COMMON GROUND NEWS SERVICE: A VITAL MEDIUM

Khaled Diab writes in an entry for the Common Ground News Service this week about the importance of the media in conflicts.  Media can act as spoilers to any hope of conflict resolution–depicting the “other” in stereotypes and perpetuating tensions.  However, media can also be used in conflict zones, like that of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by “[advancing] the quest for peace by challenging and changing people’s perceptions, building understanding, and mending fences”.  Mr. Diab offers a few recommendations that could  help media actors in the Middle East to increase the possibility for their craft to help people search for common ground:

1.  The media should highlight positives and not just fixate on negatives, even though violence sells.

2.  The media need to dedicate more space to building a deeper understanding of the cultural and social make-up of the other side of the conflict.

3.  The media should be a channel for create and novel approaches to the conflict, as well as a conduit for debate–for example on online forums.

4.  Journalists should exercise subjectivity in a balanced manner as they hold considerable influence in their communities.

Question to the Blogosphere:  What do you think the role of the media should be in the developing conflicts around the world?  Do you think they should be silenced for provoking further violence or is it important to maintain freedom of the press in conflict zones to prevent further agitation?  Many remember incidences when media have been used to extent violence in conflicts–such as in Rwanda–but when have media been used to prevent, resolve, or manage conflicts?  Do you agree with Mr. Diab that creative uses of media, such as the development of online forums for debates, can help people find common ground across conflicts, or does the facelessness of the internet and the ability for people to say what they want with few repercussions turn the virtual world violent as well?