Peace journalism

Hansjoerg Enz, a former Swiss news anchor, has been training fellow journalists in DR Congo for a year. Working with the staff at Radio Maendeleo, an NGO-sponsored broadcaster in South Kivu, his aim is to convey a sense of conflict-sensitive or peace journalism.

The basic standards of professional journalism - thorough research, analysis of multiple sources and a commitment to accuracy - are the most important aspects of good peace journalism, according to Enz.

"Above all, peace journalism is responsible journalism," he added

But he also said it's crucial for journalists to ask themselves how they can have an impact on the conflict going on around them.

Presenting solutions without taking sides

For journalists instilled with the principle of objectivity, that's not always an easy role to accept, said Martin Zint, German coordinator of the Peace and Conflict Journalism Network. He said it's possible for journalists to report in a solution-oriented way without taking sides.

"It means: how do I portray certain things?" he said. "Do I highlight in my report possible solutions to the conflict? Is my reporting solution-oriented or do I just stick to the phenomena themselves, like many of my colleagues do?"

This form of journalism also means avoiding one-sided terms - like "terrorist" - and conducting interviews not only with political leaders, but also with the ordinary population. In a serious conflict, it's always important to present the viewpoint and motivation of both sides.

Bridging the divide with information

Enz gave a case example from DR Congo, saying that 5,000 soldiers from Rwanda recently marched in South Kivu. They wanted to hunt the Dehamwe, a group of people who have been living in the Congolese forests since the genocide in Rwanda.

"It's clear to Congolese journalists and the Congolese people: 'Ah, Rwanda again! They've already brought us this misfortune before,'" said Enz. "Then the judgment comes very quickly: They're the bad guys who want to come and take over our land and take our minerals."

For another example, Zint pointed to Chad, where there's a conflict between the local farmers and the nomadic cattle breeders, who despite living in the same country are quite different from each other, both culturally and linguistically.

"We realized that it's really difficult for each group to relate to the other," said Zint, "so we sent out mixed teams with an Arabic-speaking journalist and a French-speaking journalist, each with the appropriate cultural background, and together they did a report, from the side of the cattle breeders and then the farmers."

Transferring information from one side to the other is an essential - and effective - part of conflict-sensitive journalism, he said. Being able to see what motivates other people is a major part of peace journalism, Enz added.

Conflict between media aid and diplomacy

To create good conditions for sensitive, responsible journalism in conflict and post-conflict regions, material investment is necessary - but so is a sense of tact. Since official development work involves cooperation at the governmental level, it is not always considered diplomatic for those providing aid to support regime-critical journalism.

"Media aid is a very sensitive issue, because as soon as it goes beyond studio equipment and material expenses, it becomes political," said Zint. "In crisis regions, critical journalism isn't usually liked by those in power."

Author: Monika Hoegen (kjb)

Editor: Sean Sinico