Peace Journalism concept development.

Peace Journalism concept development

Peace journalism is one of the prominent concepts by Johan Galtung which mainly highlights the peace initiative and focus the only transformation of conflict into resolution. It can bring positive changes in contemporary journalistic practice and establish peace in the society. It also promotes the ways and activities of mass media to the needs of society. So the importance of peace journalism and its proper implementation is highly accountable to prevent war, conflict resolution, and reconstruction and reconciliation process. We can learn many things from peace journalism studies about how media involvement in producing report create good or ill in the society, how media can contribute  as an active participant and  mediator to establish peace in the society, how media development and deregulation and commercialization creates lots of crises for media to work on behalf of society and most importantly we can learn what types of obligations media should consider for the needs of protecting public purpose and profits to bring peace in the society. It is really true that, although it seems to be a good idea to promote peace journalism in traditional journalistic culture, we should be aware of the probable obstacles of this practice and make agenda how to develop media peace discourse for ensuring effective implementation of peace journalism concept and emphasize on the benefits what peace journalism can bring or establish. We can improve this concept by adding some universally ethical issues which can define and consider about current problematic issues of news producing and help a journalist to use their professional commitments and responsibility to the needs of society. The term peace journalism was proposed Johan Galtung in the 1970s, now it is practice and studies all over the world. But it has still lots of sites to develop to ensure proper acceptance of peace journalism in the field of communication, especially in journalism study and needs to develop how this concept can confront conflicting situations effectively that can make the ways and aspirations of mass media to the needs of establishing peace in the society. Some important issues should include in peace journalism studies for building its effectiveness in reconciliation. Such as- what strategies should a journalist follow to balance out the sensation of stories, what types of news values should be consider during reporting a conflict to promote peace journalism, how can stimulate dialogue by a  journalist between the parties involved in the conflict, how to reduce the privatization and commercialization of media, what types of causes and criteria influence journalist to follow war journalism in framing their report and how to change this kind of journalistic attitude into peace journalism, how to develop peace journalism as a medium  of peace building and conflict resolution process.

MD. Shakhawoat Hossain

Department of Peace and Conflict Studies

University of Dhaka.