How conflict sensitive journalism can restore public trust
- Jeff Achen
- Jan 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 4
Journalists encounter conflict in almost every story they cover. Political conflict, cultural conflict, business conflict and the list goes on. But, rarely do journalists study conflict itself.
Here are some features of conflict every journalist should understand:
Sources of conflict
Resources are scarce
There is little or no communication
Groups have incorrect ideas or beliefs about each other
There are unresolved grievances/resentment
Power is uneven
What would you add?
Understanding violence
Violence is one outcome of conflict and one I think we can agree most people would choose to avoid, if possible. Even journalists agree that we should help alleviate violence through our work. Here are some features of violence every journalist should understand:
What types of violence
Physical violence
Cultural violence
Hate speech
Xenophobia
Heros and villains narratives
Religion
Gender discrimination
Structural violence
Racism/Sexism
Colonialism
Exploitation
Poverty/Income inequality
Corruption
Segregation
These lists are not exhaustive. And, conflict is complex and easily influenced by outside forces. Conflict can be influenced, disrupted, exacerbated, and resolved by parties involved in it. And for the most part, conflict is about communication or the lack thereof.
So, in order to address conflict and understand it, we must identify who is involved. Included in that list must be the media. In addition to the parties directly in conflict are third parties to conflict such as counselors, mediators, community leaders, diplomats or politicians, or negotiators. The media are an outside influence on conflict whether intended or not. Hence, the media are “third parties” to conflict.
I believe public trust in journalism has fallen, even flatlined because journalists have abdicated their role as meaningful contributors to healthy conflict resolution. Either out of ignorance or by choice.
I believe public trust in journalism has fallen, even flatlined because journalists have abdicated their role as meaningful contributors to healthy conflict resolution. Either out of ignorance or by choice.
According to Ross Howard, an international consultant on conflict-sensitive journalism, the media has many unconscious roles in conflict situations. Consider these functions of journalism in relation to your conflict.
In his essay “Role Plays: Potential media roles in conflict prevention and management” media and conflict expert Robert Manoff highlights potential roles the media can play in the prevention and management of conflict. He began by examining how conflict mediators did their jobs and found that the media could be, and in some cases, already is an extension of this work.
Journalist CHANNEL COMMUNICATION
In some cases communication might not be taking place because of hurt feelings or disagreements that led to a shutdown somewhere along the way. Responsible, accurate reporting on the part of the media might be a way to hear out the other side. It might also help others that are concerned, such as your community, to understand the conflict.
Journalists EDUCATE
Information is one of the most valuable services the media provides a community. Responsible, accurate reporting of your conflict could educate people on the importance of an issue or the sensitivity of your situation.
Journalists BUILD CONFIDENCE.
For parties in conflict that have stopped trusting each other, the media can help reduce suspicion and increase trust by reporting stories that show how parties can help each other and how their goals might be compatible.
Journalists CORRECT MISPERCEPTIONS.
Often conflict occurs when people just don’t understand each other. By reporting responsibly and accurately misperceptions can be clarified.
Journalists MAKE PARTIES HUMAN.
In conflict it’s easy to feel like the villain. That may be a problem of misperception, but through responsible, accurate reporting on the complexity of issues, as opposed to perceived hostility, journalists can show the human side of all parties.
Journalists IDENTIFY UNDERLYING INTERESTS.
As Robert Manoff points out, “this is standard conflict resolution practice, but it is surprising how infrequently journalists address this question in stories.” Through responsible, accurate reporting, journalists can explore the complexity of issues and help the public see what’s really going on.
Journalists can ENCOURAGE A BALANCE OF POWER
In some conflicts there are stronger parties and weaker ones. The media can give voice to the grievances of the weak as well as the strong, helping to balance power differences and leading to better, more long-term solutions.
Journalists can properly FRAME CONFLICT.
This is what good journalism tries to do. As Robert Manoff points out, “the media can be particularly attentive to the concessions made by the parties, the common ground that exists between them, the solutions they have considered and so on.”
Journalists can help parties SAVE FACE and BUILD CONSENSUS.
Parties in conflict often worry about how the conflict affects their reputation within a community. Through the media, parties can explain their positions and help build support, create understanding, and reach consensus.
Journalists can help in SOLUTION BUILDING.
Conflicts are more likely to get resolved as more options and solutions are considered. The media can help flush out possibilities for agreement, cooperation and acceptable solutions to conflict.
You may recognize many of these journalism roles. Many of the virtues they contain are familiar parts of journalism ethics codes, from the International Principles of Professional Ethics in Journalism established in 1978 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNSCO) to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. Our job is to minimize harm in the reporting we do BECAUSE it is contradictory to achieving a more informed public. We need to learn to do that better if we wish to repair and rebuild public trust in journalism.
A checklist for conflict-sensitive journalism
Understanding conflict dynamics and how our role as journalists can negatively and positively impact and influence the unfolding of conflict is critical. Adherance to our established codes of ethics is a crucial first step. Ross Howard offers these additional considerations:
Avoid reporting a conflict as consisting of two opposing sides. Find other affected interests and include their stories, opinions and goals.
Avoid defining the conflict by always quoting the leaders who make familiar demands. Go beyond the elites. Report the words of ordinary people who may voice the opinions shared by many.
Avoid only reporting what divides the sides in conflict. Ask the opposing sides questions which may reveal common ground. Report on interests or goals which they may share.
Avoid always focusing on the suffering and fear of only one side. Treat all sides’ suffering as equally newsworthy.
Avoid words like devastated, tragedy and terrorized to describe what has been done to one group. These kinds of words put the reporter on one side. Do not use them yourself. Only quote someone else who uses these words.
Avoid emotional and imprecise words. Assassination is the murder of a head of state and no-one else. Massacre is the deliberate killing of innocent, unarmed civilians. Soldiers and policemen are not massacred. Genocide means killing an entire people. Do not minimize suffering, but use strong language carefully.
Avoid words like terrorist, extremist or fanatic. These words take sides, make the other side seem impossible to negotiate with. Call people what they call themselves.
Avoid making an opinion into a fact. If someone claims something, state their name, so it is their opinion and not your fact.
Avoid waiting for leaders on one side to offer solutions. Explore peace ideas wherever they come from. Put these ideas to the leaders and report their responses.
Work cited
Conflict Sensitive Journalism: A Handbook by Ross Howard, 2003 IMS (International Media Support) and IMPACS (Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society) https://www.mediasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ims-csj-handbook-2004.pdf
Robert Karl Manoff, "The Media's Role in Preventing and Moderating Conflict". This paper was prepared for the Virtual Diplomacy conference hosted by United States Institute of Peacein Washington, D.C. on April 1 and 2, 1997, https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/EJC111752
International Principles of Professional Ethics in Journalism, https://research.tuni.fi/ethicnet/country/international-principles-of-professional-ethics-in-journalism/
Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, https://www.spj.org/spj-code-of-ethics/
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