategies, both individual and communal common ground, like Geoff Dembicki’s
on global warming and impacts, and taxes, Geoff Dembicki has published cent years, many Canadians still don’t
the (in)adequacy of society’s respons- report on the Albertan oil industry’s a much more critical take. His 2022 get the link
The International Journalists Network has also developed a useful apparent acquiescence to carbon
es. In order to challenge economic book The Petroleum Papers: Inside ([Link]
Environmental Reporting Toolkit that is worth perusing. taxes as part of a broader settlement
--Steven Youngblood Continued on next page
the Far-Right Conspiracy to Cover Up
with environmental groups (in the Climate Change parallels PJ’s precept Continued on next page
pg 6 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 7
 April 2023 April 2023

During Pakistani floods, media fail to educate Pakistan from Pg 8

debate. Though the structures are munity. Second, through a proactive suited because it calls for highlighting
determining factors of media content approach, the politicians can be pres- the causes, consequences, history,
PJ approach needed the whole communication infrastruc-
ture. According to scientific studies,
this connection, that I believe that the
peace journalism approach is better but journalists can skillfully utilize surized to include the climate crisis and background information about an
for climate reporting in future, such devastating floods and
drought-like situations would fre-
suited to address the issues relating to
climate crisis reporting. Through the
their profession to provide oppor-
tunities to audiences to understand
in their political agendas. This would
also incentivize media to give due im-
issue. Such an approach would create
critical awareness among the audi-
The catastrophic floods in the sum- quently frequently visit Pakistan and diagnostic and prognostic principles the climate crisis. They can negotiate portance to the climate crisis in their ences and help garner their support
mer of 2022 were unprecedented in other countries of South Asia. of peace journalism, we can identify their professional positions to bring political assignments. Third, through for corrective measures.
many ways in Pakistan. Alongside the the attitudes the climate crisis agenda into public its people-centered approach, peace
heavy death toll, almost one third While generally the Pakistani and of journal- PJ and arena. By mixing scientific evidence journalism narratives can initiate a Studies have documented the limi-
of the country remained inundated international media reported these with advocacy, they can press for solu- more compelling public discourse on tations of traditional media in per-
for months that badly affected the
ists towards Climate forming their normative roles due to
floods from a humanistic perspec- climate crisis, tions. Peace journalism scholars have the climate issue. The more people
livelihood of millions of people. While tive, we also saw the media was more the professional challenges that skillfully combined critical and norma- talk about it, the more the media will commercial interests. On the other
the exact estimates are still coming interested in finding the ‘best image.’ determine media coverage and then tive modes for constructive reporting be attracted towards such debates. hand, social media, due to its absence
in, according to various reports, the Why these devastating floods are oc- identifying corrective strategies for of conflicts. The same can be applied of elitist controls and economic con-
country needs 20 billion dollars to curring and what scientific solutions a more constructive debate. This in the context of climate disaster. The peace journalism approach can siderations, is well poised to high-
rebuild homes, schools, hospitals, gov- are available got the least coverage. approach is useful to the analysis of also be feasible in offering practicable light development agendas like the
ernment offices, agricultural lands and Majority of Pakistanis still believe climate journalism because it diagno- Climate journalists often find them- solutions for constructive reporting climate crisis. Peace journalism has
these floods were the heavenly wrath ses the existing problems in the field selves in a fix when they have to of climate crisis. To encourage main- long argued that social media can be
or the animosity of India that diverted by highlighting the deficiencies in the sensationalize damages and ignore stream media journalists to include utilized to promote peace during con-
more waters into the rivers entering existing journalistic approaches and the complex scientific findings and climate news, they should be provided flict. During the attack on a mosque
Pakistan. The existing media practices then suggest alternative vistas. invisible process that lead to crisis. relevant and accurate information. in New Zealand, a global anger was
of climate reporting in Pakistan are These problems often result in bad This is possible when important stake- expressed against rising Islamophobia.
inadequate for both professional and As compared to other approaches reporting of the climate crisis that holders like the scientific community, Climate activists can learn from such
responsible coverage. Despite the im- to study crisis reporting, the peace only serves the commercial interests government officials, and media play experiences and launch global online
A national TV correspondent report- mense destruction, media has failed journalism approach is superior for its of media. How can the peace journal- their due roles Studies show me- campaigns to press governments for
ing from Karachi during the floods. to educate people on this crisis and better explanation of structure-agency ism approach can help in this regard? dia can play help reunite important corrective policies. In our study in
(Dunya TV) build a meaningful debate on it. It is in First, as a golden principle, journal- actors when a society faces a crisis. Pakistan, we found that journalists
Continued on next page ists should expand the range of news The impending climate crisis threat- and other stakeholders were aware of
Climate from Pg 7 sources as they can get newsworthy
information from common people,
ens everyone, and media can create
consensus on it. In this regard, the
the potential role of social media to
promote climate activism.
good-war) between fossil fuel exports in countries that have suffered from iour of democracy, is dominated by civil society, and the scientific com- peace journalism approach is better --Shabir Hussain
and climate crisis, the industry’s role climate disasters, and that are net so-called “social” media that are really
in sowing climate denialism, or the importers rather than producers of corporate digital platforms with more
severity of the unfolding crisis. fossil fuels. wealth and power than many coun-
tries. Their architecture incentivizes
That doesn’t mean PJ or CCJ are com- Conclusion extremism, promotes anger and fear
pletely without success. Their reper- The broader political context is threat- as weapons to attract users’ attention,
toire of methods and stories are both ening. The resurgence of ethno-na- unleashes a flood of anti-science con-
valuable springboards for broader tionalism and right-wing know-noth- spiracy theories and disinformation,
interventions in political culture. So ing populism, with their rejection of undermines democratic discourse 10-12% of
far, Jake Lynch suggested in a 2010 science, expertise, and international by incentivizing people to cloister in Pakistan was
interview, PJ seems to have flourished co-operation, are clearly obstacles to their own opinion tribes, and enables flooded from
under certain conditions, such as both PJ and CCJ. misogynist bullying of women whose June to Au-
societies where media contributed to work is so important to peace and
Yet the structure of the dominant gust, 2022.
destructive internal conflict, or where environmental movements.
societies are emerging from authori- “legacy” media systems is often toxic.
tarian rule, so that a spirit of reform In authoritarian regimes, media are One implication is that the drive for
and re-invention influences journalism often subservient to ethno-nationalist more accurate and human-friendly
as well as other institutions. and warmongering State elites. In the journalism should extend beyond the
notionally democratic states of “the “liberal” focus on professional rou-
Similarly, research would probably in- West,” journalism is distorted by com- tines, to assist the more “radical” task
dicate that pro-climate public opinion, mercial and corporate priorities. of “remaking the media.”
and the kind of journalism that could --Robert Hackett
sustain it, finds more fertile ground The Internet, once seen as the sav-

pg 8 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 9
 April 2023 April 2023

Marginalized from Pg 10
preserve sacred groves that are noted for their ecological, areas.
religious and cultural value. Their close proximity to these
primeval forests and an innate understanding of their spiri- She saw that every story was one of tragedy, heartbreak
tual value is critical in the face of land grabs, mega devel- and immense courage. Their efforts to give back to a soci-
opment projects, and institutional contestations. ety that had shunned them were met with force by those
who wanted to disempower them even during an unprec-
Many indigenous people are reviving ancient traditions edented national calamity. Earlier, when a climate march
of nature conservation to combat climate change despite was organized in Karachi in 2021, trans people were not
A boatman facing severe crackdowns, arrests, and backlashes from allowed to join the protest rally. Many members received
surveys the political and business leaders. In the north-east Indian threat calls, and at least one was kidnapped and raped for
polluted Dal state of Meghalaya, efforts to revive traditional practices speaking up against climate change, which was not their
Lake in Kashmir have made way for a water reservoir in the largest sacred ‘domain.’
while standing grove there.
on his wooden In India, too, tentative steps being taken by the trans-
boat. Photo by Sometimes faith leaders have offered help in tribal-domi- gender community to speak up against climate-induced
Priyadarshini nated areas. Recently, I worked on a story about how com- disasters are not being taken seriously enough by main-
Sen munity leaders across faith groups are helping the indig- stream society. Their social, economic, and psychological
enous people in the remote Himalayan desert of Ladakh to distresses are exacerbated when they are silenced, pushed
reassert their rights over their lands and ancient heritage to the margins, or stopped from speaking out. Yet, some
against government pressures and business interests. outspoken trans people are mobilizing communities and
exploring ways to make the planet a more habitable space.
Even in the war-torn landscape of Kashmir where I had
gone to report the role of imams in preserving the environ- At a workshop organized by the National Commission for
ment, I was taken in by the trust communities Human Rights and United States Agency
had in spiritual leaders to fight climate change PJ and for International Development last January,
and man-made disasters like unplanned urban- Climate problems faced by the transgender com-

Reporting climate change in South Asia

ization, soil erosion, receding water levels in munity were highlighted. It was stressed
natural water bodies, and land encroachments. that trans activists be included in post-flood
disaster management and relief programs. The panelists
But while reporting these stories about marginalized
Journalists must show challenges, triumphs of marginalized spoke about the need for the trans community to play an
groups fighting climate change in South Asia, it is extreme- active role in the recovery process to help flood victims.
ly important to keep in mind the pressures they work un-
Reporter’s notebook: This story was produced as part of a They are regaining control over farmland and even altering
der—both at home and outside—and the threats they are Minorities tend to inhabit spaces that are worst hit by cli-
cross border reporting project teaming Indian and Pakistani gender relations in their village where patriarchy has held
exposed to at various levels. It’s also critical as a journalist mate change and their poverty increases their vulnerabili-
journalists, sponsored by the East West Center. -Ed gendered roles in place for generations.
to deepen one’s understanding of the beliefs and practices ty. Not only do big businesses exploit them for cheap labor,
Rapid economic growth and urbanization in South Asia are Through their ‘mindful’ farming practices, these women embedded in the communities that shape these individu- but also push them into those very areas where industrial
contributing to climate change, and diminishing the living are training their husbands to deal with inclement weather, als, power their work, and give them courage. pollution impairs their lives.
conditions of over 800 million people—some of the world’s flash floods, and other climate-induced disasters. To add to
poorest and most vulnerable. This is especially true when we look at powerful individuals In India’s energy capital, Sonbhadra—where there are
these shifting patterns in society, widowed women are now
among sexual minorities who are fighting climate change, multiple power plants—I reported about 10 years ago the
While erratic monsoons, floods and rising temperatures part of the village council—something unheard of before—
and trying to shift perceptions about their role in society. effects of mercury pollution on the health of indigenous
have offset the lives of the poor in the Global South, as a and are training other women to claim joint ownership of
people. The pollutants discharged by big power plants into
journalist it’s important to report the significant role being farmland. Take the transgender communities in India and Pakistan. the air and water had not only led to various physical de-
played by the marginalized sections of society in India and This got me thinking about how the most marginalized sec- formities in the people, but also made them recede further
Pakistan to combat climate change. In Pakistan, when the floods ravaged one-third of the into the shadows due to the lack of psycho-social support.
tions of society in South Asia could become the most effec- country last year and submerged swatches of farmland,
tive actors against oncoming environmental catastrophes. Climate change disasters magnified their problems.
A couple of years ago, I was talking to a grassroots climate there was no doubt that rescue and relief efforts were
action group in Gorakhpur city in North India about the Despite being subjected to extreme social and economic made on a war footing to reach more people. But the Climate change is a global emergency that dispropor-
role of women—particularly widows—in fighting environ- distresses, these groups not only have the resilience to transgender community of Sindh—one of the worst-hit tionately affects those who suffer from socio-economic
mental catastrophes. This non-profit group trains women deal with adversity, but also have the acumen for positive provinces—was left out of the relief efforts. inequalities. As journalists, not only should we verbalize
in climate-resilient farming. climate action.
more the sufferings of the most marginalized, but also
My colleague Lubna Jerar Naqvi gathered that many celebrate their roles in environment preservation.
From our interactions, I gathered that rural women in the Across India, for instance, indigenous people are helping transgender people were excluded from rations that were
--Priyadarshini Sen, with Lubna Jerar Naqvi
small village of Janakpur in Uttar Pradesh are playing a criti- distributed by voluntary organizations in the flood-affected
Continued on next page
cal role in reshaping farming practices in their community.
pg 10 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 11
 April 2023

IMS from Pg 12
companies and investors from the With funds from UNESCO, we will for profiting in political or commercial
Global North have factories and pro- train journalists from different coun- ways of unsustainable practices and,
duction placed in the South and play tries in Southeast Asia, one of the if need be, report disparities between
a significant role in the many environ- most vulnerable regions to climate real against communicated climate
mental violations that take place. change. Later, we hope to make this change situation, affirmative action
training available to more journalists. against empty posturing, policy-mak-
IMS is working with Journalismfund. ing records against campaign promis-
eu to help cultivate and fund cross- Specifically, we will provide compre- es, etc. The media will also be capable
border and cross-continental journal- hensive training to media on the use of placing climate change solutions
istic investigations that expose the of intelligence tools to monitor the in context and reveal both effective
ways global corporations are causing climate change situation at national measures and shortcomings. We be-
harm to nature and people, as well as or local levels. It will help media use lieve that media must not only point
supporting stories that look critically technology to gather news, sort and to the problems, but also make sure
at how aid given to countries hit by analyse data from public sources, such
IMS creates collaborative climate journalism
to convey innovative and constructive
climate catastrophes is spent. as geo-localisations, mapping tools, solutions to serve as inspiration both
satellite imagery, databases on wind, on a local and a global level.
We have received dozens of well- weather and vessel movements, topo-
By now, it is certainly uncontroversial ism is made possible, accessible and Photo: IMS supports documentary researched ideas and documentation graphic data, 3-D model- If going forward, we fail
to claim that climate change and the impactful through global collabora- films on environmental issues like the from Indonesia to Colombia, where ling, etc. It will also show PJ and in tackling the climate
environmental crisis are the biggest tions. One of the ways we facilitate Danish-Lebanese co-production “Litani journalists on the ground want to media how to research crisis or do not prioritise
challenges of our century. To me, media collaborations is through our River,” about the deadly pollution of investigate European companies and
Climate
public records, such as the creation of solid
it seems clear that collaborative, initiative MediaBridge (mediabridge. Lebanon’s most important river. the impact their businesses have on climate change decisions, set-ups and institutions
creative, and ambitious journalism org), which helps media outlets bring the local environment. official declarations, parliamentary to responsibly help communities and
on these topics has never been more compelling stories and essential docu- covered globally. This is important not
least due to a paradox that is becom- votings, etc. societies deal with the radical destruc-
needed. So how do we help media mentation from conflict countries to Environmental investigations from tion of and changes to their environ-
from different nations and regions join the attention of the global audience. ing increasingly clear: even though the Lebanon, Philippines, Columbia, Alba- The aim is to strengthen the capacities ments, homes and possibilities of
forces in a quintessential competitive MediaBridge can help media outlets industrial and post-industrial countries nia, Tunisia, Jordan, and Zambia are of media organizations to go a step
in the so-called Global North have sustaining themselves, we will likely
environment? How do we ensure that gain access to quality content from re- all in the making. To try and ensure further than allowing experts to voice see a level of conflict that is hard to
there is both the will and the capa- gions that they are not able to report a political responsibility to mitigate that these stories will have maximum their opinions and instead hold the
the climate crisis due to their mas- even fathom.
bilities in newsrooms to take on this from due to difficulties of entering impact, IMS is helping local journalists powerful to account through investi-
massive task? and working in these countries. This sive historic (and current) emissions link up with relevant media organisa- gating and providing the facts. It will Media outlets and journalists must
includes local specialised reporting of greenhouse gases, the countries in tions in Europe. This is crucial to put also promote solutions journalism, step up their efforts and collaborate
IMS (International Media Support) is a from areas hit by floods, drought, the Global South generally have much public and political pressure on the which focuses on contextual respons- on creating impactful and ambitious
Danish media development organisa- failed harvests and other tragedies lower emissions but are nonetheless European corporations or officials es to climate change issues, showing climate stories and to make sure that
tion that has worked with media and caused by global warming. hit disproportionately hard by the involved in environmental damage. the audience both useful evidence the local consequences of the global
journalists around the globe for the consequences of global warming. and limitations. crisis reach audiences and decision
last 20 years, particularly in areas that We see that our partners are very Journalists need to focus on solutions makers around the world.
are – and will continue to be – deeply eager to do stories on climate change Our aim is to strengthen the local- This spring, we are developing and Once training is completed, the media
affected by the consequences of glob- and on negative impacts on local na- global connection and to make sure conducting a training course specifi- will be able to hold central environ-
that the voices and experiences of --Henrik Grunnet
al warming and environmental harm ture. This is because it’s affecting the cally on critical climate journalism. mental degradation actors to account
caused by global and local companies. lives of their audiences every single those most affected by the crisis reach

Our extensive networks in regions

day. Their challenge is to bring these
stories to audiences in areas which
a global audience. It is crucial if we
want to have just and responsible
Election guide informs Zimbabwean journalists
ravaged by environmental destruction coverage of the crisis. A new electoral reporting and peace journalism manual has been published in Zimbabwe
are not experiencing such serious
- as well as our experience in develop- by the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific,
consequences or seeing the founda-
ing good journalism and fostering a Funding investigative environmental and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
tions of fishing, farming, and normal
diverse and critical media landscape journalism
life dramatically changing. According to the International Journalist’s Network, the manual, which will be published
- place us and our partners in a unique The disproportionate emission of
greenhouse gases is one way the peo- soon online, contains information about Zimbabwe’s electoral systems, including how the
position to tackle some of these fore- Emissions in the North and
ple of the Global North have a greater Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) functions, voter registration, and the pre-election
mentioned questions. Further, we see destruction in the South
responsibility for climate change than environment. Godwin Phiri, ZMC’s executive secretary, told [Link], “The purpose is to
it as an imperative. Collaborative journalism across
people in the Global South. A lot of ensure that we can create a conducive peaceful environment that guarantees the safety
borders is incredibly useful when
Local coverage, global audience of journalists and access to information. We want journalists to speak and write from the
trying to ensure that the localised
We believe that good climate journal- Continued on next page position of knowledge and not speculation.”
consequences of climate change are
pg 12 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 13
 April 2023 April 2023

Transboundary climate issues challenge PJ Transboundary from Pg 14

similarities, and is people-orientated, When focusing on environmental tists were also trained to communi-
Media can assist stakeholder interactions proving participation and build trust
among state and non-state actors.
meaning that grassroots sources are issues particularly related to water, cate knowledge in an easily accessible
seen as equally important as official experts argue that reporting can be and understandable manner. Similar-
Climate change, population growth, In addition, the rivers of the Brahma-
sources. This principle of inclusivity more nuanced, more focused on ly, a platform such as the Indus Basin
socioeconomic development, and putra basin are vital in supporting nav- Media can aid in formulating these in-
is also key to governance of water science as well as the socioeconomic Knowledge Platform, developed by
mismanagement of water supplies igation and trade within and between teractions between stakeholders and
resources. aspect of water management. It has the International Water Management
is putting a lot of stress on water the riparian countries. However, the bringing out the voices of dormant been reported that due to a sensa- Institute serves as a repository of the
resources across the globe . The situ- river has been cited as one of those stakeholders. Strategic use of the For instance, despite the controver- tional reporting style, academics, knowledge obtained from scientific
ation is worse in countries sharing most at risk for transboundary water media is an essential part of getting sies surrounding the Grand Ethiopian state actors and other policy actors research in the basin. Such platforms
water resources. Transboundary river conflict due to historical border issues the message across to local stakehold- Renaissance Dam (below), the media’s are sceptical of including media in also help journalists acquire scientific
basins have been cited as sources (China and India), unilateral decision- ers and shaping the relationships, portrayal of the project, highlighting diplomacy and sharing objective mes- knowledge which they can use for
of conflict among riparian states by making (China and India), and varying especially the attributes of national image and saging with the public. wider dissemination.
many scholars. Resolving these con- development agendas (China, India, PJ and in times of mutual benefits among the riparian
flicts over transboundary waters to Bhutan, and Bangladesh), influenced Climate crisis and To engage the media effectively, it is In the Brahmaputra River Basin, media
reach a mutually agreed solution has by a multitude of state and non-state for peace- important to build the media’s capac- reporting sometimes influences the
always been difficult . actors, some more powerful than oth- building. However , it has been noted ity to develop trust with scientists, public agenda and shapes public
ers. Less powerful stakeholders like the reporting style of any event by the policymakers, and donor organiza- debates. It has been noted that an-
One such example is of the Brahma- local communities, small boat owners, media plays a critical role in shaping tions, which would result in higher nual floods and water infrastructure
putra River. The Brahmaputra River small fishermen etc. do not have deci- the narrative of any water resources. integration of scientifically authentic development are the two issues that
originates in the Tibetan Autonomous sion making powers and most of the narratives, and to bring the voices of hamper constructive engagement
Region of China, and flows through time their interest gets compromised Scholars state that the norms of con- the water communities to the fore. between the countries in the Brah-
India and Bangladesh before meet- due to top-down decision-making ventional, objective journalism are the Journalists and scientists should cre- maputra basin. Climate change has
ing the Ganges on way to the Bay of processes. This in turn makes them same during conflict and peacetime: ate an alliance to build a community been attributed as one of the causes
Bengal. It offers huge potential for put less trust in the government, the journalist is an impartial observer, of practice. Platforms like Nile Media of the annual floods apart from the
hydropower development, fertile which impacts future development. detached from the conflict, and has
Google Maps Network and The Open Water Di- geographic positioning of the region.
agricultural lands, and substantial Also these non-state actors are the the role to inform the public through plomacy Lab are good examples of a Reporting can lead to myths and con-
aquatic resources that support mil- first affected in case of emergencies reporting the facts in an objective countries, strongly influenced the
space where water diplomats, water troversies, resulting in accusations be-
lions of people and their livelihoods in like floods, and are also the ones who manner. However, it has also been Ethiopian people in seeing its poten-
journalists, and water scientists from tween states and exhibiting prejudices
the four riparian countries, i.e., China, are scarcely compensated when water argued that journalism is constructing tial for contributing to prosperity of
different Nile basin countries have while protecting territorial sovereignty
India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. infrastructure development projects reality and not merely reflecting it, as the region . Similarly, in the Rhine
been engaged in a process of common and water rights.
are being constructed. selective choices are made on which basin pollution case, media attention
learning.
facts are being reported and how they not only accelerated the negotiations Understanding what media reports
Additionally, a handful of bilateral are framed. Thus, journalists become between the Dutch and the French, Training of journalists for covering in the basin and the emerging trends
agreements that do exist between the actors within the conflicts they cover but also convinced the Dutch citizens the plurality of interests is essential and narratives that influence public
riparian states for cooperative engage- as their decisions on what receives that their concerns are heard and that to make a good case and is also the debates is essential for stakeholder
ment face major challenges in terms media focus and what is excluded af- the matter is taken seriously by the basis of peace journalism. Building engagement. Today, a systematic
of interpretation and implementation. fect the development of a narrative. two countries. capacities of journalists is essential for understanding of the role of media
Therefore, providing equitable access them to understand the complexity in shaping the narrative around the
to water resources to all the riparian The critique of conventional war The Lancang–Mekong River basin,
of issues related to management of Brahmaputra River basin is missing.
countries through participatory and reporting led to the theoretical fram- with the surge of proposals for dam
water resources. The Indian Institute Media can shape adaptive governance
transparent governance is challenging ing of Peace Journalism. The model development in the late 1990s and
of Technology, Guwahati, in collabo- in the basin, especially, by promoting
because water is perceived as a finite is defined in direct opposition to the its subsequent concerns witnessed
ration with cross-country partners, informal diplomacy initiatives that
resource with competing demands. oversimplification of War Journalism. downturn in the cooperation trend
started an initiative in the Brahma- will enable state and non-state policy
Peace Journalism seeks and explores among the riparian countries. How-
putra River basin (2020–2022), to actors to trust media to as an es-
In such a situation the merit of complexity: it portrays the conflict for- ever, media’s unbiased reporting of
strengthen science-media communi- sential actor in water diplomacy thus
multitrack diplomacy is recognized mation (numerous parties and goals) the events, demonstrating the oppor-
cation by bringing in media personali- rebranding the media’s image to pro-
for acknowledging plurality associ- and focusses on the invisible effects tunities and challenges involved, aided
ties and scientists under one roof for mote cooperation. Informed media is
ated with the transboundary waters of violence such as psychological or in connecting leaders and project
a series of discussions. Multimedia one of the critical assets for changing
of the Brahmaputra. It is because a sociocultural harm. Peace Journalism developers between riparian coun-
grants were provided to highlight the the narrative from conflict to coopera-
deliberative process involving heads aims at providing a platform to all tries, including meetings, bilateral and
varied narratives surrounding trans- tion for peace building among states
of state, policymakers, civil society parties and creates space for empathy multilateral cooperation, and develop-
The Brahamaputra River starts in boundary waters. While it was an en- in the Brahmaputra River basin.
organizations, and communities. More and understanding. Peace Journal- ment projects that led to cooperation
Tibet, then runs through India (top,
opportunities for informal interactions between the countries .
deavour to build the media’s capacity --Pritha Chakraborty, Natasha
center) and then south through Ban- ism aims at transparency, considers through heightened engagement with
among riparian actors helps in im- Hazarika, Joydeep Gupta,
gladesh. (Univ. of Texas maps) Continued on next page the scientific community, the scien- Anamika Barua
pg 14 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 15
 April 2023 April 2023

Study uses Twitter to analyze Myanmar coup Myanmar from Pg 16

tary government as illegitimate. for so-called attempt of treason. They
tary terrorists destroyed convenience
Tweets support pro-democracy protesters stores and public properties. Terrorist This is illustrated by a photo that was
cannot be charged with a crime they
never committed #FreeOurStudents
On February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s mili- mation about the government’s daily Junta attacked the civilians day and included in one of the tweets (Eaindra #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar.”
tary put an end to the country’s expe- agenda, to advertise new legislative night.” Kyaa Zin, February 12, 2021). It is a
rience with democracy by detaining proposals and executive decisions, photo of Myint Thau who is the per- The citizens have expressed sympa-
democratically elected national leader and to influence public opinion. The The tweets framed the protests as a thy for journalists and teachers who
manent representative of Myanmar
Aung San Suu Kyi along with other role of social media varies over time way for individuals to exercise their have been injured in the protests and
to the United Nations Office in Ge-
key members of National League Of and circumstances. right to assemble to demonstrate gratitude to doctors and nurses for
neva (UNOG), when he attended the
Democracy (NLD), and declaring a resistance to the coup. The military providing their services to the injured
29th Special Session of Human Rights A symbol against the dictatorship at a
one year state of emergency. The NLD The goal of this brief is to analyse the officers were framed as dispassionate
Council on 12th February 2021. There protest in Yangon in 2021. (Myanmar protesters.
came to power in 2015. The citizens perception of the military coup among beings who were merely obeying their
is a red cross on his face and the user Now)
of Myanmar responded to the military Myanmar citizens through the use of superiors’ orders and were respon- It was interesting to note that the citi-
tweeted, “He does not represent us,
coup by holding mass protests against Twitter. It is important to note that sible for the forceful suppression of zens were aware about the arrange-
Myanmar People. He is one of the nal affair. This is not Civil War. This is
the military regime. To curb the anti- the article exclusively focuses on the people’s will. Yaminsymo on 21 Febru- ment made by CNN with the military
state rebels under Min Aung Hlaing just a part of the injustice act of the
coup protests, the regime blocked online use of Twitter and its offline ef- ary, 2021 tweeted this along with a government to interview the military
(the military coup)!!!! The world must Myanmar Military on the peaceful
the Internet including sites such as fects are not analysed. Moreover, the video, “See how brutal the military officials. Several tweets criticised this
know. He is lying and covering what’s unarmed protestors.” a tweet by Bob-
Facebook and Twitter which have political crisis is still going on and is and police are. They have shields and move and believed that it would un-
really happening in Myanmar to the o25ster on February 20, 2021.
been used to generate support for highly volatile in nature and its further all kinds of weapons. The innocent dermine the real story. For example,
whole world!!!!!!!”
anti-coup protests in the country. events are uncertain. Therefore, an civilians have nothing but courage. The citizens’ tweeting framed the @HtykeThan tweeted on 31st March,
‘on ground’ approach will have certain STOP TERRORISM.” The tweets were The attempt to build a democratic protestors as having to defend them- 2021 “It’d be a shame for @CNN if
The Internet has created a platform limitations. However, in future an ‘on successful in questioning the govern- federal union, through inclusion of selves from the harsh response of the they can’t get on ground infos. There
that allows individuals living under au- ground’ approach should be conduct- ment’s highly militarised response A minorities could also be observed. For military government. Moreover, they are many foreign based reporters
thoritarian rule to send information to ed to give valuable insights beyond large number of citizens reported that example, this tweet shows the broad- accused regime forces, including the who are working on ground here and
the outside world, something that was the information available online. the military force used rubber bullets ening sociopolitical scope of the anti- police (which is under the military’s they’ve also reported what’s really
much more challenging in the pre- and live ammunition in crowds. For coup resistance by expressing concern command now), of disrupting peace- happening. You have to work freely by
Internet era. Advances in information Methodology example, @nyi_hunger tweeted “Ter- for the safety of the minority ethnic ful protests by using violence. asking locals and not to be escorted
technology have altered the path of The data was obtained by identifying rorists and snipers shot with both real groups. “While we are focusing on by junta.”
conflict by changing the way leaders 50 Twitter accounts of the citizens and rubber bullets and beating up the For example, on 28 February, 2021
major cities, our minor ethnic groups
communicate to their armed forces, of Myanmar through the hashtags female is believed to have been shot mashweme tweeted, “State-spon- Civilians through tweets also ex-
are suffering their violence [Link]-
and interested audiences monitor #Respectourvotes, #hearthevoiceof- in the head and at least 3 were shot & sored Terrorism in Myanmar TW // pressed their anguish with the imposi-
cies/Soldiers are raiding on the streets
events. Moreover, social media allows myanmar and #savemyanmar. These injured.” blood Can the police beat a civilian tion of Penal code 505(A). The penal
in Myitkyinar, Kachin State. People are
citizens to share their opinions and hashtags were identified through a like this? Civilians are not only beaten code explains that “Whoever makes,
also arrested. HARMING is their new
engage directly with the local and hashtag tracker called Brandmentions. Many users also shared a video in but also shot in the head and the publishes or circulates any statement,
duty instead of HELPING. #WhatsHap-
national leaders. World leaders use I chose a limited time period between which they claimed that the military eyes.” The tweet included a video of rumour or report with intent to-cause,
peningInMyanmar #Feb18Coup.”
social media to communicate with 1 February 2021 to 15 April 2021. The soldiers had joined a pro-democracy an unidentified civilian being beaten or which is likely to cause, any officer,
domestic audiences, to provide infor- historical timeline in Google Trends protest as civilians. They accused Some tweets have accused the with sticks by four military uniformed soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army,
for the web search of ‘Myanmar coup’ the military officers of disrupting the military force of not abiding to inter- officers. Navy or Air Force harm with the intent
shows that search activity increased protest by opening fire and held them national humanitarian agreements, to incite the public shall be punished
sharply in the days after 1 Febru- responsible for vandalism as well. for example the fourth Geneva Perception of Protesters among with imprisonment which may ex-
ary when the coup took place and It is interesting to note that a large Convention which is related to the the civilians tend to two years, or with fine, or
dropped significantly in April. number of tweets have either not protection of civilians in an armed A large proportion of tweets ex- with both.” (University of Minnesota,
mentioned any names of the military conflict. A large proportion of tweets pressed their support for the protest- n.d.). For example, LayPhyuOfficial
Perception of the military among officers or have mentioned only two ers in the pro-democracy movement.
condemned the stand taken by the tweeted “Myanmar Military issued
the citizens names: Min Aung Hlaing who is the Words like “innocent,” “peaceful,”
Russian Federation and the People’s arrest warrant to 20 doctors who join
A large proportion of the tweets by Commander-in-Chief of the military and “young” are used to describe the
Republic Of China in the 29th Special #CivilDisobedienceMovement with
the people expressed dissatisfaction and Myanmar’s de facto leader since protestors. It is clear from the tweets
Session of the Human Rights Council penalty code 505(A), which is treason.
with the military officials. Negative the coup, and Zaw Min Htun who is that students are taking an active
on the “human rights implications We are just doing what is right for our
words like “terrorists,’, “evil,” “inhu- the Deputy Minister of Information role in the pro-democracy movement
of the crisis in Myanmar” as the two country, we cannot be charged with
man,” and “goons” were used to and also the official spokesperson of example @GFatt09379362 tweeted,
member states emphasised that a crime we did not commit.” Several
describe the doings of the military the Junta government. This shows “322 students were arrested during
‘settlement of differences between people retweeted the arrest of Koi
force. For example: “Day 45 Myanmar that the people perceive them as the a peaceful strike in Tamwe, Yangon,
Myanmar’s political forces is strictly Wae Moe, a prominent anti-coup
Military Coup. This Morning Scene in face of the coup and consider the mili- and are detained in the Insein prison.
an internal matter of that sovereign leader. Twitter user, @myatnoeaye_
#MingalarTaungNyunt where the mili- They are sued with Penal Code 505(A),
UTexas maps Continued on next page state.’ For example, “This is not inter- Continued on next page
pg 16 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 17
 April 2023 April 2023
Myanmar from Pg 17
Psychologists explore ‘PJ in Times of Crisis’
on April 15, 2021, like many others, urged the international community to fact that people are tweeting about
attached a video in which civilians are
participating in a motorcycle rally pro-
take action against the airstrikes. For
example, a Twitter user on 29 April,
the military coup in English shows
that they attribute importance to the
China warmongering examined
test and a car comes from front and 2021 wrote, “Hundreds of villagers issue and rely on this platform to raise The Psychologists for Peace interest group of the Austra-
allegedly kidnaps the anti coup leader, from Brigade No.5 fled from their awareness amongst the international lian Psychological Society invited me to give a webinar, on
“Footage video of Military Terrorists homes due to airstrikes launched community as there are no geographi- March 9th, on ‘Peace Journalism in Times of Crisis’.
violently abducting Monywa Activ- by the Burma Army on 27 March. cal restrictions. Citizens’ longing to be
ist Ko Wai Moe Naing who has been Humanitarian assistance is urgently part of the decision making process, We met against a backdrop of outright warmongering
leading the biggest strikes in Monywa needed. Approximately 300+ people mistrust between the people and the by some of Australia’s best-known quality newspapers,
since February.” from Brigade 5 area fled to the military government due to lack of ac- the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age, whose
border.” @LayPhyuOfficial shared a countability and post-coup instability campaign to ‘warn’ readers of impending war with China
The protestors had also staged general cartoon accompanied with this mes- appear to be the dominant issues in culminated in an editorial call for the return of military
strikes as part of the civil disobedience sage on 14 March, 2021 “Illustration Burmese politics today. conscription, or for Australia to junk its longstanding com-
movement against the military coup. of a kid telling his mom that he didn’t mitment to non-proliferation by siting nuclear weapons on
Several users had tweeted their pho- want to have a flying experience any- This research shows that many citi- its soil, or both.
tos with the three-finger salute, which more. He already got “plane trauma” zens have used Twitter as an oppor-
originated in The Hunger Games cause Myanmar military air bombard- tunity to address the wrongdoings of Exposure to negative or frightening news can be a stressor,
movie series. For example, on April ment attack on their villages.” the military government which also familiar from the treatment room. There is an impact on
11, 2021, Twitter user @Randallbre- highlights the scepticism of the people the limbic system, based in the amygdala, a portion of the
anna tweeted, “Knock, Knock! Who is towards the Myanmar mainstream brain dating, in evolutionary terms, from the reptilian age
there? Three Fingers. Three fingers, media. The protests have been the – it triggers the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ syndrome. But it is
who? Three fingers, I want to have largest resistance after the Saffron usually followed by relief – the bad things are happening
freedom! Convo between a 5 year old Revolution in 2007. It could be ob- to someone else, far away.
and a 3 year old who live with me.” served that different members of the
The three-fingered salute became “See how brutal the military and population such as lawyers, students, Less so now, amid this fraught atmosphere. The coverage
a pillar of the Milk Tea Alliance—to police are. They have shields teachers, doctors, bank officers and could be seen as classic propaganda – softening up public
signal opposition to authoritarian rule and all kinds of weapons. The government employees are taking opinion in time for the subsequent announcement of an
became massively prevalent in Myan- innocent civilians have nothing part in the anti-coup resistance. order for new naval submarines, under the so-called AU-
mar. The use of the gesture reveals but courage.”--@Yaminsymo KUS alliance with the UK and US, with a price tag running
the young activists’ desire to make the They also took on the task of report- into the hundreds of billions.
Citizens on Twitter also accused the ing on various local, social and even
international audience aware about In my talk, therefore, I introduced the main distinctions
military government of causing an in- international issues- like police brutal-
their struggle. as essential backgrounds and contexts.
formation blackout under the pretext ity, R2P and violation of human rights. in the Peace Journalism model, and tried to indicate how
The citizens of Myanmar had ex- of national security. The military gov- As protests continue and fatalities their implementation would lead to differences of rep- Instead, I reflected in my talk, we had recently seen a
pressed solidarity with the people of ernment controlled media announced rise, effectiveness of the international resentation. There are plenty of voices calling for peace, rash of scare stories about a wave of youth crime in the
Thailand who have been demanding a ban on satellite TV citing outside community’s response to the humani- reaching out to China and seeking to promote mutual Northern Territory, with calls for Australia’s signature puni-
reforms in the country’s monarchy broadcasts threatened outside secu- tarian crisis has become a central con- understanding. They tend to be found in liminal spaces: tive responses – lock ‘em up, take away their kids – to be
and release of detained activists. rity (Reuters, 2021). For example, twit- cern. The coup has not just created a independent media, such as the remarkable Pearls and repeated yet again. These have always been invoked as an
ter user, @kitkattheturtle on 11 April, need for fresh international aid due to Irritations site, which offers a daily digest of well-argued alternative to the policy responses that would make a sig-
Immediate responses by the citizens 2021 retweeted the photos in which reduced functioning of the economy analysis. These perspectives will, no doubt, seep into the nificant difference to the lives and prospects of the people
to the latest developments military officials are seen removing but has also created the possibility corporate press eventually, when people begin to realise concerned, which would require sustained, significant
A large proportion of tweets reported satellites, “Clear Evidence of Terrorists of mass outflow of refugees in the no good is coming of the drumbeat to war. investment.
and condemned the air strikes con- removing PSI Satellites from houses in future. International sanctions should
ducted by the military government. #TachiLeik city today. At least 10 have One positive change in Australia since I emigrated here Of course, there is a link with the manner in which these
be imposed on military owned enter- over 15 years ago has been the increased profile in public
For example, @Ohnmar762842791 been removed forcefully by them. prises. However, to reach a long term incidents are habitually reported, which we can recognise
tweeted on 13 April,2021, “AIRSTRIKES life (as well as educational and media settings) for First Na- as War Journalism – a form in which those backgrounds
solution for Myanmar’s security, there tions peoples. My webinar, as with any significant gather-
by terrorists Tatmadaw are massacring Conclusion and contexts are routinely framed out.
is an urgent need to create space for ing nowadays, began with an Acknowledgement of Coun-
innocent civilians each day; many has Twitter and other social media plat-
dialogue between various stakehold- try, offered by an Aboriginal APS member.
injured & lost their homes. We would forms can be important instruments The meeting concluded with questions, dominated by
ers such as the military government,
like to request to implement #NoFly- to understand different perspectives thinking aloud about what could be done to engender and
ethnic minorities and armed militias. In it, she outlined some of the legacy Aboriginal com-
ZoneInMyanmar.” of the people involved in a conflict enable more Peace Journalism in Australian media, as a
and young people’s expectations who munities are dealing with today – of dispossession, dis- therapeutic intervention in our representational resources.
rely on digital channels to express --Navya Khanna crimination and disadvantage – which, I argued, should be
There were several tweets which
themselves, in particular. The very rehearsed by journalists when reporting on today’s events, --Jake Lynch
pg 18 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 19
 October 2022 April 2023

Cameroon from Pg 20
foster the peace process in Cameroon, authorities and students were unani-
said Innocent Yuh, a Kumba based mous in their support for the project
renowned Radio Journalist and South after listening to a keynote presen-
West Regional Coordinator of CAMP, tation on ‘Peace Journalism: A Dire
managing the CAMP Peace Press Club Need in Building a Hate and Violent
project in Kumba. Free Nation’ by Ndasi Gilbert Nyon-
gamsen, a Peace Journalism Promoter
Kumba residents are convinced that and Facilitator. The authorities wel-
the media is a powerful tool for reach- comed the project hoping that the
ing and persuading large audiences minds of their students will be deradi-
especially when it comes to emergen- calised with peace values. They look
cies such as the outbreak of a crisis or forward having safer schools condu-
conflict but are worried that its power cive for learning.
to spread rumours and hates, which
create unnecessary fear and hysteria In conflict times, reporters and editors
amongst the people is overshadow- should angle stories to tell similarities
ing its responsibility as an impetus for – exposing situations where conflict

Peace press clubs launch in Cameroon

peace. actors share same ideas, visions,
Kumba City Mayor, Greg Mewanu speak the same language and not
“Unfortunately, we, journalists are magnify differences.
Press or Journalism Clubs activties in
Clubs operate in Cameroon in particular and Africa in
general.
Anglophone regions where they want
to create an independent nation, they
not helping matters. Sad to read
provocative and inflammatory reports secondary school. “Differences and aspects that further
in newspapers. Radio and Television worsen conflicts should be minimized,
secondary schools Local authorities including the City
called ‘Ambazonia’.
presenters and hosts deliberately en-
“There is absolute need to inspire and
grow a new breed of journalists and and in certain cases, never reported,”
At a launch of a Peace Press Club Mayor of the Kumba City Council In October, 2020 gunmen opened tertain insults and attacks from guests a press that will be passionate about said Prof. Steven Youngblood, Director
Project in Kumba, chief town of Meme (KCC), Greg Nkelle Mewanu have fire killing seven children who were on their programmes. In the quarters, Peace Journalism practice to shift the of Center for Global Peace Journalism
Division in Cameroon’s war-torn South endorsed the project, which could studying in a classroom of a private it is common to hear locals name call narratives positively. Hence, our Sec- at Park University, USA, a Peace Jour-
West region, students gathered in a curb media induced violence, politi- school in Kumba. It was just one of journalists as supporters of a party or ondary Schools are fertile grounds to nalism Researcher and promoter.
hall for a rare lecture on Peace Jour- cal tensions, armed conflicts and hate the shootings notorious in the regions group in the ongoing armed conflicts. invest in the domain of Peace Journal-
nalism. speech. where students and teachers have This is dangerous to community peace If the Press Corps and local com-
ism and Conflict Sensitive reporting, munity take up the Peace Journalism
been abducted, tortured and some- and development,” Yuh said. in order to silence wars and create
It was the crack of dawn and the sun “With all what is happening in Camer- times killed. practice, the media can positively
oon and the armed conflicts and kill- Statistics are unavailable but it’s peaceful societies for the future. Our influence the reversal of the current
shone from a cloudless sky as the
ings in Kumba in particular, any peace- Kumba has endured the brunt and been observed that most successful generation of journalists is unfortu- armed conflicts in Cameroon and
students paid close attention to the
loving person will seek paths for now wants to return to the life before practicing journalists especially in the nately soaked in ‘war journalism’ and create peaceful trajectories for the
keynote presentation.
peace. I saw this project by CAMP as November 2016 when the conflict English-Speaking parts of Cameroon that partly accounts for the situation future, said Ndasi in his keynote
A novelty in the region, 10 peace jour- needful to my people, and the country began, said Mewanu. fell in love with the journalism profes- we face today,” Yuh added. presentation.
nalism clubs, known as Peace Press as a whole. I had to give my blessings, sion while they were participating in --Nyongamsen Ndasi
“It is time we see some peace re- At the launch of the project, school
Clubs are now running in 10 second- my commitment and the Council’s
ary schools with the goal of nurturing support for the realization. I am glad stored. We must not allow our chil-
new cream of press corps to engage in
Peace and Conflict Sensitive reporting.
we are here today,” Mewanu said and
stressed that an armed separatist con-
dren to perish in an unfortunate
situation they know nothing about.
Film introduces a viable “Path Away from War”
flict which erupted in Cameroon’s two We have to work towards ensuring Peace and Conflict Studies professors Geneviève Souillac and Douglas P. Fry
A brainchild of an association known Anglophone regions of South West peaceful schools and safe spaces of from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro teamed up with Sustainable
as the Cameroon Association of Media and North West has taken a heavy toll learning for children. With the CAMP Human to produce a short film (8:25 mins) called The Path Away from War: The
Professionals (CAMP), the programme on students in Kumba. peace press clubs project in schools, I Science of Peace Systems, which can be watched on YouTube. Global challenges
was introduced in schools in Novem- strongly believe, will help build peace- such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, pandemics, and nuclear proliferation
ber last year Since November 2016, children in ful minds in our children who should endanger everyone on the planet and thus require cooperative solutions. The ex-
some villages and communities in understand nonviolence as a value,” istence of peace systems demonstrates that at many times and in various places
According to the project’s objective, Meme Division have been denied Mewanu said. people have unified, stopped warring, and worked together for the greater good.
CAMP wants to inspire a new genera- their rights to education due to the
tion of journalists whose work will conflict. School campuses here have Such a project could significantly This film introduces several historical and cross-cultural peace systems from
ensure the safety of communities, remained unsafe since armed separat- tribal peoples to nations, and even regions, to explore how peace systems can
stronger social cohesion and peace in ists imposed a boycott of school in the Continued on next page provide insights on how to end wars and promote intergroup cooperation.
pg 20 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 21
 April 2023 April 2023

Journalists discuss reporting troubled pasts Kosovo from Pg 22

These are: journalists on reporting the
Seminar includes instruction on improving memorialization coverage 1. Examine role of memori-
alization event in terms of
war, including always getting
a Ukrainian viewpoint, and
A three day peace journalism seminar held in October --Report about Civil society—how they bring groups to- reconciliation, reconstruction, never “equalizing” (what
in Pristina, Kosovo had a unique and compelling theme: gether; promoting cultural events transitional justice we might call giving a false
Dealing with the Past. Specifically, the event considered 2. Report on memorializa- equivalency) to the actions of
how peace journalists should carefully report about issues --Reach the unreachable—show different people with new tion event through inclusivity Russia and Ukraine. She ob-
related to troubled pasts (and memorialization of this his- stories—reach for the voice of the voiceless, interesting lens—are minority, marginal- served, “You cannot be guilty
tory) when these pasts are still contested, and the wounds stories ized groups involved, inter- for protecting your house
still raw. viewed? (country).”
--Establish new media outlets that are not ethnically 3. Report on artistic/cultural Suada Qorraj, Blend Aliu, and Simona Mladenovska are en-
The seminar began with an overview of media in the based—mixed background reporters aspects of memorialization gaged at the Remembering the Past seminar in Kosovo. Her passionate presentation
region from Xhemajl Rexha, president of 4. Challenge majority narra- led to a fascinating discussion
the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. The participants, 20 journalists from Koso- about journalists’ proper role during conflict, and whether
tives, and include minority and female perspectives
vo and North Macedonia, also discussed
In his opinion, journalists in the region 5. Report using competing and contested narratives—more a journalists’ first responsibility is to the public broadly or
don’t practice peace journalism since their ideas for peace journalism-style to wave the flag for a country, military, or ethnic group.
than just balance
they often use inflammatory language, stories they planned to produce related to
6. Use expert sources—historians, academics, museums
engage in racial slurs, and offer compet- dealing with the past. Reflecting on Meshcheriakova’s presentation, seminar
7. Treat all sides, sources equally
ing narratives to incidents in the region. 8. Recognize your own biases participant/journalist Tea Sokol said, “I think her presenta-
These topics included: tion was very informative, but I would say that she was not
In an article Rexha co-wrote for the 1. Former people involved in conflict…co- 9. Expose and report about decisions about and motiva-
forumZFD website, he concluded, “Over tions for memorialization activities/events (forumZFD talking...from a side that would show both of the (Ukraini-
existence is possible an and Russian) politics, influences, etc. I noticed that she
the years little has been done to bring 2. How different generations deal with handbook).
together Kosovo and Serbia journalists was very emotional, which is understandable regarding the
memories current situation in Ukraine.”
to talk to one another. Moreover, what is For many participants, the highlight of the seminar was
3. Women actively participate in conflict—
needed is an internal dialogue between a powerful presentation by Ukrainian journalist Daria
not just as victims, but involved in pro- Overall, participants were pleased with the seminar. Sokol
local journalists from both communities Xhejaml Rexha Meshcheriakova, who was in Kosovo for five months on a
tecting communities/peacebuilding and commented, “I must say that this seminar gave me a new
in Kosovo. Facing each other and talking program sponsored in part by the Association of Journal-
reconciliation process perspective, in a way it was enlightening, knowing all
about the hurtful language to the other ists of Kosovo. Her presentation focused on Russian war
4. An analysis of articles about how North Macedonian and the secret ingredients to practicing non-violent/peaceful
community would be a good start.” propaganda which actually began before the illegal an-
Kosovan media reported past violence journalism. For sure I will use those ingredients in my next
nexation of Crimea in 2014. She said this propaganda has
5. State of minorities in post conflict societies in both
The seminar, sponsored by forumZFD and the Center for had a powerful effect in Russian-occupied areas of Eastern articles/podcasts.” Journalist Simona Srbinoska said, “For
Global Peace Journalism at Park University, included in- places me, the seminar was an excellent opportunity as a young
Ukraine as well as in Russia itself. In fact, Meshcheriakova
struction in basic peace journalism. I led a discussion with 6. The interconnected lives of Macedonian and Kosovan journalist who never reported from a conflict or war zone.
was told by Russian relatives that there was no bombing
youth—good cultural connections.
the journalists about how media in Kiev, even though she experienced it firsthand, and that I gained knowledge about sensitivity in reporting, careful-
in the region can build bridges Ukraine had committed genocide in the Donbas region, ness in choosing phrases when reporting and how journal-
Another central topic of the event ism can build peace.”
between “us and them” and was memorialization. Memorializa- which is false. She talked
contribute to reconciliation. These tion is how societies preserve his- about the horrors of living Journalist Dafina Lata
excellent ideas included: torical memories with things like under Russian occupa- added, “The regional semi-
events, exhibits, marches, rallies, tion, and zero tolerance in nar on dealing with the
--Report on things in common- occupied Ukraine for even
-impact of conflict on women; speeches, monuments, and so on. past… was a good thing for
So often, these items are reported the mildest pro-Ukraine me. Being a journalist for
how rebuild lives; EU integration; sentiment.
economic cooperation; culture; in a sectarian, “us vs. them” fash- more than 10 years, par-
politics; corruption; ion that reopens old wounds, and ticipating in the seminar
Meshcheriakova applaud-
incites anger. I presented several gives me the opportunity
ed Kosovo’s approach
--Journalist cooperation/joint examples from Northern Ireland, to learn more, but also
to Russian propaganda,
trainings; media literacy—schools, including seasonal marches and to exchange experiences
which was to block pro-
etc.; learning languages; positive murals honoring so-called martyrs. with...colleagues from my
Putin TV channels like
stories about ‘them’—counternar- Sputnik and Russia Today. country and from North
ratives I also shared with the journalists Macedonia.”
ideas on how to more responsibly “They (Kosovo) knew
report on memorialization. when they should stop
--Stories about how people in one --Steven Youngblood
Janina Bankstahl and Afrodita Ramos listen to trusting this information,”
city live—how people coexist
a presentatin from a Ukrainian journalist at the she said. She gave several Ukrainian journalist Daria Meshcheriakova discusses her experi-
Continued on next page
workshop in Pristina, Kosovo. pieces of advice to the ences at the Remembering the Past seminar in Pristina, Kosovo.
pg 22 [Link]/peacecenter Vol 12 No 1 pg 23
 April 2023 April 2023

Article Review On Friday, February 3, six visitors

from Indonesia came to Park Univer-
sity (Parkville, Missouri USA) as part
PJ/Disinfo how it has been used to constrain the
practice of good journalism.

Researchers examine Afghan media, peace talks of a program sponsored by the U.S.
Department of State Bureau of Educa-
Indonesian journalists The seminar concluded with an exami-
nation of social media and disinforma-
The question about how media report Despite these “sins,” the researchers tional and Cultural Affairs and Global discuss deactivating tion/misinformation. Prof. Youngblood
said peace journalism should be used
peace initiatives is central to any dis-
cussion of traditional war journalism
report that the journalists believed Ties KC. They attended a seminar held
by Professor Steven Youngblood as
disinfo at Park Univ. to offer counternarratives and bridge
it is their responsibility to “support na-
versus peace journalism. Do media scent peace processes.” However, this part of a program titled “Deactivat- the gap between groups. Social media
when reporters “make choices that should be used to amplify the voices
impede peace by glorifying violent support was made difficult, they said, ing Disinformation by Strengthening create an atmosphere that is condu-
conflict responses, or do they instead because of constraints on the news Media Literacy.” of those trying to work for peace, he
cive to peace.” noted. He said social media offers
cover peace talks and other initia- media, including financial constraints
tives in a way that provides depth and The seminar covered a multitude One of the most robust discussions journalists a chance to “ break out of
after international subsidy support for
context while creating an atmosphere of subjects were discussed such as of the day centered on the use of lan- our ideological bubbles” and engage
Afghani media was terminated.
where the public can value non-vio- expanding media literacy, the roles of guage, particularly the word “terror- those with different viewpoints.
lent responses to conflict? oped, Lynch and Freear analyzed 132 A comprehensive section on Afghan cross-sector collaboration, and how to ism.” The participants debated about
articles, and found that these pieces media development contined in the address building digital literacy. Prof. Youngblood enjoyed working
These questions were tested in a had an overall “PJ quotient” of 25%. article provides vital context, particu- with the group. He said, “The Indone-
recent study by Jake Lynch (University This demonstrates that during the The opening question given by Prof. sian journalists were great--energetic,
larly regarding transient international
of Sydney) and Matt Freear (Royal study period, Afghan media “exhibited Youngblood, director of the Center engaged, and both challenging and
support for Afghani media.
United Services Institute, London), relatively little PJ content,” according for Global Peace Journalism at Park fun to work with.”
whose findings were published in the to the paper. Conclusion University, was one that is important
article, “Why intervention in Afghan Lynch and Freear conclude, “From to all of us in this digital age. Do we, The Indonesian journalists appreci-
media failed to provide support for Journalist interviews the content analysis, it is clear that as consumers, immediately trust the ated the presentation. Journalist Eddy
peace talks” in the journal Frontiers in Researchers Lynch and Freear also the mainstream of reporting by things we read? In our daily lives, we Prastyo observed, “Peace journalism
Communication. interviewed 16 Afghan journalists Afghan media was dominated by… are faced with a constant barrage of is a voice of moderation in the midst
between the end of 2020 and May War Journalism...Afghan journalists information, disinformation, propa- of a polarized world. The mindset of
The research and article are definitely 2021. The journalists discussed their interviewed for this study wanted to ganda, and fake news everywhere we peace journalism needs to be implant-
worth a read. The results, while not aspirations and the constraints that do more PJ.” look. As we found out, this is even ed (into mainstream journalism) so
surprising, are noteworthy not only keep them from reporting in a way more of an issue in Indonesia than it is that they have a value to be trusted,
for what they say about Afghan me- consistent with their aspirations. The research done by Lynch and in the U.S., with more fake news and have an impact and influence. Journal-
dia, but for their broad applicability to Freear was exemplary, especially given propaganda reaching the public in an ism as it is now in my opinion cannot
media everywhere. In the section discussing the inter- unfiltered state. Thus, the challenge to be detached from sensationalism
the combined quantitative (content
views, Lynch and Freear report “sins those in attendance was how Indone- because we are facing many con-
analysis) and qualitative (interview)
The research was two pronged—a of omission” and “sins of commission” sian journalists can help their readers tacts through the internet. So peace
approach, and the way the authors
content analysis study, and interviews as articulated by the Afghani journal- and listeners to discern between what journalism (can) allow conversations
analyze the interplay between the
with Afghani journalists. ists. Sins of omission themes were: is real and what is not. to start.”
content and interview findings. Lynch
• Achievements made in Afghanistan
Content analysis and Freear’s paper is well researched The Indonesian visitors were Rizky
since western-backed governments Prof. Youngblood continued the
News reports from the time of the and grounded in solid theory. The Adianhar from Bogor; Tia Kibtiah from
first assumed office in 2001; seminar with a discussion about peace Indonesian journalists (from left) Kar-
intra-Afghan peace talks in September paper is a lively read that avoids the Jakarta; Zidni Fafi from Bogor; Eddy
• Backgrounds and contexts of con- journalism. He made the argument dono Setyorakhmadi, Zidni Fafi, and
2020 were analyzed using the Peace Sahara-like dryness plaguing most Prastyo from Surabaya; Hanieska
flict; that peace journalism is not open Rizky Adianhar absorb a presentation
Journalism/War Journalism model. academic journal articles. Saragih from Anambas; and Kardono
• Potential for agreement in peace advocacy for peace, nor is it ignoring on PJ and disinformation at Park Uni-
These Afghani news reports were talks; the bad in the world and wishing for Setyorakhmadi from Surabaya.
From a peace journalism standpoint, versity in Parkville, MO in February.
found to be predominantly War Jour- • Human interest stories, showing the it to go away. Peace journalism is, at
it’s encouraging to see that the The visitors were in Missouri as part of
nalism, “leaving audiences cognitively reality of conflict as experienced in minimum, when journalists report in the meaning of the term, while the
journalists recognized and embraced the State Department’s International
primed for violent conflict responses communities. such a way that keeps the situation professor pointed out the difficulty
the concept of PJ, while reflecting an Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP),
and likely to overlook or fail to value from becoming worse. It gives peace in defining “terrorism” as well as the
understanding of War Journalism’s which is administered in the area by
peace initiatives,“ according to the Sins of commission themes were: builders a voice and discusses the so- importance of using the term more
shortcomings. Global Ties KC.
authors. “It did little to prompt or • Acts of direct violence; lutions to the problems faced. Peace cautiously and judiciously. The gather-
enable readers, listeners or viewers to • Casualty figures and ‘gory details’ Peace journalism is needed in Afghani- journalism, Prof. Youngblood said, is ing also discussed Indonesian law, and --Danny Burger
consider and value nonviolent conflict from the above; stan and everywhere else because, in
responses, as by then envisaged for • Overly politicized coverage, includ- the words of the authors, it “makes a
the negotiation process.” ing official sources blaming everything In the Oct. 2023 edition:
substantial contribution to a constitu-
on the Taliban. -Special report-Moldova
ency for peace.”
Specifically, using a scale they devel- -Greece summer school
--Steven Youngblood ©2023 by Park University
pg 24 [Link]/peacecenter pg 25 [Link]/peacecenter