Peace journalism is a term that was coined in the mid-1990s to describe a form of reporting on conflict that encourages non-violent solutions.
The trans-disciplinary field of peace journalism promotes the development of a set of practical strategies for both writers and editors, as well as providing a basis for the development of evaluative criteria for the critical analysis of war reporting.
Professor Jake Lynch works in the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Sydney University and is a regular columnist on politics and world affairs. The PDF attachment explores some of the most common routes into a career in journalism.
Creating Opportunities to Reduce Conflict
There are several ways in which peace journalism can be defined. While is can be described in a number of ways, peace journalism essentially revolves around editors and writers making conscious choices to report in a way that creates opportunities for societies and communities to value and consider non-violent responses to all forms of conflict.
These choices on what to report and how to report it, including which words to use and how to frame the narrative, can have a positive effect on readers and society as a whole. Peace journalists aim to promote the values of peace and cohesive living without compromising their journalistic integrity.
A definition of peace can be seen in the short video attachment to this post.
Reform Movement
Peace journalism is not just a media discipline. It has evolved over the past couple of decades into a global reform movement, with thousands working to promote non-violent responses to conflict throughout society.
Academic courses in peace journalism are now being taught around the world, including in the UK, the USA, Mexico, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Costa Rica and South Africa.
Peace journalism hears stories from all sides and angles without bias, highlights initiatives for the peaceful resolution of conflict, and explores hidden agendas.
Peace Journalism Vs War and Conflict Journalism
A common narrative in print and visual media when reporting on any form of conflict is the ‘us and them’ scenario. Journalists often focus on the effects of violence, spread propaganda and demonise one side or the other, using victory-oriented language.
Peace journalists seek to reverse this process, humanising both sides of a conflict and discussing positive solutions.
The embedded infographic looks at some of the global peace statistics for 2020.