The Iron Horse to Bucharest, or, Trenul!
I’ve always loved train travel, and thus jumped at the chance when I heard that I could take the train from Chisinau, Moldova, where I’m teaching on a Fulbright scholarship, to Bucharest, the capital of neighboring Romania. 

Before I tell you about my experiences, I am requiring you, dear reader, to watch this catchy, highly entertaining music video filmed aboard the same train I took:

As a semi-rational human, I knew the trip wouldn’t be like this video, but deep in the recesses of my calcified mind, I held out some hope that perhaps it might be somewhat lively and entertaining.

As I said, my mind is calcified.

Awaiting unsuspecting passengers in Chisinau

With nary an accordion in sight, we left Chisinau at 5:00pm, on time, and arrived an hour late the next morning in Bucharest at 7:30am. I bought a berth in a sleeper compartment, which features two couches/beds, and little else. As we left Chisinau, I was alone in the tiny cabin, content to watch the bucolic scenery roll past my window. At bed time, I laid down on my ‘Couch McBed.’ Young people: When someone my age is laid out on a slab this hard, we continuously, nervously scan the area for the presence of embalming fluids and equipment.

 Somehow, I managed to drift off.

What happened next is the subject of a message I sent my wife, which reads as follows:
"About 2:00am, there was a knock at my cabin door. I opened the door, and there was a woman there. I knew what she wanted. I let her in."

I left my wife hanging for a few minutes before I elaborated: The woman was 80+ years old. All she wanted was her bed, and for me to retrieve a blanket that was stored beyond her reach. I’m not so sure about the policy that puts strange men and women together in a tiny cabin. I know I was uncomfortable, and I’m sure grandma (great-grandma?) was, too.

My/our cabin, with two slabs/beds

On the return trip, I was on the lookout for a possible roommate, but none materialized. 

An unusual feature of the trip is that at the Moldova-Romania border, the wheels on the train have to be switched out, since one country’s gauge (width between tracks) is wider than the other country. The wheel changing produced an ungodly racket featuring the world’s loudest, sharpest metal-on-metal clanking.  On the way to Bucharest, this occurred at about 9:00pm. On the way back, it happened at 3:00am, and thus sleep was impossible for an hour or longer. Also at the border, there was a constant parade of passport control and customs officials checking your documents and luggage. No, I did not smuggle cigarettes. (Cigarettes are cheaper in Moldova, so they’re smuggled into Romania and sold for a profit. The cig question is also asked on bus trips from Romania into Moldova.)

Would I recommend the Chisinau to Bucharest train trip? Considering that I saved $200 compared to flying and the usual airport hassles, the answer is yes. If I do this again, I’ll probably buy both bunks in my cabin. This will negate the possibility of having a cabin mate, and give me room to store my accordion as well.

I did not see anyone playing accordion in this hallway.

 

 

 

Bucharest students welcome prof with attention, sharp questions
Too often, discussions in university classrooms are flat and colorless, and as a professor, it seems like you have to beg to get students to express anything more than a few tepid words. This was certainly not the case during my visit last week to the University of Bucharest (Romania). I loved it.

I was respectfully challenged by a number of students in the two classes I visited, one undergraduate and the other master’s. The most pointed questioning was from a young woman extolling the virtues of ‘citizen journalism,’ and its promise (never fulfilled, in my opinion) to decentralize the distribution of information, and provide unfettered access to information that corporate media perhaps doesn’t want us to see. She said there is little need in the 21st century for traditional media when we can get all we need from social media.

Introducing PJ to undergrads at U. of Bucharest

My retort was that ‘citizen journalism’ is akin to ‘citizen surgery’ or ‘citizen accounting.’ I asked, would you go to your police officer neighbor to get your appendix removed, or ask a construction worker to do the accounting for your business? Surgeons, accountants, and yes, journalists, are trained professionals who understand not only the mechanics but the ethics of their profession. Journalism practiced by journalists, not amateurs, follows ethical and professional codes and is edited, reviewed by other professionals for accuracy, bias, and so on. Content produced by amateurs is not vetted, not reliable, and, as study after study shows, oftentimes laced with mis and disinformation.

I was also asked if anyone will pay attention to peace journalism, given the omnipresent cacophony from online sources and a public insatiably hungry for sensationalism. I replied that studies from Dr. Jake Lynch and others prove that audiences prefer peace journalism storytelling that leaves them empowered rather than depressed.

We spent time in both classes scrolling through some disturbing news photos and discussed the use of such images and whether it is consistent with peace journalism. One student insisted that it is proper to use horrifying images of the Gaza war to awaken world opinion, while others thought these sorts of images crossed the line.

I gave the students some ideas about how a peace journalist might think about the use of images:

1. Always consider the impact of your reporting. Don’t gratuitously make things worse for the people whose stories you report, or for the general public, just for clicks.
2. Represent the event accurately. Are the images an exception, or do they genuinely represent the event?
3. Do not re-traumatize with horrifying images. Ask, what if this was your loved one?
4. Don’t intrude. The National Union of Journalists (UK) code of conduct says, a journalist “does nothing to intrude into anybody’s private life, grief or distress unless justified by overriding consideration of the public interest.”
5. Be careful, sensitive with children. Ask parents’ permission.
6. Reject formulaic, stereotypical images that feed into stereotypes, xenophobia, and exclusively negative narratives.

Overall, I was very impressed by the amount and quality of our discourse and the engagement of the students.

It was an honor to be invited to visit the journalism and communications department at the University of Bucharest. I hope to return to continue our vibrant discussions.

Classic-style law faculty building, Univ. of Bucharest

Fulbright Update
I’m in Bucharest, Romania this week teaching at the University of Bucharest. I’ll have a full report in this space next week, so stay tuned.

Webinars explore ‘How to Grow Peace Journalism’
I’ve been privileged to participate in and observe several excellent peace journalism webinars launched by the Media and Peacebuilding Project at the George Washington University.

Their a webinar series, titled “How to Grow Peace Journalism,” was held over 6 weeks from Feb. 28 to April 3.

I was honored to moderate the first webinar, “How to Grow Peace Journalism: Lessons from Peace Journalism Research. Jake Lynch, Professor at the University of Sydney, began with a tribute to the late Dr. Johan Galtung. Lynch posed several research questions for the audience, including does PJ exist; does it have an impact; do audiences know the differences, and is it beneficial. He pointed to research in the peace journalist magazine the shows how those who have been trained in PJ adapt a people-orientation in their reporting.

Then  Meagan Doll, Research Fellow at the University of Washington, further discuss research needed in peace journalism, include audience perceptions, journalistic practice, and PJ’s impact on conflicts themselves. Ayesha Jehangir, Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney, rounded out the presentations by talking about “PJ’s blind spots.” These include reporting about but not challenging selfish interests of aggressors; avoiding a crisis of pity for survivors that diverts attention away from the source of the conflict, and avoiding what she called the “savior and victim” mindset. She also spoke about how peace journalism reflects an open, democratic, deliberative process that can challenge “hegemonic” media practices.

The second webinar, “How to Grow Peace Journalism: Lessons from Peace Journalism Practice,” featured  Vanessa Bassil, founded the Media Association for Peace (MAP), the first NGO to focus on peace journalism in Lebanon and the Middle East. She gave the history of MAP, and talked the many challenges it faces, including funding, institutional identity, sustainability, and impact.

The next speakers were from War Stories Peace Stories, which has since been renamed Making Peace Visible (MPV). MPV is a peace media NGO based in Boston. Founder and Director Jamil Simon discussed  about how peacebuilding and the media are currently stuck in a negative cycle that ignores or marginalizes peacebuilding. To that end, he founded the organization to connect media and peacebuilders in an effort to, well, make peace visible. This is done through MPV’s podcast, magazine, website, and events, like a 2018 symposium at the New York Times Center. MPV’s podcast producer Andrea Muraskin then presented information about their podcast Making Peace Visible, as well as strategies they’re using to expand the podcast’s reach.

Finally, I spoke about reporting that rejects polarizing, conflict-sustaining “us vs. them” models. Instead, I suggested that journalists should instead embrace bridge-building across boundaries. I gave several examples, including a cross border reporting project I’ve been involved with the last four years involving journalists from India and Pakistan.

The third webinar, “Lessons from Constructive Journalism,” began with a definition of constructive journalism given by Cathryn Gyldensted, an investigative journalist and author. (See graphic). She said there are several pillars of CJ that could include media that depolarize, examine context, solutions, and nuances/complexity, and promotes democratic conversations. Tanja Aitamurto from the University of Illinois-Chicago discussed the theoretical underpinnings of CJ, as well as the effects of CJ on audiences—positive effects on feelings, and negative effects on comprehension. Fascinating. Bette Dam, lecturer at Sciences Po University in Paris, also presented about western media narratives about the Taliban and its former leader Mullah Omar. 

I moderated session #5 on peace journalism in the global South. Outstanding speakers and peace journalism advocates Rose Obah (Cameroon); Gloria Laker (Uganda); Priya Sen (India); and Dr. Shabir Hussain (Pakistan) described the obstacles facing peace journalists, and how they are working to overcome these. Obah talked about the need for local voices in media and for participatory journalism, while Laker emphasized the importance of involving women and youth. Sen shared her experiences reporting across borders with Pakistani colleagues, while Dr. Hussain laid out several theoretical models, emphasizing that his research shows that PJ is not monolithic.

As a peace journalism proponent, it’s always great to see anything that brings together the PJ community. These sessions were informative and interesting, and I hope, valuable in spreading the word about peace journalism and its cousins.

For more information on the webinar series, see: https://mediapeaceproject.smpa.gwu.edu/events/ .

Connecting with PJ fellow travelers in Montreal
I recently finished a four-session peace journalism short course for what is one of the most unique and laudable media institutions in the world.

La Converse, based in Montreal, Canada, is an online newspaper with a unique mission to provide “transparent and fair news coverage (which) means first and foremost that everyone’s stories are heard. Serving the community, our reporting is focused on providing information, but also proposing solutions and ideas that bridge the gaps in the issues we deal with,” according to their website. Founder and editor-in-chief Lela Savic said, “Converse is what journalism should be: human.”

Towards this end, La Converse articulates 10 values for what they call dialogue journalism. The include understanding that their choices impact people's lives; engaging in reporting that responds to the needs, questions, and concerns of communities; a commitment to having consensual conversations, building human relationships, and sharing nuanced and untold stories; using a bottom-up approach that talks with people about what’s important to them; focusing on systems and not symptoms; building a team of journalists representative of society; and emphasizing impact over clicks by finding non-viral stories.

A perusal of their website demonstrates that they stick to these values. Featured stories include ones about the “burden of black excellence,” a Rafah (Gaza strip) journalist waiting for a Canadian visa, and a library that meets the needs of refugees. As to the promise about creating a diverse team, the staff is almost all women, and almost all women of color. Many are themselves migrants.

If it sounds like they’re already practicing peace journalism, you’re right. Nonetheless, I hope that I was able to provide some grist for ongoing staff discussions about the righteous and difficult journalism practiced at La Converse.

In my first session, I gave an introduction to peace journalism. Then in subsequent sessions, we delved into PJ applications—migration, trauma reporting, and war. During our many discussions, we agreed that, as stated, La Converse is already practicing peace journalism by giving a voice to the marginalized in their community (they have a series called “hood heroes,” for example); avoiding sensationalism in their word and image choice; and being careful to avoid perpetuating stereotypes.

We had a difficult discussion about the advisability of La Converse running a story about an abused refugee woman. On one hand, this woman has an important story to tell, one that could inspire others to seek help. On the other hand, publishing such a story could fuel the “abused refugee woman” stereotype. For now, La Converse has decided to hold the story.

In the final session, we discussed coverage of the Israel-Palestine war. La Converse exemplifies peace journalism in this area as well. For instance, they’ve written stories that give underrepresented Palestinians a voice in their community. Another La Converse tory brought together supporters from both sides to respectfully hash out their concerns. In our zoom session, we also discussed when images cross the line. When, and if, should a media outlet use pictures of bloody children, or of bodies in body bags lined up after an attack? There are no easy, or clear, answers.

I realize that “I learned as much as they did” is a cliché, but this time it’s really true. I deeply admire the work that La Converse does under the guidance of Editor Lela Savic, and will be using La Converse as an example during future peace journalism workshops and lectures.

The new Peace Journalist magazine is here!
The April 2024 edition features stories from Moldova, Zimbabwe, Greece, Nepal, and elsewhere. We also offer a tribute to the PJ pioneer Dr. Johan Galtung, who recently passed away.

You can read or download the magazine at:
https://www.scribd.com/document/718881055/Peace-Journalist-Mag-April-2024

The next Peace Journalist will be published in October, with a copy deadline of early September. For submissions and other inquiries, please email me at steven.youngblood@fulbrightmail.org.

For back issues of the magazine, as well as more information about the Center for Global Peace Journalism, see https://peacejourncenter.blogspot.com/ .

Enjoy the magazine!

Fulbright Update:
Event features lively discussions, cross-boundary cooperation
Since one key peace journalism tenet is building bridges between parties in conflict, I’ve often found myself teaching seminars in rooms full of journalists from India and Pakistan, or Abkhazia and Georgia, for example. Last week, in a peace journalism seminar at Vadul Lui Voda, Moldova, I found myself in a similar situation.

The discussions between journalists from these conflicted regions got a bit heated at times, among the most contentious I’ve seen, although the animated discussions never descended into yelling or storming out of the room. Despite this, I left the seminar feeling good about the work we did.

The 3.5 day seminar was titled “Peace Journalism Principles and Applications,” and was sponsored by UN Human Rights’ office in Moldova. I was the project designer and lead instructor. The participants were 20 journalists from three areas: Moldova, which is in the process of joining the EU; Transnistria, a Russian-leaning breakaway region; and an autonomous, Russian-speaking region of Moldova, Gagauzia.

Liuba Starii, Ludmila Hitsuc

Our contentious discussions largely centered on the Ukraine-Russia war. I knew we were going to generate some heat when one of the Transnistrian journalists called the war a “special operation”—Putin’s sanitized euphemism for the war. The Transnistrian journalists discussed how they cover the war, and used the descriptive term “neutral,” which, to other participants from Moldova, means ignoring the death and destruction that the Russian invasion has wrought in Ukraine. I intimated that ignoring Russia’s actions in an attempt to appear neutral is, in fact, a pro-Kremlin stance. To reinforce this, I quoted anti-apartheid South African bishop Desmond Tutu, who said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

We also discussed the language used to describe the stalemate between Transnistria, a region that claims independence but is not recognized by any other country, and Moldova, which considers Transnistria Moldovan territory. One participant, Evgheni Sholari,  presented an excellent guide, produced by journalists on both sides, that recommends what language journalists should use to turn down the rhetorical heat—peace journalism, to be sure. The neutral language recommended by the guide includes saying “Transnistria” instead of “unrecognized Transnistria” or “Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic,” calling the 1992 war that started the conflict “armed conflict on the Dniester (River) in 1992” instead of “armed aggression” or “Russian aggression.” I told the participants I disagreed with the guide’s recommendation to call the 1500 Russian troops stationed in Transnistria “peacekeepers.” My point was that peacekeepers are inherently neutral, which these Russian troops (which is what I would call them) are not.

Andrei Trubceac, UN Human Rights office

The sponsor, the UN Human Rights office in Moldova, lined up some excellent speakers for the seminar, including Eugenia Crețu, editor in chief of Europa Liberă Moldova; Nikola Petrovski and Andrei Trubceac from the UN Human Rights office in Moldova;  Olga Borisova from the Memory Walk project;  Irina Kartashova from Dnestr TV/Novaya Volna; and Viorica Zaharia, the president of the Press Council of Moldova. Also, history professor history professor Sergiu Musteață discussed contested historical narratives in Moldova, including contentious issues surrounding language and identity. War reporters Viorica Tătaru and Andrei Captarenco from TV8/Dincolo de Nistru also presented alongside photojournalist Larisa Kalik, who is originally from Transnistria. She joined us online from Ukraine, telling the participants that ”I wish you to never experience” seeing the death and destruction she has witnessed.

The participants were put into teams from conflicted regions (one Moldovan and one Transnistrian or Gagauzian), and tasked with producing cross-boundary stories about contested narratives. These will be finished in May. One group, for example, is doing a report on the future of Moldova from two perspectives—one a pro-Russia, eastern orientation, the other a pro-EU orientation.

At the end of the seminar, one of the Transnistrian journalists shared her frustrations when reflecting on the heated discussions, and observed that it is impossible to change people’s minds. I told her and the other participants that our goal was never to change anyone’s minds, but rather to generate dialogue and cooperation, and to plant some seeds for what will undoubtedly be a long, painful road to reconciliation and peace. In this, I believe we succeeded, despite the fireworks.

Palii Timur, Alla Tofan, Natalia Munteanu, Evgheny Cheban.

 

 

 

 

Fulbright Update:
Media Academy convenes; State alumni event held
This week, the Media Academy, a four day seminar introducing peace journalism to 20 Moldovan journalists, got underway at the resort area Vadul Lui Voda. What makes this event unique is that the attendees are from Moldova, an autonomous region called Gaguzia, and a break-away region called Transnistria.

The event is titled “Peace Journalism Principles and Applications,” and is sponsored by UN Human Rights’ office in Moldova. I am the project designer and lead instructor.

We’re covering a lot of ground this week, from a PJ overview to PJ and refugees; PJ and human rights reporting; PJ and hate speech/disinformation, and PJ and war reporting.

Eugenia Cretu presents at the Media Academy

On the first full day, I discussed peace journalism reporting of refugees. Then, 

Eugenia Cretu, editor in chief of Radio Europa Libera (Radio Free Europe-Chisinau), who showed compelling examples of RFE’s refugee reporting. These included compelling clips about Ukrainian refugees’ flight to freedom aboard rickety westbound trains, refugees acclimating to Moldova by learning Romanian, and a visually compelling piece about a refugeewho started a dance studio. 

Nikola Petrovski, Un Human Rights program officer, presented the basics of human rights, including cultural, economic, and social rights; as well as the UN conventions and ccommittees that monitor human rights convention compliance. He also talked about the needs approach to human rights journalism vs. the preferred rights approach  which includes a focus on the needs of rights holders and solutions. Andrei Trubceac, UN Human rights officer, then discussed Dr.  Johan Galtung’s direct, structural, and cultural violence, emphasizing the need for reporters to examine the underlying factors that fuel conflict and violence.

All week long, I've had an eye on how journalists from these regions in conflict with one another would interact and cooperate. I'll share my observations about this, and the full details on the rest of the workshop, in this space next week.

Alumni Exchange Event
About 150 State Department exchange program alumni gathered in Chisinau last weekend to compare notes, socialize, and get some good ideas about how they can leverage their exchange program experience for the betterment of Moldova.

US Amb. Ken Logsdon welcomes alumni

There are numerous such exchange programs. Some send students to study for a year in the U.S. (FLEX), while others send groups of professionals to the U.S. to tour and learn best practices from their American colleagues (IVLP). I have hosted a number of journalism professionals, for example, at my university in the Kansas City area. 

Other than meeting my fellow State Dept. alumni, the highlight of the day was hearing about the efforts of these alumni to make life better here in Moldova. Cezara Nanu discussed her efforts to fund Moldovan businesses, while Victor Lutenco, who called his exchange program “life changing,” talked about how he has connected with other exchange program alums. Other presentations included Diana Grosu, who talked about the NGO called “Youth 2.0” that involves young people in Balti, Moldova in local government); Alla Rosca, who discussed “Speranta-The School of  Young Women Leaders from both Banks of the Nistru River,” and Natalia Slepuhin, who explained her project “Primaria Mea (My City Hall),” which engages citizens in local government and encourages transparency in the government in Chisinau, the capital city.

It was great meeting these individuals dedicated to improving Moldova. In fact, I expect several collaborations to come out of the networking I did at this event. As a U.S. taxpayer, it was a reminder that the comparatively little spent on these exchange programs is money extremely well spent, both from an American perspective and from a Moldovan perspective.

 

Fulbright Update:
At university, discussions now focus on Ukrainian refugees
I continue lecturing this semester at the State University of Moldova (USM), in the journalism department (they call departments faculties here). Our current focus is on how media report about Ukrainian refugees. 

Peace Journalism lesson, Moldova State Univ.

Last fall, I taught an introduction to peace journalism lesson, including definitions, characteristics, and so on. I had the students read stories and discuss whether they were written in the peace journalism style. This spring, I’m teaching an advanced seminar on peace journalism and migrants wherein I discuss traditionally negative, stereotyping coverage of refugees, and how peace journalism can improve that coverage. Among other things, I cite a report about Online Discourse about Refugees in Moldova that reveals a Russian online disinformation campaign against Ukrainian refugees. Hate speech and “prejudicial comments” were found in 47 percent of the social media comments collected. The students aren’t surprised by this data.

Our most interesting discussion this semester has been about Roma refugees who have come to Moldova from Ukraine. (Almost a million Ukrainian refugees have passed through Moldova, while about 120,000 have stayed, according to UNHCR. There is no statistic I could find about how many of those who remained are Roma). It’s interesting to hear the prevalent stereotypes about refugees, and about how Roma refugee issues have been virtually ignored by the press here.

My classes, 90 minutes long, have been good for the most part. Just like any university I’ve taught at, there are a group of highly engaged students in each class who are extremely attentive and eagerly participate in exercises and discussions. Just like any university, cell phones are a scourge, distracting students and professors alike. In journalism classrooms worldwide, data show that the majority of students are young women. In my classes in Moldova, that trend is even more pronounced. I’d estimate that 80% of my students are young women, though in one recent class, 19/20 were female.

My classes are all in the main university building, and all on one floor. A few of the classrooms have a projector that can plug into a laptop, but most are spartan, with nothing more than an ancient chalkboard—little changed from the first time I taught at USM in 2001. Because there’s no a/v in most classrooms, I just teach without it, which is a fundamental change from my teaching back in the U.S. I’ve reverted to handouts, and I’ve printed off pictures I want to show the class.  One of the biggest changes from 2001 is that the classrooms are heated. Way back, I remember my teeth chattering during my lectures. The other big change is that in 2001, USM’s main block and hallways were clogged with students. Now, there is no crowding. USM’s enrollment must be down substantially from 20+ years ago, with many of its potential students studying instead in Romania, Western Europe, or the U.S.

The department has structured my Fulbright as a “lector invitat,” a guest lecturer, in peace journalism. What this means is that I do not have my own classes per se. I can see why they structured it this way, since there are no peace journalism courses in the curriculum. They could’ve given me a mass media or intro to journalism course and I could have included a peace journalism unit, though we were in agreement that this wasn’t the best use of my expertise.

This "lector invitat" arrangement has its advantages. I am able to still concentrate on peace journalism, and not have to worry about any other subject about which I am much less interested. I get to teach each students in the department twice—once in the fall, and once in the spring. As someone who’s taught at the university level for 27 years, the biggest advantage is avoiding the most onerous aspects of the job, grading and course administration. No papers for me! And no gradebook, grades, and, concomitantly, no annoying interactions with student grade-grubbers.

The disadvantage is that I don’t really get to know the students, since they just see me for an hour and a half in the fall, and another hour and a half in the spring. Oh, we’ve had a few before or after class chats, but nothing really substantial. I miss these interactions.

I’ll continue my work at USM through the spring semester, which will end in early June.

Webinars spread word about peace journalism basics; PJ & war
Even though I’m a Fulbright Scholar here in Moldova, my activities as director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism continue, including producing the Peace Journalist magazine (new issue in April!) and giving webinars to various groups around the world. 

Dr. Uchenna Ekwo, at GMU event

I presented at two such webinars last week. The first was a presentation for students at Hong Kong Baptist University. I introduced the concept of peace journalism, then discussed some questions that journalists and media consumers should be asking about war coverage. These include questions about balance (Does the coverage present all survivors as worthy? Do the stories and images accurately portray suffering on all sides? Does coverage generalize, stereotype, scapegoat, and demonize “them”? Is the coverage biased? Is it “good guys vs. bad guys”? Are voices heard from only one side?); whether the coverage is contextual; and whether peace plans/proposals are reflexibely dismissed by the media as unworkable, unrealistic, and/or undesirable.

I was challenged by one participant who believed that peace journalism is not objective. I appreciated his observations, though I disagreed. I mentioned the words of Dr. Johan Galtung, PJ’s “father.” He told me that no one accuses a war reporter of being biased in favor of war. Why can’t a peace reporter get the same consideration? I also said that objectivity is a chimera at any rate, and that journalists make hundreds of subjective choices (whom to interview, angle, lead, word choice, etc.) with each story. Why not add one more choice that considers the consequences of one’s reporting?

At the second webinar, I was one of three panelists on a peace journalism event sponsored by Rotary District 7620 and George Mason University-GMU (Fairfax, VA). I started with an introduction of the basics of peace journalism. Then Turkish journalist and educator Ayce Ozerdem gave a great presentation on the connections between PJ and media literacy, and how PJ can provide a framework for evaluating media content. I’ve often though that PJ and media literacy are two sides of the same coin—one dealing with creating and disseminating information, the other with receiving and interpreting this information. The final speaker was Dr. Uchenna Ekwo, author and president of the Center for Media and Peace Initiatives in New York. His insightful comments touched on the importance of journalism in peacebuilding, the challenges of peace reporting in post conflict situations, and the conflicting interests that challenge reporters.

It’s always great to connect with students and colleagues across time zones—in this case, the 13 time zones from Virginia to Hong Kong.

 

 

 

Fulbright Update:
Teacher, kids have fun in elementary school session
Don’t tell, but I cheated on my fifth graders at Orizont Lyceum last week with kids from a different fifth grade class. (I've been a regular guest speaker at Orizont this academic year).

This time, I visited Vasile Alecsandri Lyceum in Chisinau at the request of my colleague Nadine Gogu from the Independent Journalism Center.

I was told beforehand that the kids would only know a little English, so I came prepared with slides in Romanian, and expected to speak mostly Romanian myself. My colleague and I were pleasantly surprised by the amount and level of English spoken by the kids. In fact, when I started our discussion speaking in Romanian, they quickly protested, instead craving a lesson delivered in English.

I have no idea what I'm doing here.

We talked about hate speech. The discussion was interesting and sophisticated. All the students hands shot up when I asked if they had seen hate speech on Instagram, on Snapchat, on Telegram (a Russian site), and on several others. I tasked the students with deciding if items on a list I provided constituted hate speech (e.g., “Moldova shouldn’t  join the EU,” or, “Boys are smarter at math and science than girls.”)

My colleague Nadine finished off the discussion by asking what the students knew about online trolls. She then distributed excellent, colorful media literacy books made for kids, along with t-shirts to the most active participants.

The kids were bright, respectful, and smart.

As I mentioned to a friend, these guest speaker gigs in elementary school classrooms are a lot like being a grandpa. You swoop in, have some fun with the kids for an hour or two, then take off, leaving the heavy lifting to the parents, or in this case, to the teacher.

At any rate, I appreciate every opportunity to connect with kids.

 

 

Webinar series focuses on making PJ attractive to audiences
Interested in learning more about peace journalism and its impact? You have a great opportunity to do this thanks to George Washington University's Media and Peacebuilding Project, which is launching a webinar series beginning next Wednesday.

The webinars will run every week for the next six weeks, will "bring together researchers and practitioners from around the world to better understand how to make peace journalism more attractive to audiences," according to GWU.

Session 1 on Feb. 28 will center on discussions about PJ research, will feature, among others, PJ pioneer Dr. Jake Lynch. I will be presenting during session 2 ("Findings from Peace Journalism Practice") on March 6. Jamil Simon, founder of  War Stories Peace Stories, and Vanessa Bassil, founding director of the Media Association for Peace in Lebanon, will join me on the panel.

Later sessions will focus on solutions journalism, constructive journalism, and PJ in the global South.

Admission to all Zoom sessions is free. You can learn more about the webinar series here. You can register for session 1 using this link. 

Spread the word. Hope to see you there!

Father of peace journalism passes away, leaves powerful legacy
The peace journalism and peace studies fields lost an intellectual and moral giant last weekend with the passing of Dr. Johan Galtung at 93 years of age.

Dr. Galtung is widely credited with being the father of both academic peace studies, including the concepts of positive and negative peace, and peace journalism, which he and others launched in the 1960’s.

Dr. Johan Galtung

I was privileged to collaborate with him on several occasions. I interviewed Dr. Galtung for my textbook “Peace Journalism Principles and Practices” in 2015. We spent an afternoon eating pizza, sipping tea, and talking about peace, peace journalism, and the state of media. It's among the most fascinating three hours I've ever spent. Dr. Galtung was polite, gracious, and humble. Even well into his 80's at the time, Dr. Galtung’s intellectual light burned bright. In fact, there were times during our visit that I noticed Dr. Galtung slowing down to explain things to me, not in a condescending way, but as a colleague and friend. His observations were insightful and profound, and integral to the success of my book.

Subsequently, I corresponded occasionally with Dr. Galtung up until the last few years. I would sometimes send him questions from my students, and he would answer. (Q: “If journalists believe in peace journalism, shouldn’t they advocate more directly for peace?” A: “If they advocate, they cease to become journalists. Journalists who believe in peace can best advocate by giving a voice to peacemakers, and by practicing peace journalism.”) On Twitter, he would re-tweet my posts, and often promote my peace journalism work in the process, urging his legions of followers to read The Peace Journalist magazine, or check out my blog. Of course, I was thrilled by his kind words.

According to my interview with Dr. Galtung for “Peace Journalism Principles and Practices,” he created peace journalism in Oslo “in the early 1960’s.” Dr. Galtung said he coined the term because he believed “journalists have to learn to write about peace and core structural issues, and to focus on common people.” He said he was encouraged to develop the concept, in part, due to a 1960’s study that showed that foreign news was largely negative; often included an actor (bad guy); featured elite people; and centered on elite countries.”

Dr. Galtung’s original concept was further developed in a bucolic setting at the Taplow Court estate in southern England in August, 1997. This estate, home of the UK cultural center of Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organization, hosted a meeting with Dr. Galtung, Jake Lynch, and other journalists. At the meeting, participants discussed developing “a pattern for many an attempt to bring journalism and Peace and Conflict Studies to bear upon one another.” This meeting in turn led to a project by Lynch called “Reporting the World,” which ran from 2001-2005 and launched a discussion among London journalists about conflict reporting and journalists’ role in mitigating, alleviating, and transforming conflicts. Peace journalism was off and running.

Dr. Galtung was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, and made the short list of 32 individuals who were considered for the prize (he didn’t win). His nomination, from Prof. Richard Falk of Princeton University and the Univ. of California-Santa Barbara, stated, “Johan Galtung has been the sort of dedicated warrior for peace that it seems to me the Nobel Prize was created to honor. By so doing, (this will) raise public consciousness of what must happen if we are to overcome the war system and enjoy the material, political, and spiritual benefits of living in a world of peace premised on the nonviolent resolution of disputes among sovereign states and respect for the authority of international law.

"For decades Johan Galtung has been an inspirational presence in the field of peace studies broadly conceived. His exceptional vitality and mobility has brought this message of understanding and insight into peace with justice to the four corners of the planet in a remarkable fashion that is truly unique in its educational and activist impact. It is no exaggeration to write that he invented and established the field of peace studies as a respected subject of study in institutions of higher learning throughout the world. As a consequence of his charismatic speaking ability and seminal writing Johan Galtung has reached the hearts and minds of thousands of people throughout the world, conveying the belief above all that peace is possible through the dedicated efforts of ordinary people.”

Dr. Galtung founded Transcend International, which hosts hundreds of his articles, and pieces from others, on peace journalism and other peace-related topics. A complete biography listing his many accomplishments and awards can be found on the Transcend website as well.  Also see an interesting article in The Guardian that includes his thoughts on the negativity of news. 

Thanks to Dr. Galtung, we now understand that peace is much more than just the absence of war, and that media have a role to play in mitigating conflict.

Even after his passing, Dr. Galtung's work will continue to provide a much-need beacon to light our path through these dark, troubled times.

Fulbright Update:
Media Azi leads the way on media transparency, literacy
In countries where disinformation is especially problematic, like the U.S. and Moldova, any information that demystifies and analyzes the media is a vitally necessary first step in a long process of building a media literate society.

Moldovans can find this vital information about media on an innovative website, Media Azi (Media Today). According to its website, “Media Azi  publishes relevant information in the field of media on a daily basis in order to explain phenomena, tendencies, and problems related to the information space in the Republic of Moldova to the general public. In a never-ending flow of local and international news about the press, interviews, analytical articles, broadcasts, and cartoons, we suggest creating a sufficient informational environment for anyone who is eager to get the latest news from the Moldovan press and have a well-grounded opinion.”

The site is a production of the Independent Journalism Center, and disseminates content in Romanian, Russian, and English.

Media Azi spotlights media in several areas, including “News” (e.g. banned channels, licensing issues, online harassment of journalists);  “Media in the World” (Gaza journalists killed, AI tool developed), “Opinion” (Where are the billions of NGO’s going?, and Covering elections: Mission (im)possible); “Interviews” (journalists, UN and government officials); and “Refugees in the Media” (Harmful narratives, journalistic sources).

I was honored to be asked to write two pieces for the “Refugees in the Media” section.

In the first column, I discussed how “Media are stuck on traditional narratives about refugees.” I wrote, “Moldova currently houses more refugees per capita than any other country, according to the International Centre for Migration Policy Development. With a population of 2.6 million, the country is home to 119,000 refugees as of 3 October, 2023. Border crossings from Ukraine since 24 February 2022 number 952,819, according to UNHCR. 

“For humanitarian NGO’s and social service providers, the implications of this large migration are obvious. Equally challenging are the implications of mass migration for media houses and journalists. For journalists, the challenge is to break out of traditionally negative narratives about refugees, and offer compassionate counter-narratives that debunk negative stereotypes while building bridges between the refugees and their host communities,” I wrote.

In my second article, I laid out how “Peace Journalism offers the key to responsible refugee reporting.” I presented several suggestions about PJ and refugee reporting, including considering the consequences of one’s reporting; giving more leeway in granting anonymous or first name only interviews; avoiding using language or images that rely on or reinforce stereotypes, racism, sexism, or xenophobia; showing compassion; offering counter-narratives that challenge traditionally negative narratives; partnering with fellow journalists who are themselves displaced or migrants; and humanizing individuals and their stories, looking for examples that illustrate larger statistics or trends.

Media Azi’s tagline is, “For Journalistic Integrity.” There is no better way to reach this goal than through an open, analytical discussion of the issues facing media practitioners today, whether it’s in Moldova, the U.S., or anywhere else. Media Azi is a great place to engage in this discussion, and a model for proponents of media transparency and literacy to emulate.

 

 

Video: Peacebuilding Journalism and Gaza
In a short video produced by Peace News, Founding Director of the Media Association for Peace (Lebanon) Vanessa Bassil and I discuss coverage of the war in Gaza, and how peace journalism might be used to enhance that coverage. Vanessa's comments are fascinating, and insightful.

Alexander Ghetan, with Orizont 5th graders

Fifth graders analyze video for stereotypes about Americans
It was great to get back into the classroom again with my fifth graders at Orizont Lyceum in Chisinau.

As part of my Fulbright Scholar volunteer activities, I’ve been visiting with these 25 energetic, funny, smart kids since last September, talking about everything from hate speech to media literacy to life in the U.S. to my age. The student who guessed that I am 75 years old has been justifiably expelled, by the way. 

Our lesson last week expanded on the discussion of hate speech, and included a special guest, Alexandru Ghetan, program manager for the Centrul Media pentru Tineri (CMT), a youth media education organization here in Moldova.

We began by defining stereotypes, and giving examples from the U.S. and from Moldova. This latter included negative stereotypes about Russians and Russian language speakers (pro war, pro Putin, aggressive); Roma (thieves); and Moldovans who live in the village (poor, work 24 hours a day).

My guest Alexandru then engaged the kids in a discussion about stereotypes of Americans held by Moldovans. Then, we engaged in a bit of child abuse: we made the kids watch my “acting” performance in a serialized YouTube program produced by CMT called “Singura Acasa.” In the episode we watched, I play an American professor in Moldova who is subjected to stereotyping by a Moldovan man and his friends. 

Kids watching my bad acting in "Singura Acasa"

The students reacted with squeals when they saw their American visitor on the screen, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the program, and to absorb its anti-stereotyping message. We talked about the scene, for example, when I turn down a hamburger and instead ask for zeama, traditional (and delicious) Moldovan chicken soup, rebuffing the stereotype that all Americans eat are burgers. The students also pointed out a stereotype that my character perpetuated—that everyone from Transnistria must be a communist. I hadn’t even thought of that when I uttered the line “esti comunisti?” upon meeting a Transnistrian.

The session ended with Alexandru telling the students a bit about CMT and its activities for youth. I know the kids are interested in participating.

As always, it was an entertaining, fruitful discussion, made even better by Alexandru, who naturally and effortlessly connects with kids of all ages.

I’m grateful to teacher Lucia Jardan for arranging the visit. I can’t wait to return.

 

Call for Papers: The Peace Journalist magazine
Warm greetings from Chisinau, Moldova, where I’m engaged as a Fulbright Scholar this academic year.

The Peace Journalist, a semi-annual magazine produced by the Center for Global Peace Journalism, is seeking submissions for its April edition. Submissions should be 600-1600 words, and address peace journalism/peace media research and projects. Please also submit photos, if possible. We do not run articles about general peace projects or processes unless they have a strong media component/angle.

The previous edition of The Peace Journalist can be found at https://www.scribd.com/document/681077185/Peace-Journalist-Oct-2023-Web .

The deadline for submissions is March 5. The magazine usually fills up quickly, so the sooner you can get your pieces in, the better. Please submit to steven.youngblood@fulbrightmail.org .  Note that this is a new email address for me.

Thank you in advance for your submissions.

Best wishes,

Steven Youngblood
Director, Center for Global Peace Journalism
Editor, The Peace Journalist magazine
steven.youngblood@fulbrightmail.org
@PeaceJourn

Fulbright Update
Professional burdens: Wine tasting, sumptuous banquet
Sometimes the burdens of academia are almost too much to bear. Then other times…

At the invitation of fellow academics, I fulfilled my professional responsibilities last semester, and visited the wine science department at the Technical University of Moldova. There, my two Fulbright colleagues and I were greeted by the Technical University’s rector (president), and two of the world’s leading experts in wine science. The trip was thoughtfully arranged by my colleague Ian Toma.

Wine "class" at the Technical Univ., fall 2023

The experts gave us a tour of their impressive facilities, including numerous fancy, modern machines used to test wine. One machine could test up to 100 elements in a single sample, things like sugar content, Ph, and so on. Most of the scientific discussion was well over my head, but I understood the main idea, which is that the production of wine is very complex and exacting.

After the tour, my colleagues and I were invited to sit at a long table featuring a sumptuous buffet. To fulfill my academic responsibility, the professional thing to do was to eat copious amounts of outstanding items like red peppers stuffed with vegetables, chicken cutlets, and sour cherry pies (placintas, in Romanian). Then I really fell on my professional sword when our hosts started pouring 11 different varieties of wine. To not drink would have been unprofessional. Some of the wine was what they call vin nou, new wine, which is sweeter and without the complexities of “finished” wines, according to the experts. Then we tried lots of whites and reds before we got to the dessert wines. No, I didn’t drink 11 full glasses of wine, and I did use the small bucket to pour out excess wine from every sample. (A Google search says this is inelegantly called a spittoon, which conjurs up images of spur-adorned cowboys and swinging-gate Western saloons.) I liked the dry whites the best.

I learned more about wine in the two hours at the Technical University than I had known previously. And most importantly, I used the opportunity to practice my professional collegiality as an academic. I know my colleagues must be proud.

Filming Singura Acasa, late November

Fulbright Update:
A Star Isn't Born
Move over, Brad Pitt and George Clooney. There’s a new 60-ish hottie invading the silver screen (or at least, the screen on your phone). This silver fox has all of your charm, charisma, and good looks, and brings academy-award caliber performances to every scene.

I’m not sure who this might be, but it sure as hell isn’t me.

In the last few weeks, I have made my acting debut as one of the co-stars of a serial produced by the Centrul Media pentru Tineri here in Moldova. The series of short films, “Singura Acasa” (Home Alone), deliver a socially important message to young viewers about misinformation and stereotypes in an accessible, entertaining format. My performance is nothing if not entertaining, though I’m not sure if viewers will be laughing at me or with me. (See how to watch Singura Acasa, below.)

Basically, I play myself, an American professor in Moldova. The plot revolves around me trying to find an apartment, and a Moldovan couple’s indecision about whether to rent to me.

Not only did I have to learn my lines (something I’d never done before), but I had to “act,” or try to act, and I had to do all of this in Romanian, meaning that 90% of my waning brain power was concentrated on correctly pronouncing my lines.

Filming Singura Acasa, late November

We shot most of the scenes on a single day, over a 12 hour period. I had the least luck when I tried to remember and then perfectly pronounce the words as exactly written on the script. These lines ended up sounding very wooden. I did better when I was able to just say the lines using the Romanian words I would normally use, words that know how to pronounce, more or less. Now, my grammar is far from perfect, but these semi-improvisations ended up sounding much more fluid and natural than the scripted lines.

My fellow actors were quite good, especially the leads, played by Madalina and Gabriel. To the extent that my performance is palatable, it’s because I fed off the energy of my peers, and because of the outstanding shooting and editing by our colleague Leonid. Director Alexandru was also a calming influence, smoothing over my ineptitude-fueled frustrations.

If I were Brad and George, I wouldn’t be too worried. In terms of looks, they would both still be better looking than me even after a disfiguring industrial accident of some sort. And let’s not even mention acting talent. But I do have one thing on them: I bet I my Romanian is much better than theirs.

How to watch Singur Acasa, featuring me
I made my first cameo (at 7:28 on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce9oV0zb8Wo ) on season 1, episode 2 of Singura Acasa. This is the next episode that centers around my character:  https://youtu.be/IKb_gOxKwrM?si=i5ygjyWAwF18WIlk .

Not much of an actor...

 

Alfred Friendly Fellowships--Apply Now!
In June 2024, Alfred Friendly Press Partners is planning a month-long training program at the Missouri School of Journalism for journalists in exile in the U.S. The program is looking to build skills and resiliency in these areas: Security, Legal, Journalism and Climate.

Interested journalists in exile in the U.S. can apply here. The deadline is Jan. 15.

I know and respect the director of this program, Prof. Randall Smith, and know as well that those selected will get a top-notch training at one of the country's best journalism schools. Share liberally, and if you qualify, apply today!