Abstract:  Much has been said about the news media’s role in instigating war, conflict and violence. Less attention has been paid to the news media’s role in mitigating conflict. Criticism has been directed towards the ways in which journalists and war correspondents cover conflict with an emphasis on violence, suffering, polarization of the views of main stakeholders, and over-simplification of the underlying causes of conflict. The growing literature and scholarship around Peace Journalism stands as a response to this. In the context of the African continent, further critique has been levelled against frames and narratives of war, conflict and violence grounded in Western epistemologies and dominant discourses of African conflicts and stakeholders. Based on data collected from interviews with a selected group of journalists working on—and covering—the African continent, the article assesses awareness towards alternative narratives and news frames, as well as attitudes towards alternative practices and models for journalism. Particular attention is paid to ideas and responses regarding Peace Journalism as an alternative model for reporting.

Keywords:  Africa; foreign reporting; Peace Journalism; war journalism

Published:   18 February 2016

Issue:   Vol 4, No 1 (2016): Peacebuilding in the Age of New Media