Peace Journalism as a Normative Theory: Premises and Obstacles

Abstract

I will define peace journalism as a normative theory claiming that the media ought to play a positive role in promoting peace. The basic premise of peace journalism is that if contemporary media tend to play a negative role in terms of increasing the tensions between and among the sides of a conflict, they can also play a positive role by promoting peace and reconciliation. Although it seems a good idea to promote peace journalism in journalistic circles, we should be aware of the formidable obstacles to this practice. I will outline these obstacles and comment on them. I argue that Journalists find easier to follow the official line, or to “index” themselves to the “official politics”. This protects journalists from criticism and helps them to “frame” conflict in a consensual manner. While this is the general trend, I will make some concluding suggestions to promote peace journalism as a suitable alternative to contemporary journalistic practices.