2011

Conflict Sensitive Journalism in the Palestinian Territories

In October 2011, M&DG’s John Keating conducted Conflict Sensitive Journalism (CSJ) sessions in the Palestinian territories. Birzeit University just north of Ramallah provided support and facilities for the West Bank course and most of the trainees were current students or recent graduates of the journalism department. Birzeit University also supported the course in Gaza City, which included experienced journalist from TV, radio and print. While John has taught CSJ in conflict zones before, the Palestinian courses presented unique challenges. As occupied people, Palestinian journalists see the Israelis as an invading enemy and are reluctant to deal in an even-handed way with the enemy’s side of the story. They see themselves as Palestinians first and journalists second. Nonetheless, the courses lead to interesting discussion and debate and gave the trainees a perspective they have not been exposed to before. For more, see the International Media Support article here.

Sponsor: UNESCO

2010

Media Capacity Workshop for Nigerian Journalists

M&DG’s Doug Rushton facilitated a workshop in Port Harcourt to improve the professionalism and self respect of a group of journalists from the public and private sector who work in print and broadcast in Rivers State.
The December session focused on conflict sensitive journalism. The presentation incorporated examples from actual events covered by journalists in Kenya and in Nigeria. The object of CSJ training is to sensitize journalists to the powerful, and sometimes unintended, effects the words they use can have on their audiences. At the same time, journalists were made aware that CSJ allows no departure from the principles of fairness, accuracy, impartiality, and responsibility.

Sponsor: Rivers State Ministry of Information

Election Training for Ethiopian Journalists

Ethiopia held its fourth national parliamentary elections on May 23. The previous election had been marred by post-election violence. Prior to this year’s election, M&DG trainers Derek Quinn and Doug Rushton provided three week-long courses on accurate, impartial and responsible election reportage for journalists from the private and public sectors in Addis Ababa and in four other cities in Ethiopia. Rushton then spent six weeks mentoring and advising journalists in Addis Ababa. The training included post-election reporting training, and conflict sensitive journalism training.

Sponsor: British Embassy in Ethiopia and DFID (UK)

Conflict Sensitive Journalism: a review and curriculum

M&DG president Ross Howard completed a major review of how the idea of conflict sensitive journalism emerged, with case studies of successful training programs and with a model curriculum for training early and mid-career journalists in conflict sensitive reporting, for UNESCO. The central concept of Conflict-Sensitive Reporting: State of the Art is that violent conflict attracts intense news media attention that requires greater analytical depth and skills to report on it without contributing to further violence or overlooking peace building opportunities It is available at: http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29585&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

2009

Safety Training for Women Journalists

M&DG helped UNESCO design a program to improve safety for female journalists in the Terai. The program, delivered in Janakpur, included safety training with former military experts and journalism skills development. John Keating, a director and trainer with M&DG, also delivered a course in Conflict-Sensitive Journalism. He taught 20 young journalists about the dynamics of conflict and how to write about conflicts in a way that is less likely inflame the situation or make them a target for reprisals.

Sponsor: UNESCO

Conflict-Sensitive Reporting Training

M&DG president Ross Howard presented a course in Conflict Sensitive Reporting to journalists from Lithuania, Belarus and Moldova, in Vilnius. Belarus media suffer severe state interference, which distorts information access and distribution. Moldova is witnessing a struggle between media independence and free expression against old communist authoritarianism and its newer privatized face, plus corruption. In Lithuania, the profit imperatives of media corporations are squeezing a media sector still exploring reliable, diverse and independent reporting. Despite their sharply contrasting work environments, journalists from all three countries reaffirmed the basic standards in journalism – accuracy, fair balance and separating news and commentary — while exploring new ways to tell important stories: understanding conflict, reporting it in accessible terms, reframing stories to include solutions, using words and images carefully, recognizing media’s influence and limitations.

Sponsor: FOJO/The Institute for Higher Education of Journalists (Sweden)

Media Training, South China Sea

A three-day workshop for non-governmental organizations working with the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict was held aboard the Peace Boat during its voyage from DaNang, Vietnam, to Singapore. The workshop, led by M&DG member Doug Rushton, informed participants on how to understand mainstream media (MSM), the way journalists work and engage efficiently with MSM.

Sponsor: GPPAC

Media Training, Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire

In January and February 2009, M&DG member Derek Quinn delivered conflict-resolution training to reporters of 25 newspapers, plus state, commercial and community radio staff. He also delivered separate sessions to United Nations personnel on conflict resolution and its importance in the post-civil war period in Côte d’Ivoire. Quinn also helped the U.N. police force, UNPOL, in drawing up a communications strategy for dealing with conflict.

Sponsor: the United Nations

Parliamentary Reporting, Nepal

Following the delivery of a training program on parliamentary and constitutional reporting in June 2008, there was strong demand from other political reporters and editors to participate in the course. Two more training sessions were conducted by Michael McIvor and John Keating early in 2009 in partnership with the Nepal Press Institute. This was followed by a training-of-trainers course, so the skills upgrading could continue with Nepali trainers. A handbook on reporting on parliament and constitutional negotiations was also developed and published to provide both a teaching guide and a reference book for political journalists.

Sponsor: Canadian International Development Agency

Conflict-Sensitive Journalism, Africa

M&DG member Doug Rushton delivered conflict-sensitive journalism workshops in Zambia and in Zimbabwe. Journalists working in Zimbabwe and expatriate Zimbabwean journalists took part in the workshops, which also included safety training for journalists.

Sponsor: International Media Support (Denmark)

Project Archive from 2004 to 2008