Abstract
Much has been said about the news media’s role in instigating war, conflict and violence. Less attention has been paid to the news media’s role in mitigating conflict. Criticism has been directed towards the ways in which journalists and war correspondents cover conflict with an emphasis on violence, suffering, polarization of the views of main stakeholders, and over-simplification of the underlying causes of conflict. The growing literature and scholarship around Peace Journalism stands as a response to this. In the context of the African continent, further critique has been levelled against frames and narratives of war, conflict and violence grounded in Western epistemologies and dominant discourses of African conflicts and stakeholders. Based on data collected from interviews with a selected group of journalists working on—and covering—the African continent, the article assesses awareness towards alternative narratives and news frames, as well as attitudes towards alternative practices and models for journalism. Particular attention is paid to ideas and responses regarding Peace Journalism as an alternative model for reporting.
Highlights
While the news media’s role in instigating war, conflict and violence has been documented, less attention has been paid to the news media’s role in mitigating conflict
In the context of the African continent, further critique has been levelled against frames and narratives of war, conflict and violence grounded in Western epistemologies and dominant discourses of African conflicts and stakeholders
The research is based on qualitative semistructured interviews with a select group of foreign correspondents covering conflicts on the African continent and assesses awareness towards: 1) the critique levelled against foreign reporting and the reporting of Africa and conflicts on the African continent; 2) alternative narratives and news frames, as well as alternative practices and models for journalism—in particular, Peace Journalism (PJ)
Summary
While the news media’s role in instigating war, conflict and violence has been documented, less attention has been paid to the news media’s role in mitigating conflict (see Bratic & Schirch, 2007, p. 7). Criticism has been directed towards the ways in which journalists and war correspondents cover conflicts with an emphasis on violence, suffering, polarization of the views of main stakeholders, and over-simplification of the underlying causes of conflict. In the context of the African continent, further critique has been levelled against frames and narratives of war, conflict and violence grounded in Western epistemologies and dominant discourses of African conflicts and stakeholders. The research is based on qualitative semistructured interviews with a select group of foreign correspondents covering conflicts on the African continent and assesses awareness towards: 1) the critique levelled against foreign reporting and the reporting of Africa and conflicts on the African continent; 2) alternative narratives and news frames, as well as alternative practices and models for journalism—in particular, Peace Journalism (PJ).
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