The No-Nonsense guide to Peace Journalism

The document presents peace journalism as an ethical framework for reporting that seeks to create opportunities for non-violent responses to conflict by avoiding sensationalism and zero-sum framing. It details the 'Ten Commandments' for peace journalism, the importance of gender perspectives in conflict reporting, and provides a case study of the 'Naya Nepal' radio programmes in Nepal. The text also addresses criticisms regarding journalistic objectivity and suggests structural strategies for reforming the media field to better support peace-building.

• Peace journalism is defined as a practice where editors and reporters make specific choices regarding story selection and reporting methods to encourage society to value non-violent responses to conflict.
• The document distinguishes peace journalism from 'war journalism', which typically frames conflicts as a zero-sum 'tug-of-war' between two opposing sides where any result other than winning is viewed as losing.
• Peace journalism is characterized by three primary orientations: it is truth-oriented (exposing deception on all sides), people-oriented (focusing on suffering and peace-makers), and solution-oriented (identifying initiatives for reconciliation and reconstruction).
• Majid Tehranian proposes 'Ten Commandments' for peace journalism, which include avoiding the reduction of conflict parties to just two, giving voice to the oppressed, and maintaining skepticism toward government sources.
• There is a critical gender dimension to peace journalism, supported by UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which emphasizes the right of women to participate as decision-makers in peace-building and the need for media to eliminate gender bias in conflict reporting.
• Critics argue that peace journalism compromises journalistic objectivity and neutrality, while proponents like Robert A. Hackett suggest overcoming these obstacles through internal reform, the creation of alternative media, or intervening in adjacent political fields.
• The 'Naya Nepal' radio programmes, produced by the Subaltern Forum in Kathmandu, served as a practical application of peace journalism by highlighting marginalized voices—such as the Tharu, Kammayas, and Madhesis—during Nepal's transition from a monarchy to a republic.

APA

Lee, P. (2008). The No-Nonsense guide to Peace Journalism. World Association for Christian Communication. https://new.waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/14peace_journalism.3.pdf

Chicago

Lee, Philip. The No-Nonsense guide to Peace Journalism. World Association for Christian Communication, 2008. https://new.waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/14peace_journalism.3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lee |first1=Philip |title=The No-Nonsense guide to Peace Journalism |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=2008 |url=https://new.waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/14peace_journalism.3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lee2008nononsense, author = {Lee, Philip}, title = {{The No-Nonsense guide to Peace Journalism}}, institution = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2008}, url = {https://new.waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/14peace_journalism.3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }