Introduction to journalism

1. TRAINING AGENDA
A. JOURNALIM DEFINITIONS
B. JOURNALISTIC GENRES
C. ROLE OF JOURNALISM TO THE SOCIETY
D. TYPES OF JOURNALISM
E. WHAT A GOOD JOURNALISM SHOULD INCLUDE AND NOT
F. SOME TECHNICAL WORDS USED IN JOURNALISM
G. HISTORY OF JOURNALISM

2. I.CONFLICTS SENSITIVE JOURNALISM(CSJ) DEFINITIONS
J.ROOT CAUSES OF CONFLICTS
K.VIOLENCE
R.TOOLS AND FOCUS IN CSJ
M.ELEMENTS THAT CSJ SHOUL DELIVER
N.A CHECKLIST FOR CONFLICT SENSITIVE JOURNALIST
O.REACHING THE OTHER SIDE

3. INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM and CONFLICT SENSITIVE
JOURNALISM

4. What is journalism?
• Journalism is an art of gathering, organizing(analyzing) and
distributing information through a wide variety of outlets .
• Journalism is a profession that involves collecting information about a
particular subject, then reporting findings and conclusions to a wider
audience through print, digital or broadcast media.
• The purpose of journalism is to research and report events that
impact people’s lives and society in different ways.

5. • Media is the umbrella term for the industries of TV, film, newspapers,
magazines, Internet, video games. Eg. TV is a medium of
communication. The media forms mentioned above are mass media
because they are intended to communicate with great numbers of
people.
• Their focus is on Mass production, wide audiences, technologically
driven and information driven.

6. Journalistic genres
• Report:The journalist who covers this story must be on the live on
the scene where the action is taking place or arrive on the field
where the action took place and gives the description(image) that
helps reader to read the story and understands it as he or she is
watching it on the televisions.
• This kind of kind story should have all details including witnesses from
the field, interview from the officilas,…

7. Documentation: This is a kind of story that has history on a given
situation, epidemic,disease,event…
Testimony:The testimony is done to the people affected by a given
situation and wants to share her or his experience with the readers.
Interview:A kind of story that needs a person who has experience or
skills in a certain subject for giving reliable information.
Voxpop(voice of the people):This is a popular opinion as represented
by informal commnets from members of the public especially when
broadcast or published.
• Most of the times it is an open ended questions that the public has to
answer.

8. Main roles of journalism to the society:
• To educate :Through different topics and shows journalism not only
provide information to the people buy they also educate people by
providing guidance on various issues through editorilas, columns and
shows.
• Most people do not have enough time, access,time ,or training to
find the answers to questions that keep the worl d going but
journalists do it and provide the facts that are needed.

9. • To advocate:Journalism is a voice of voiceless and it is sait it is the fourth
power,and this helps it to speak for those who are not able to speak for
themselves and people in charge intervene to solve those problms.
• To entertain:By conducting interviews with artists,celebrities attending
different events or cinducting research about them, journalism gives
pleasure to readers,viewers or audience.
• To inform :Journalism informs society with information they need to live
their lives.Without journalism,the world would be ignorant because it
gives current and relevant information and news to the public.

10. TYPES OF JOURNALISM

11. 1. Investigative journalism
• Investigative journalism deals with objectively working towards
uncovering the hidden truth or facts on a given matter, person, topic
of interest or an event.
• An investigative journalist finds the facts by studying cases that
require a lot of efforts.
• She/ he exposes scandals for propaganda by making headlines. Due
to the complex procedure, a single case can sometimes take months
to years to finish.
• So, to become an investigative journalist, one is required to possess
knowledge, patience and persistence.

12. 2. Watchdog journalism
• Watchdog journalism is a genre intended to guard society against
illegal activity or inefficiency from societal powers, such as
corporations and politicians.
• It is similar to investigative journalism in that the intent is to uncover
and expose wrongdoing.
• Watchdog journalists monitor the activities of large companies and
influential figures and report activities that may have negative
impacts on society.
• This type of journalism helps ensure societal powers remain
accountable for their actions.

13. 3.Opinion journalism
• Opinion journalism reports on a topic using subjective ideas rather
than objective facts.
• Opinion journalists report stories from their own perspective,
including their own thoughts and biases.
• Opinion journalism is unique from other types because the writer can
include their viewpoint.
• It can be important to recognize the difference between opinions and
facts.
• Opinion journalism is useful in helping people understand their own
opinions and values as well as to develop a fuller picture of reality
when consuming reports from multiple perspectives.

14. • While some opinion journalists may align with your personal
viewpoints, balancing those opinions with opposing perspectives is
necessary to gain a deeper understanding and develop empathy and
respect for diversity.
• An example of opinion journalism includes political journalists who
report on political activity from their own perspective.

15. 4.Sport journalism
• Sports journalism focuses on the subject of athletic news. Sports
journalists report scores, standings and rankings for different teams
or athletes in different sporting events.
• Sports journalism can take the form of a specific genre such as
investigative or opinion styles.
• It can be both print and broadcast media. Sports commentating is a
form of sports journalism in broadcast and online journalism.

16. 5.Trade journalism
• Trade journalism reports on a particular industry or field. Trade
journalists detail movements and developments in business that
impact people involved in that field.
• It includes industry-specific news for products such as oil, metals and
agriculture as well as business sectors, such as travel, finance and
healthcare.
• Trade journalists process and report on substantial amounts of
information regarding market conditions of the trades they cover.

17. 6.Entertainment journalism
• Entertainment journalism relates to the current events of popular
figures and trends.
• Entertainment journalists report on the entertainment business,
including celebrities, movies, television, books and events.
• Entertainment journalists may cover movie premiers and awards
ceremonies as well as news about the entertainment industry.

18. 7.Political journalism
• Political journalism focuses on government, politics and political
candidates.
• It covers different segments of political activity, such as local, national
or international news.
• Political journalists often report on the activities of elected officials,
political processes and the results of political work.
• It includes reporting political news and conducting investigative and
watchdog reporting to ensure that the public has access to
information about political activity.
• Political journalists may also report news in the form of the opinion
journalism genre.

19. 8.Conflicts sensitive journalism:

20. Types of Journalism Based on the Medium of
Delivery
• Based on the medium of news delivery, journalism can be divided into
three types:
TV and Radio Journalism/ Broadcast Journalism,
Print Journalism, and
 Online Journalism.

21. 1Cyber/ Online/ Digital Journalism
• Cyber journalism or online journalism or digital journalism is the
latest type of journalism.
• As the name suggests, this deals with delivering the on different
internet platforms. The whole world has become a virtual global
village after the introduction of the world wide web (WWW) and the
internet.
• With a number of easily accessible platforms, cyber or online
journalism has risen to popularity. A number of channels dedicated to
journalism are followed on Youtube.
• Even various TV and Print media houses have started going digital
through blogs, websites, youtube and different social media
applications.

22. 2.Print Journalism
This type of journalism deals with delivering news through newspapers,
magazines,etc.Whether print journalism is dying or not, that only time
will tell.
But this topic has been in conflict for a long time now.
The higher costs of material, lower subscription numbers and the
increment in other easily accessible media platforms have had a huge
impact on print journalism.

23. 3.Broadcast/ TV/ Radio Journalism
• This kind of journalism deals with broadcasting news through
television or radio.
• Both of these mediums are widely used and possess unique
characteristics.
• A reason why TV journalism is more popular than print journalism is
that it does not only deliver news for the eyes but for the ears as well.
Audio-visual experience provided to the audience through TV
journalism engages them.
• This journalism has large budgets and resources that help journalists
create high-quality content.

24. • Unlike TV, radio includes a large amount of interaction with the target
audience. But, it usually gathers a limited number of participants as
the broadcasting is done live.
• Radio channels usually have smaller budgets than TV channels
causing limitation to covering fewer stories.
• Every type of journalism has its own way of functioning and
challenges. For some, one needs to be extremely focused and
conscious whereas, some types are more relaxed.

25. Good journalism should not do these:
• • Defamatory: Good journalism does not tell lies and twist the truth
about people.
• • Derivative: Good journalism does not simply repeat what has been
reported somewhere else. Copying others’ news may repeat false
information.
• • Malicious: Journalism is powerful. News reports can ruin
reputations, put people in danger, or cause public panic. Good
journalism is not used to intentionally harm other persons.
• • Corrupt: Good journalism does not accept bribes. It does no special
favours for anyone. Good journalism is not for sale.

26. What good journalism should include:
• 1.Accuracy: Getting the correct information is most important of all.
Everything which is reported must be described accurately,the
spelling of names, the facts as they happened, and the real meaning
of what was said.
• Before they report it, good journalists seek the evidence and
accurate facts. A good journalist will rush to get the news first. But
first, the journalist must get it right.
• People will not talk to journalists if they fear journalists will not
repeat their words accurately, or will not describe things as they really
are.

27. 2. Impartiality (balance): Almost every code of good journalism puts
importance on impartiality, on not taking sides.
• To do this, a good journalist will seek to produce a report which is
balanced.
• To be balanced is to include both sides. There are always two sides in
any story involving conflict.
• Citizens need to know what the other side says, and how it will affect
them.
• Balance is as important in every story as accuracy. People will not talk
to a journalist who only reports one side of the story.
• mpartial journalism is an important defence for reporters in a time of
conflict. Journalists should be respected because they take no sides.

28. 3.Responsibility: Journalists have obligations to the people they report
about, and to the society to whom they report the news.
• Journalists have a responsibility to protect their sources. Many
people will not tell journalists important news if they fear they will be
revealed.
• Good journalists also use only honest methods to obtain the news,
which means they do not break the law.
• Accuracy + Impartiality + Responsibility = Reliability

29. Some of the technical (career) words used in
journalism
A newsroom serves as a central location or space in a media house
that makes for the effective, production, publication and broadcasting
of news, stories and reports as given by journalists.

Editorial line Editorial is the sense of editorial guidances, that is the
recommended in official way of dealing with the news.
Eg:Politics,sport,business…
Editorial or leading article, is an article written by the senior,editorial
people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written
document, often unsigned.

30. Editorial room(conference room) the room where editorial meeting
takes place
Editorial meeting is a part of the time-tested process that journalists
use to discuss stories.
• In television news, there are typically two editorial meetings each day
— one in the morning and another in the afternoon.
• The sole purpose of these meetings is to generate story ideas for the
newscasts that day and evening

32. A sub-editor, sometimes referred to as a copy-editor, is the gatekeeper
of grammar or sorcerer of spelling.
An editor-in-chief is the manager of any print or digital publication,
from physical newspapers to online magazines. The editor-in-
chief determines the look and feel of the publication, has the final say
in what is published and what isn't, and leads the publication's team
of editors, copyeditors, and writers
Byline is the name of the journalist who has written a story
Freelancer is ajournalist who works for themselves, rather than for a
company but is paid for each piece of work they do by the organization
they do it for

33. Camera person ,man or woman is a professional operator of a film
camera or video camera as part of a film crew.
Photographer(photo journalist):is someone who photographs ,edits
and displays images in order to tell a visual story.
KISS:Keep it short and simple
Paparazi:This term is designated to celebrity journalists who are
independent and take pictures of high profile people such as
actors,athlets,politician and other celebrities in a secerete way aiming
to sell them to media houses.
Press release is an official statement delivered to members of the
news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an
official statement, or making an announcement directed for public
release. Press releases are also considered a primary source, meaning
they are original informants for information

35. A press review is a compilation of recent articles and items from
various press products, such as newspapers, magazines and,
increasingly, also online publications.
A press conference or news conference is a media event in which
newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often,
ask questions.

37. Fake news" is also deliberately untruthful information
which can often spread quickly on social media
Recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing,
and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances,
spoken words, and other sounds.
Editing room in which a film or television programme is prepared by
selecting, rearranging, or rejecting previously filmed material.

39. Voice-over is a production technique where a voice that is not part of
the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking,
theatre, or other presentations. The voice-over is read from a script and
may be spoken by someone who appears elsewhere in the production or
by a specialist voice actor
 News presenter,also known as a newsreader, newscaster, anchorman
or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor :is a person who
presents news during a news program on the television or on the radio.
Reporter: is a person who reports, especially one employed to report
news or conduct interviews for the press or broadcasting media.

40. The difference between Journalist and a Reporter is reporter's job is to
relay the story to the public but the Journalist's job is to research new
stories.Most of the times Journalists work for newspapers, magazines,
and many more written editorials. Reporters report the news on
television, radio, or any other mass media.
A front-page article or picture appears on the front page of a
newspaper because it is very important or interesting.
The major story of the day will be placed in the most prominent position
on the front page and will contain a large, bold-faced headline.

41. History of Journalism

42. • In 1556, the government of Venice first published the monthly Notizie
scritte ("Written notices") which cost one gazzetta, a Venetian coin of
the time, the name of which eventually came to mean "newspaper".
• These avvisi were handwritten newsletters and used to convey
• political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently
throughout Europe, more specifically Italy, during the early modern era
(1500-1800)sharing some characteristics of newspapers though usually
not considered true newspapers.

43. • However, none of these publications fully met the modern criteria for
proper newspapers, as they were typically not intended for the general
public and restricted to a certain range of topics.
• Early publications played into the development of what would today be
recognized as the newspaper, which came about around 1601.
• Around the 15th and 16th centuries, in England and France, long news
accounts called "relations" were published; in Spain, they were called
"Relaciones".

44. • Single event news publications were printed in
the broadsheet format, which was often posted.
• These publications also appeared as pamphlets and small booklets
(for longer narratives, often written in a letter format), often
containing woodcut illustrations.
• Literacy rates were low in comparison to today, and these news
publications were often read aloud (literacy and oral culture were, in
a sense, existing side by side in this scenario).

46. • Title page of Carolus’Relation from 1609,the earliest newspaper.
• By 1400, businessmen in Italian and German cities were compiling
handwritten chronicles of important news events, and circulating
them to their business connections.
• The idea of using a printing press for this material first appeared in
Germany around 1600.
• Early precursors were the so-called Messrelationen("trade fair
reports") which were semi-annual news compilations for the large
book fairs at Frankfurt and Leipzig, starting in the 1580s.

47. • The first true newspaper was the weekly Relation aller Fuernemmen und
gedenckwürdigen Historien ("Collection of all distinguished and
memorable news"), started in Strasbourg in 1605. The Avisa Relation
oder Zeitung was published in Wolfenbüttel from 1609, and gazettes
soon were established.
• After 1600 the national governments in France and England began
printing official newsletters. In 1622 the first English-language weekly
magazine, "A current of General News" was published and distributed
in England in an 8- to 24-page quarto format.

48. • Newspapers in all major countries became much more important in the
19th century because of a series of technical, business, political, and
cultural changes.
• High-speed presses and cheap wood-based newsprint made large
circulations possible. The rapid expansion of elementary education
meant a vast increase in the number of potential readers.
• Political parties sponsored newspapers at the local and national levels.
• Toward the end of the century, advertising became well-established and
became the main source of revenue for newspaper owners.
• The first newspaper in France, the Gazette de France, was established
in 1632 by the king's physician Theophrastus Renaudot (1586-1653),
with the patronage of Louis XIII.

50. 20th century
• The press was handicapped during the war by shortages of newsprint
and young journalists, and by an abundance of censorship designed
to maintain home front morale by minimizing bad war news.
• The Parisian newspapers were largely stagnant after the war;
circulation inched up to 6 million a day from 5 million in 1910.

51. John Gunther wrote in 1940 that of the more than 100 daily newspapers
in Paris, two (L'Humanité and Action Française's publication) were honest;
"Most of the others, from top to bottom, have news columns for sale".
He reported that Bec et Ongles was simultaneously subsidized by the
French government, German government, and Alexandre Stavisky, and
that Italy allegedly paid 65 million francs to French newspapers in 1935

52. Radio and television
The history of radio broadcasting begins in the 1920s and reached its
apogee in the 1930s and 1940s.
• Experimental television was being studied before the 2nd world war,
became operational in the late 1940s, and became widespread in the
1950s and 1960s, largely but not entirely displacing radio.

53. Internet journalism
• The rapidly growing impact of the Internet, especially after 2000,
brought "free" news and classified advertising to audiences that no
longer cared for paid subscriptions. The Internet undercut the
business model of many daily newspapers
• The rapidly growing impact of the Internet, especially after 2000,
brought "free" news and classified advertising to audiences that no
longer cared for paid subscriptions.The Internet undercut the
business model of many daily newspapers.

54. History of journalism in Rwanda
• Journalism in Rwanda begun in 1933 when the 1st newspaper
(Kinyamateka) was founded; ! Up until independence in 1963, there
were 4 newspapers in Rwanda including: Hobe, « Temps nouveaux
d’Afrique » and Imvaho ! From independence until 1985, only 3
newspapers were founded.
• Urumuri rwa Demokarasi, Le Cooperateur-Umunyamuryango and
«Rwanda Carrefour d’Afrique». They were either govt papers or for
political parties. ! Radio Rwanda was founded in 1961 and was the
only radio station and mouthpiece of government.

55. Professional Organs in Rwanda!
• The Media High Council – In charge of media development especially
in the area of capacity building.
• ! The Rwanda Media Commission – SELF regulated Body. ! ARJ –
Association of Rwandan Journalists ! Rwanda Women Broadcasters
Association.
• AJESPORT:Rwanda Association of Sport Journalists

56. • In journalism we have to keep and protect our sources of information
(confidentiality) protection of sources
• Article 25 of Media Law in Rwanda, in its tittle II: Journalist's rights
stipulates that a journalist and any other media professional have the
right to refuse to disclose their sources. In no way shall they be
subjected to threats owing to this stand

57. CONFLICTS SENSITIVE JOURNALISM(CSJ)
• Professional journalists seek to present accurate and impartial news and
through good reporting t conflict is reduced.
• Professional news reporters, whether being aware of it or not, are
specialists in conflict. For reporters, change is news. And when there is
change, there often is disagreement or conflict.
• There is conflict among those who like the change and those who do
not, or those who want more change and those who oppose change. So
journalists deal with conflict very often in their work.
• But many journalists know little about the idea of conflict. They do not
know the root causes of conflict, or how conflicts end. They do not know
the different kinds of conflict.

58. • Most journalists merely report on the conflict as it happens. By
comparison, medical reporters do not just report on a person’s illness.
They also report on what caused the illness and what may cure it. News
reporters can have the same skill when it comes to reporting conflict.
• Having the skills to analyze conflict will enable a reporter to be a more
effective professional journalist and a more aware individual. This is called
Conflict Sensitive Journalism.
• Few journalists have any training in the theory of conflict. Having the skills
to analyze conflict will enable a reporter to be a more effective
professional journalist

59. Conflict:is the situation where two individuals, groups,tribes,
clans,countries…try to pursue goals or a,bitions which they believe they
cannot share.
• Conflict-Sensitive Journalism is a body of knowledge borne from the
study of journalism as a discipline, an understanding of conflict
science,and effectively covering it.

60. • Conflict-sensitive journalism makes sure people have access to all the
information necessary for building their own opinion. There are often
lots of rumors circulating in war regions and crisis areas and in countries
emerging from a conflict. It is up to the journalists to verify them before
conveying to their audience which ones are true and which ones cannot
be confirmed
• The intention of CSJ is not the resolution of the conflicts its practitioners
cover from the war fronts, where armed interventions seek to political
questions; to the halls of the legislature, where political discussion aims
to resolve social questions; and to the disaster areas where resources
are scarce and the needs are great though it is often through good
reporting that conflict is reduced.

61. Not all conflict is violent. Conflict is normal when there is change.
Some people want change, but others disagree. If their disagreement
or their conflict is managed peacefully, it can be a positive process. But
when conflict is not managed properly, it becomes violent. In violent
conflict, people fear for their safety and survival. When we say conflict,
we are usually referring to violent conflict.

62. Root causes of conflicts.
• Resources are scarce and not shared fairly, as in food, housing, jobs or
land.
• There is little or no communication between the two groups.
• The groups have incorrect ideas and beliefs about each other.
• Unresolved grievances exist from the past
• Power is unevenly distributed.

63. • Sometimes conflicts can results to violence.
• Violence is the act of using force aiming to resolve conflicts.
• Violent physical conflict is easily identified and described by
journalists. Individuals or groups in conflict try to hurt or kill each
other and there are victims. But there can be other kinds of violence
which do great harm in a society and these are more difficult for
reporters to see and to explain.

64. Types of violence
• Cultural violence: can be the way a group has been thinking about
another group for many years. It can include talk, images or beliefs
which glorify physical violence. Like gender discrimination,hate
speech and religious justifications for war
• Structural violence:Is harm which is built into the laws
• Like Genocide against Tusti,colonialism and structural segregation
• Direct Violence:Violenting publically not fearing any thingLike
coming in the road and begins to kill whoever you meet.

65. There are 4 main tools in CSJ
Time line
CSJ triangle
The actors map
The onion

67. CSJ FOCUSES ON 4 MAIN POINTS
1. Truth seeking: It is a commitment not only to produce stories but to
seek and make known what is previously unknown so that people are
aware of matters that actually impact their lives.
2. Active accuracy :This involves the pursuit of truths and, beyond the
ubiquitous quote and attribution, the actual evidence of these truths.
3. A focus on relevance: A lways put the needs of the audience first.
Here, a reporter’s choice of what to write and how to write it favours
relevance to the reader over values like prominence, currency, or
oddity.
4. Good writings:In a Comprehensive and chronological way

68. • ELEMENTS OF CONFLICTS RESOLUTION THAT A GOOD
JOURNALISM CAN DELIVER AS PART OF ITS DAILY WORK:

69. 1. Channeling communication: The news media is often the most
important channel of communication that exists between sides in a
conflict. Sometimes the media is used by one side to broadcast
intimidating messages. But other times, the parties speak to each
other through the media or through specific journalists.
2. Educating: Each side needs to know about the other side’s difficulty in
moving towards reconciliation. Journalism which explores each side’s
particular difficulties, such as its politics or powerful interests can help
educate the other side to avoid demands for simplistic and immediate
solutions.

70. 3.Confidence-building: Lack of trust is a major factor contributing to
conflict. The media can reduce suspicion by digging into hot issues and
revealing them so there are no secrets to fear. Good journalism can also
present news that shows resolution is possible by giving examples from
other places and by explaining local efforts at reconciliation.
• 4. Correcting misperceptions: By examining and reporting on the two
sides’ misperceptions of each other, the media encourages disputing sides
to revise their views and move closer to reducing conflict.
• 5. Making them human: Getting to know the other side, giving them
names and faces, is an essential step. This is why negotiators put the two
sides in the same room. Good journalism also does this by putting real
people in the story and describing how the issue affects them.

71. • 6. Identifying underlying interests: In a conflict both sides need to
understand the bottom-line interests of the other. Good reporting
does this by asking tough questions and seeking out the real meaning
of what leaders say. Good reporting also looks beyond the leaders’
interests and seeks the larger groups’ interest.
• 7. Emotional outlet: In conflict resolution, there must be outlets for
each side to express their grievances or anger or they will explode in
frustration and make things worse. The media can provide important
outlets by allowing both sides to speak. Many disputes can be fought
out in the media, instead of in the streets, and the conflict can be
addressed before it turns violent.

72. 8.Framing the conflict: In a conflict, describing the problem in a
different way can reduce tension and launch negotiations. In good
journalism, editors and reporters are always looking for a different
angle, an alternative view, a new insight which will still attract an
audience to the same story. Good journalism can help reframe conflicts
for the two sides.
• 9. Face-saving, consensus-building: When two parties try to resolve a
conflict they must calm the fears of their supporters. By reporting
what they say, the media allows leaders in a conflict to conduct face-
saving and consensus-building, even reaching to refugees and exiles
in far-away places.

73. 10. Solution-building: In a conflict, both sides must eventually present
specific proposals to respond to grievances. On a daily basis, good
reporting does this by asking for their solutions instead of just repeating
their rhetoric of grievances. Good journalism is a constant process of
seeking solutions.
• 11. Encouraging a balance of power: Conflicting groups, regardless of
inequalities, have to believe they will be given attention if they meet the
other side in negotiations. Good journalism encourages negotiation
because the reporting is impartial and balanced. It gives attention to all
sides. It encourages a balance of power for the purpose.

74. A checklist for conflict sensitive journalist
• Avoid reporting a conflict as consisting of two opposing sides. Find
other affected interests and include their stories, opinions and goals.
• Avoid defining the conflict by always quoting the leaders who make
familiar demands. Go beyond the elites. Report the words of ordinary
people who may voice the opinions shared by many.
• Avoid only reporting what divides the sides in conflict. Ask the
opposing sides questions which may reveal common ground. Report on
interests or goals which they may share.

75. • Avoid always focusing on the suffering and fear of only one side. Treat
all sides’ suffering as equally newsworthy.
• Avoid words like devastated, tragedy and terrorized to describe what
has been done to one group. These kinds of words put the reporter on
one side. Do not use them yourself. Only quote someone else who uses
these words.
• Avoid emotional and imprecise words. Assassination is the murder of a
head of state and no-one else. Massacre is the deliberate killing of
innocent, unarmed civilians. Soldiers and policemen are not massacred.
Genocide means killing an entire people. Do not minimize suffering, but
use strong language carefully.

76. • Avoid words like terrorist, extremist or fanatic. These words take sides,
make the other side seem impossible to negotiate with. Call people what
they call themselves.
• Avoid making an opinion into a fact. If someone claims something, state
their name, so it is their opinion and not your fact.
• Avoid waiting for leaders on one side to offer solutions. Explore peace
ideas wherever they come from. Put these ideas to the leaders and report
their response.

77. Reaching the other side
• One way professional journalists can help bridge the barriers between
the opposing sides is to search for stories about what is common to
both sides. For example, it can be news about common
environmental concerns, business prospects, health concerns or new
farming techniques.
• And the stories report solutions that can be shared by both sides.
Another way of breaking the barriers is to write stories about trans-
ethnic identities, or people who are national heroes

78. • . These are people who rise from one group or region to represent
the whole country, in business, or international politics or education.
The most important way is to remove stereotypes and assumptions
from our news.
• Stereotypes always report what is different about the other side, such
as race or religion or caste, as if it is important. Such reports give the
assumption that the other side always acts in certain ways and never
changes.
• Stereotypes blame the other side’s religion, caste or culture for
whatever happens. Such reports are often wrong and create prejudice
and conflict.
• Always ask yourself: is race or religion or caste important in my
report? If not, remove it

79. More alternatives ,more
solutions!
Peace begins from me !
Thank you !