conflict
& communication online, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2008
www.cco.regener-online.de
ISSN 1618-0747
Stig A. Nohrstedt
& Rune Ottosen
War Journalism in the Threat Society: Peace journalism as a strategy
for challenging the mediated culture of fear?
The possible development
of the Risk Society into what could be called the Threat Society, in which
threat perceptions are exploited in politics to a degree seldom seen in
modernity, seriously challenges conflict and peace journalism in many
new ways. The context of the Global War on Terror as the dominant global
discursive order, and the lack of a consistent strategy for democratisation
in post-conflict countries, together with visual war propaganda, perception
management and psychological operations as part of the media wars conducted
alongside of military operations, all make it urgent to discuss the relevance,
reach and applicability of the peace journalism model and/or philosophy
in the present international situation. This article outlines points of
departure for such a discussion in the Threat Society.
About the authors:
Stig Arne Nohrstedt, Ph.D is Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Örebro, Sweden. His Research areas include war and conflict journalism, journalistic ethics and roles, risk and crisis communication and media and structural discrimination. Recent books: Nohrstedt, S.A. & Ottosen, R. (eds.) (2005): Global War - Local Views: Media Images of the Iraq War. Göteborg: Nordicom; Nohrstedt, S.A. & Ottosen, R. (eds.) (2004): US and the Others. Göteborg: Nordicom.
eMail: stig_arne.nohrstedt@hum.oru.se
Rune Ottosen, b. 1950, Cand. polit. in Political Science (University of Oslo, 1984), BA in Journalism (Norwegian College of Journalism, 1973); Journalist in various media (1977-84); Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Norwegian College of Journalism (1984-88); Information Director and Research Fellow at the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) (1989-92); Research Fellow at the Norwegian Federation of Journalists (1993-95); Associate Professor at the Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information Science, Oslo College, since 1996; Professor in the same institution from 1999; Ottosen is also the president of the Norwegian Association of Non-Fiction Authors and Translators. Author of several books and articles on journalism history and topics related to war and journalism.
Recent book publications: Journalism and the New World Order, Vol. I. Gulf War, National News Discourses and Globalization (ed. with Stig-Arne Nohrstedt, 2000); Kosovokonflikten, medierna och medlidandet (The Kosovo Conflict, Media and Compassion, 2002).
eMail: Rune.Ottosen@jbi.hio.no