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Jake Lynch &
Annabel McGoldrick, 2005. Peace Journalism. Gloucestershire UK: Hawthorn
Press.
A journalistic idea
in an editorial management became an international crisis. This was a
new experience for the press (as well as the politicians) of Norway, and
the freedom of expression/of the press got a new dimension and new challenges;
all happened after The Jyllands-Posten in Denmark published cartoons of
the Prophet Muhammad in September last year, and a small Norwegian neoconservative
Christian weekly newspaper, Magazinet, published the same cartoons in
January this year.
The editor's background for publishing the cartoons was "to contribute
to a debate about the freedom of expression", but he admits he would
never print similar cartoons of Jesus Christ.
This is an illustrating example of the journalists' responsibility, not
only to their own society, but the whole world. The reactions from the
Muslim world might have come as a surprise to the editor himself (who
had to live under protection at a secret place). We observed the frustrations
from the Muslim world towards the West, after decades of war, exploitation
and oppression, with poverty and hopelessness as ever repeating and recognizable
consequences.
All the violent reactions, from demonstrations of angry men burning Norwegian
and Danish flags to attacks on embassies and Scandinavian business facilities;
all of this happened in Muslim societies in Asia, Africa and the Middle
East, most of the events were of course thoroughly reported in the press
week after week in January and February. Only a few of the reports went
deeper into the conflict, its background and various reasons. It is yet
too early to get a complete picture on how the journalists reported on
the many incidents and issues due to the Muhammad cartoons. Two Norwegian
public opinion polls concluded early in February that 28 % of the Norwegian
people are more negative to immigration (from Muslim countries) than before
the 'cartoon case'. It may be obvious that the press has not succeeded
in giving a broad picture of the conflict. The journalists and editors
have obviously not read the new book: 'Peace Journalism' by Annabel McGoldrick
and Jake Lynch. This book gives a lot of conflict analysis tools for reporting
not in favour of war and violent conflicts. A lot of research results
on journalism almost all over the world unfortunately show that journalism
most of the time does work in favour of war, although this is not what
the reporters really wish.
Several studies on the media coverage of the war in Iraq and on the conflict
between Israel and Palestine show the difficulties to separate between
propaganda, patriotism and factual information in the time of war and
conflict. Previous studies on 'media at war' describe these problems.
We know that wars and conflicts themselves make big hindrances for the
journalistic work, often the reporters participate in dangerous situations,
it is difficult to identify lies or propaganda from the truth when you
are regarding it from inside a restricted area, especially for those who
want to report deeper and broader, beside the guns, behind the bombs and
the grenades. Of course most of the journalists are interested in getting
the best stories, but often the best stories are not the most obvious
heroic or easy to recognize, or the story closest to the truth. But it
is possible with the right conflict analysis tools to achieve more fair
and constructive war coverage, to learn how to distinguish between propaganda,
misinformation and information is described many times before, with different
approaches, emphasises and focuses. Susan Sontag wrote about how we (in
the western countries) regard the pain of 'Others' (in eastern and southern
societies), Edward Said has shown the replacement of enemy images from
communism and communists to Islam and Muslims.
In the chairs surrounding Professor Johan Galtung's Peace Journalism Table
the group of journalists and media workers from 'Reporting the World'
have come out with a new set of conscious reporting with a high awareness
of what their journalistic work shall show the audience, the readers and
the viewers: Peace Journalism in stead of War Journalism; peace/conflict-orientated
vs. war/violence-orientated, truth-orientated vs. propaganda-orientated,
people-orientated vs. elite-orientated and finally focusing on solutions
in stead of victory. The writers manage to go deep into the many conflicts
from different angles, and they ask more question than establishing well
known 'truths'. This is of course the true nature of journalism, a pity
though that so many journalists often 'know' the answers before asking
them!
The book contains both the descriptions of actual media coverage on both
previous and present wars and conflicts, such as the war in Iraq, the
NATO bombing in Kosovo, the conflicts in Indonesia, Israel/Palestine,
Afghanistan, the Philippines, South Africa. The reader gets both the 'good
and the bad and the ugly' examples of propaganda and reality, how the
journalists are being manipulated by different authorities and how creative
reporters achieve surprisingly results of their work, just by thinking
and acting differently than the main stream.
'Peace Journalism' gives tools to how journalists and media researchers
can identify violence - and peace efforts - in the actual situation (and
in the text), and also suggest the right medicine. The book is both a
handbook for journalists in the field (though we could wish another, handier
size for that purpose) as a source for media researchers. It even contains
an appendix with suggestions on physical and psychological security for
journalists covering violent conflicts. Because it is written by journalists
with long lasting experience on reporting from such conflicts and from
teaching students and journalist colleagues, the reliability on the subject
peace journalism is high; the conclusions come from deep reflective experiences
in the field! The chapters are followed by exercises that might help the
reader to a higher level of reflection, and with the list of exercises
it is very useful in educating journalist and media students all over
the world. The list of internet addresses in the endnotes and the list
of literature, give a valuable supplement for the researcher, the student
as well as for any other curious reader.
It is an every day struggle for a journalist to report honest, fair and
being as objective as possible. The book 'Peace Journalism' gives you
the good ideas, the frames and utile advices - the tools - to succeed
in your effort. It is indispensable for any journalist who is or will
be covering conflicts.
Solveig
Steien
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