Countries in the Global South, especially ones in conflict or post-conflict status, are often the site for peace journalism training and practice. This means that peace journalism is usually practiced more in the Global South than elsewhere. This article examines lessons for peace journalism from the Global South, based on a webinar on the topic on Mar 27, 2024, as part of a webinar series on growing peace journalism hosted by the Media and Peacebuilding Project (MPP) at the George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), along with partners. The webinar hosted four experts based in the Global South.
First up was Shabir Hussain, a professor at Bahria University Islamabad and a past contributor to Peace News. His research focuses on developing “non-Western practical and theoretical approaches”, and he has previously reported on conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He spoke about key findings from his research: mainly that peace journalism is not a monolith, and that its surrounding context determines how much agency peacebuilders can have.
He discussed a variety of contexts which can offer challenges and opportunities for peace journalism. For example, he spoke about a hypothetical environment where a high security threat level might provoke a climate of patriotism, and decrease the prevalence of peace reporting. In this scenario, any number of factors, including the fear of violence, the role of the military or a foreign actor, or clear ideological differences, might mean that journalists would use their reporting to support an ongoing conflict, leading to victory oriented coverage. In a situation with a less present security threat, however, there are greater opportunities for peace journalism. This framework identifies a dangerous paradox: the conditions that create the greatest need for peace journalism also make it much more difficult to carry out, and creates a less receptive audience.
Speaking from his own experience training peace journalists, Hussain was clear to reinforce the threats facing peace journalism. He emphasized that powerful institutions can easily manipulate media and public opinion, and that social media can also be weaponized to promote elite narratives. There is hope for peace journalism, and Hussain specifically mentioned the importance of pragmatism and the need to train journalists to recognize when opportunities open, even in highly securitized environments.
Up next was Priya Sen, an independent journalist based in Delhi. She has reported from around the world, working with Professor Steven Youngblood, the moderator of the panel, on a project with the East West Center. Much of her work has explored the experiences of minority groups in South Asia from a peace journalism framework. These minority groups include sexual, religious, ethnic, and linguistic minorities, and people living on borders – including Pakistani Hindus, Rohingya refugees, and climate refugees. Sen discussed how to better report on these communities, emphasizing the importance of combating stereotyping and demonization of minorities.
Moving to constructive communication, instead of discourse focused solely on conflict, was also emphasized, as was the need to find common ground and establish cross-border dialogue. Above all, it is crucial to practice informed journalism: reporting with accuracy and knowledge of the subject, and respecting the complexities present in every story. She shared a quote from a Jesuit priest in India, who spoke about how prejudice can be challenged by engaging with youth as agents of change.
Sen also spoke about what peace journalists need to avoid in this context. Like Hussain, she recognized the power of narratives in conflict and the danger of manipulation. She highlighted the need to avoid nationalist narratives, and avoid what she termed “warmongering” to increase viewership during times of conflict or rioting. The delicate balance needed in peace journalism was another aspect of her presentation. Reporters should be careful to avoid “abetment” of conflict when reporting, but also must not prioritize diplomacy over authentic journalism. Victims of conflict should be portrayed as humans, instead of being cast in one single light that might inadvertently promote stereotypes. Finally, Sen spoke about the danger of ignoring the causes and outcomes of conflicts by focusing on sensationalism and only the visible effects of violence.
The next speaker, Gloria Laker Aciro, is a journalist, media trainer, and the head of the Peace Journalism Foundation in Uganda. She spoke about the long conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the her work with Refugees Online News (RON), which carried out projects in Uganda, South Sudan, and South Korea. The Peace Journalism Foundation was established during the LRA conflict, and is predominantly led by women and youth. They help to mentor, train, and support journalists in Uganda and across East Africa. Through workshops and collaboration with outside organizations, such as the Center for Global Peace Journalism, they work to promote nonviolence and train over 150 journalists and local leaders who cover violence and terrorism. According to Aciro, they have trained over 400 East African journalists, along with support for students engaged in research into peace and refugee issues.
Aciro discussed some of her foundation’s upcoming projects, including a peace journalism project in South Sudan (before elections currently scheduled for December) and in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is in addition to their ongoing work, including two outlets which regularly publish peace stories of success, focused on peace, refugees, humanitarian and environmental work, and development journalism: Voice for Peace Development (VPD) and Refugee Online News (RON). On the local level, the Foundation has established six community peace clubs in Uganda, which assist in the nonviolent resolution of disputes through engagement with communities and community leaders. In the future, the Peace Journalism Foundation plans to expand their cross-border collaborative peace journalism projects throughout East Africa, building on their considerable current work.
The final speaker was Rose Obah, a peace journalist and media trainer from Cameroon, currently based at Makerere University in Kampala. She spoke about her experience in that country, and her approach to practicing peace journalism in a country dealing with an active conflict. She began with some background on the situation in Cameroon, where the deployment of the military against peaceful protests in 2016 has now escalated into a full-scale conflict, which has seen significant human rights abuses, displacement, and disruption. Obah used the Cameroon Community Media Network as a case study. The Network is dedicated to amplifying voices of people throughout Cameroon, especially in remote areas. She spoke about efforts to find a platform for peace journalism across all possible platforms, including radio, tv stations, and blogs, in order to reach people in all sorts of communities. An important aspect of this was bringing major actors together to discuss the root causes of the conflict, and to include voices from both sides, which is always a challenge in times of war and civil conflict.
At the same time, Obah emphasized one goal that is key to peace journalism – the importance of highlighting local voices, solutions, and those working to find them. She discussed how their training focuses on the art of storytelling, and the importance of highlighting local voices and solutions, community-driven initiatives, and the need to center ordinary citizens and those most impacted by crises. Obah plans to continue to advocate for peace journalism in Cameroon, through work with peacebuilders and the creation of a handbook to give to newsrooms throughout the country. When asked how she had found so much success in a country that has endured a civil war for years, she pointed to their dedication to inclusivity, working with members in all ten Cameroonian regions, and, crucially, both French and English speakers – which is important given the role the linguistic divide has played in fueling conflict in the country.
The webinar series has now concluded, but we will be releasing a final article on the content of the sixth and final presentation. Keep an eye out for our upcoming peace stories, which cover the work of peacebuilders from around the world.
