Turning violence into peace

(Dungiven, Northern Ireland)- Remarkable panel discussion yesterday with violence survivors who are now peace activists. Still processing this incredible experience, held to honor recently murdered journalist Lyra Mckee. More details to follow in a few days.

Media and reconciliation in Northern Ireland

(Belfast, Northern Ireland)-Should the media play a role in reconciliation? This key question was on the front burner at Friday’s peace journalism workshop at the George Mitchell Center for Global Peace, Security, and Justice at Queen’s University-Belfast.

The session began with an overview of the elements of reconciliation, followed by a discussion of what role if any media should play in reconciliation—a particularly salient issue here in Northern Ireland, which is still healing 21 years after the Good Friday accords. I noted that peace journalism would encourage reporting that leads a productive societal discussion about reconciliation processes and issues, without taking a position on the desirability of reconciliation or advocating for any one reconciliation process. 

The journalist/participants agreed that media have a vital role to play in reconciliation. They noted several deficits in reconciliation coverage from Northern Ireland’s journalists. These include a gender bias that marginalizes women, over use of elite voices and under reporting about the marginalized and voiceless, and a lack of background and context in reports about reconciliation.

I mentioned that journalists everywhere struggle reporting reconciliation issues since they are complex and occur over many years. Journalists are geared to cover breaking news—accidents, disasters, violence. Reconciliation, in contrast, doesn’t break, it oozes.

Despite the struggles, we discussed several positive examples of reconciliation reporting in Northern Ireland including The View magazine and Shared Future News online.

Friday’s session concluded with a discussion about social media as a tool for peace.

The project here in Northern Ireland is sponsored by a US Embassy-London grant. It will continue this week with public lectures and meetings with journalists.