For People, For Policy: Journalists’ Perceptions of Peace Journalism in East Africa

Abstract

Compared to studies on peace-journalism content, little research examines journalists’ perceptions of peace journalism despite theoretical suggestions that individuals influence content production. To address this relative disparity, this study examines the social conditions shaping journalists’ perceptions of peace journalism using a hierarchy-of-influences perspective and data from 20 in-depth interviews with East African journalists, conducted between September 2020 and February 2021. Findings suggest that journalists generally understand peace journalism in one of two ways, each with distinct intended audiences, aims, and reporting interventions. Moreover, when examined alongside respondents’ professional situations, these perceptions tend to be stratified by varying degrees of professional precarity.

Mapping Journalists' Perspectives on Peace Journalism in Pakistan: Evaluating News Media War and Peace Potential

“…According to the findings, the two groups of journalists did not make considerably different in terms of their coverage of war and peace in their respective nations, which challenges the optimism claimed by peace journalism specialists that increasing expertise in the area would motivate journalists to join peace journalism activities (Neumann & Fahmy, 2016;Prager & Hameleers, 2021). For example, (Youngblood, 2016) claimed that experienced journalists develop influential agency gradually in the news organisation and that extended time spent in the war field helps them better appreciate the difficult nature of a conflict scenario, allowing them to generate more peace journalism as a result of their experiences (Doll, 2022;Kalfeli et al, 2022).…”

“…Khan, 2019). During these four battles, the Pakistani military is the most significant stakeholder, and the news media are compelled to regurgitate the information provided by the communication department of the Pakistani army because they have no other option (Doll, 2022). On the other hand, since the military is not directly involved in the ethnic struggle in Karachi or the sectarian strife in the city, journalists have a greater degree of freedom in reporting on these conflicts.…”

“…Leave aside the potential normative ramifications of interpretive journalism. Critics of interpretative journalism contend that It's also time for the media to offer a more unedited view of what sources have to say in reaction to this transparency stance (Doll, 2022;Yontucu et al, 2022). Moreover, they challenge the purpose of journalists, arguing that they are worthless and prone to competitive realities; therefore, they are not held accountable for their actions in many circumstances.…”