Better coverage would frame Ukraine war in terms of peacebuilding
Six weeks after I reported about the lack of reporting about peaceful solutions to the Ukraine war, little has changed. (See blog, May 24)

In May, I asked this: Given the fact that the war must inevitably end with negotiations, have the media responded appropriately by giving the peace talks their rightful place in the public discourse? Has the coverage of peace been proportionate to the blow by blow accounts of the war?

A small, current survey of Google news provides the answer: no.

A Google news search (8/2) of “Ukraine Russia War” came up with 124 million hits. In comparison, there were only a paltry 22.4 million hits for “Ukraine Russia negotiations”—18% of the overall story total. And it goes down from there. There were only 1.4 million hits for “Ukraine Russia peace talks,” 928K hits for “Ukraine Russia peaceful solution,” 629K hits for “Ukraine Russia peace proposals,” and just 159k hits for “Ukraine Russia peace treaty.” 

These findings echo what I said in May: “Anyone who’s been consuming news about the war already knows that the daily coverage of territorial gains, casualties, weaponry, and attacks is crowding out news about peace efforts, negotiations, and cease fires.”

One of the central tenets of peace journalism is to give voice to peacemakers on all sides, and to give societies a chance to consider non-violent responses to conflict. Clearly, this is not happening with Ukraine war coverage. Better coverage would frame the war in terms of peace and peacebuilding.

I’d like to see more media coverage that answers these pressing questions:

-How does adding NATO members, or providing Ukraine advanced weaponry, contribute to, or detract from, peaceful solutions?

-How does escalating the war impact future negotiations/peace talks?

-What is the impact of Russia sanctions on future negotiations/peace talks?

-How can the U.S. and NATO provide an off-ramp for the belligerents in a way that they can save face?

-Even though Russia is clearly the villain here, does vilifying and isolating Russia serve the long term goals of peace?

-What does “winning” look like, and how will a “win” impact long term peace in the region?

-Are there compromises short of a "win" that better serve the cause of lasting peace?

-And, how can the seeds of positive peace be planted now, so that Ukraine and the region can move forward peacefully?

Reporting that answers these question, that frames the Ukraine war in terms of peacebuilding, helps the public in our democratic societies consider non-escalating, non-violent responses to the conflict. Also, answering these questions is just good journalism.