German media network trains Zamboanga
journalists on constructive conflict journalism
text HADER GLANG

“Safety of journalists and civilians, how to get the story, fair treatment from the national editors, language sensitivity, balance reporting, journalists are frontliners, setting aside the art of labeling, be culturally sensitive, generalizing Muslims as terrorists, and transparency.”

These were the words of local journalists who participated in the training on constructive conflict journalism when asked what special challenges for journalists reporting from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The journalists said aside from trauma, they were also exposed to harassment, intimidation and coercion from the authority and rebels during coverage in conflict areas, “especially reporting corruption and crimes of officials…These are the major challenges that we have to deal with in ARMM.”

The journalists had gathered with selected students and educators in Zamboanga City and Bacolod City for a workshop on Peace and Conflict Journalism Training organized by the Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (PECOJON), Pax Christi Pilipinas, and the German government's International Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbH (inWent).

German journalist and war photographer Antonia Koop lectured media practitioners in Zamboanga City and from Bacolod City on the guidelines for journalists covering the conflict -areas in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao.

“A responsible conflict journalism needs deeper understanding of conflict,” Koop told the local journalists. “Only if we understand conflict, we are able to see solutions, to reflect about role and influence as journalists, and to come up with a better, fairer, more balanced, and more accurate rerporting.”

In conflict situations, Koop explained, resources are scarce, poor or no communication exists between the two parties and both parties have incorrect perceptions of each other, “there is lack of trust, unresolved grievances exist from the past and parties do not value the relationship between them and power in unevenly distributed.”

Koop encouraged journalists to be impartial, accurate, fair, objective and to stick with the media ethics in their coverage of conflict and should only use fair method to obtain news, photographs and documents.

The journalists were asked to work as groups during sessions at the workshop to define the conflict they are facing in Mindanao and to describe how violence is covered and presented by international media.

Topics covered by the training included the approaches to conflict, peace journalism versus war journalism, media escalation, the triangle of violence, invisible effects of violence, the media filter, the CNN-effect, the Feedbcak Loop, and many others which dealth with Israel-Palestine conflict and terrorism.

The training was funded by InWEnt, an organization for international human resources development, advanced training and dialogue. It was established through a merger of Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft e.V. and the German Foundation for International Development.

It was held at the Jardin de la Viña hotel last January 12-14, 2006. Another training will be held in other parts in Mindanao this year. (ZS)