RIAZUL ISLAMINTERNATIONAL MEDIA STUDIES

BONN-RHEIN-SIEG UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES/DW AKADEMIE

Media Coverage of Syria Conflict Elite VS People

Orientation

Peace Journalism

Originated from peace studiesFirst coined during 1960s Proponent Johan Galtung from NorwayProminent researchers: Wilhelm Kempf, Jake

Lynch, Nadine Bilke, Rune OttosenAdvocates media to adopt people oriented

reporting instead of elite oriented reportingCritical to military solution of any conflict

Peace Journalism VS War Journalism

Peace Journalism War JournalismPeace oriented‘win, win’ orientationHumanization of all sides

Truth orientedExpose untruths on all sides

Solution orientedPeace= non-violence + creativityHighlight peace initiatives, also to prevent more war

People oriented

Violence orientedZero-sum orientationDehumanization of ‘them’

Propaganda orientedExpose ‘their’ untruths

Victory orientedPeace= victory+ ceasefireConceal peace initiatives, before victory is at hand

Elite oriented

People VS Elite Oriented Coverage

People Oriented Elite OrientedFocus on violence/sufferings of all sides

Give name to all evil-doers

Focus on people peace-makers

Giving voice to the voiceless

Focus on ‘their’ violence and suffering on ‘us’Give name of ‘their’ evil-doers

Focus on elite peace-makers

Being elite mouthpiece

Syria Conflict and Media Coverage

1300 Dead in chemical gas attack, among them many children

Blame game between Assad and rebels

USA, France and Britain Threatened of military strike

Another Iraq was looming

Germany was against military actionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilanR5_YeEo

Three Newspapers from Germany, UK and USA

western powers as active agent in top headlines Elite vs Non-elite voice

Big powers Assad Govt. Rebels/People

Total Reports

FAZ

Independent

IHT

8

5

12

0

1

0

1

1

2

61

41

61

Time frame: 18 days from 22th August till 11th September of 2013.

Anti War Campaign

Number of Reports

Total Number of Reports

Percentage

FAZ

Independent

IHT

4

7

6

61

41

61

6.55%

1707%

9.83%

Povoking words in headlines

Non provoking words in headlines

FAZ

Independent

IHT

13

19

15

21.31%

31.15%

36.58%

FAZ

Independent

IHT

18

8

11

29.51%

13.11%

26.83%

FAZ Independent IHT0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Non-provoking wordsProvoking words

Conclusion

The media coverage was, to a large extent, elite oriented.

Media coverage failed to bring peace or alternative discourse.

Media tend to use provocative words in conflict reporting rather than neutral or peace oriented words.

Media changed their standing in consistent with the change of political situation.

Reference

Galtung, Johan. "Peace Journalism: What, Why, Who, How, When, Where?" Kempft, Wilhelm. The Peace Journalism Controversy. Irena regener, 2008. Berlin.

Human rights Watch video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilanR5_YeEo, accessed on 17.04.2015

Kempf, Wilhelm. "Conflict Prevention and the Media." Kempf, Wilhelm. Readings in Peace Journalism. Berlin: Irena regener, 2010.

Lynch, Jake and Annabel McGoldrick. Peace Journalism. London: Hawthorn Press, 2005.

Lynch, Jake (2014): The Global Standard for Reporting Conflict. Routledge

Thank You