Role of Media in

Conflict Areas
Elizabeth Rehan and Ellen Sirleaf in their
book Women, War and Peace said," The
power of media in [conflict and] warfare is
formidable. It can be a mediator or an
interpreter or even a facilitator of conflict. If
only by editing away facts that do not fit the
demands of air time or print space”
(Emphasis added).
Anurag Gangal, Professor,
30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 1
Unuversity, Jammu
 Typology of Media and
Conflicts - I

Different Media and diverse type of
conflicts are there

Print, audio, audio-visual and
cyberspace media are there

As such Newspapers, Magazines,
Telecommunication, Radio, TV, Internet
are major means of information,
Education, Entertainment,
Communication and NEWS. This may be
called dissemination of Knowledge.
Anurag Gangal, Professor,
30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 2
Unuversity, Jammu
 Typology of Media and
Conflicts - II

Variety of Conflicts:
1. Personal and familial
2. Local conflicts limited to a given area, locality,
institution, place and locale specific
3. Community specific
4. Regional
5. National
6. Territorial
7. Ethnic and Identity oriented
8. Conflicts for protection of fundamental human
rights and securing social justice
9. Religion specific
10. Crime and law and order oriented
11. International (with unlimited range)

Anurag Gangal, Professor,

30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 3
Unuversity, Jammu
 Media and Conflicts

Media is interested in what they call
stories from North, East, West, South or
NEWS

News for Media is when, as it were, ‘man
bites a dog’ and not vice versa.

Media is primarily interested in what is
not common and normal.

Yet media is also interested in masses
and whatever is massive in nature.

Anurag Gangal, Professor,

30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 4
Unuversity, Jammu
 Media’s Role and
Conflicts

Media is generally not engaged in
conflict prevention

Reporting by itself can lead to prevention
of conflicts sometimes when an alarming
piece of information is highlighted about
a probability

It is not just conflicts but also their
management, resolution and
transformation that concerns media

Media’s role is also in fostering the
building of mutual trust and projection of
rightful image

Anurag Gangal, Professor,

30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 5
Unuversity, Jammu
 Major Representative
Instances of Media’s Role
in Conflict Areas

International Media and Developing
Countries: Biased Reporting

Reporting terrorism

Case of Jammu and Kashmir

Anthony Smith, Geopolitics of
Information highlights a system of tilted,
biased, racially afflicted and exploitative
media perspectives

Limitations of media: Journalists write on
the back of advertisements and
Mediapersons air their stories in the
advertisers’ leftover timeslots
Anurag Gangal, Professor,
30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 6
Unuversity, Jammu
 Media’s Real Life Role

Mediapersons look for a scoop and, as
such, when World Trade Centre
collapsed, they all, in the first instance,
jumped with happiness in their offices for
having had this great opportunity and
moment to cover.

Yet, mediapersons and police both have
to face real life threatening situations in
their daily imparting of duties.

Anurag Gangal, Professor,

30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 7
Unuversity, Jammu
 Media’s Role, Police and
“Provention”

John Burton’s sustained proactive
efforts for prevention of conflicts of
“Provention” is required for media
and police to realise.

Proper grasping of conflicts and conflict
resolution methods needs wider people to people
active participation and continued interaction. It
must not remain nearly an exclusive domain of
academic experts, political negotiators, and
diplomatic officers only.

Methods and technical profundity is required
absolutely. This knowledge must, however,
percolate down to every common person. That is
how things have to be planned for future.

Anurag Gangal, Professor,

30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 8
Unuversity, Jammu
 Select Bibliography

Bajraktari, Yll, and Christina Parajon, “The Role
of the Media in Conflict”,
http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/200
7/0705_media_conflict.html

Bondurant, Conquest of Violence: The Gandhian
Philosophy of Conflict, Princeton University
Press, New Jersey, 1988

Burton, John, Conflict: Resolution and
Provention, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990

Gangal, S.C., Gandhian Thought and
Techniques in the Modern World, Criterion, New
Delhi, 1988.

Huntington, Samuel P., “The Clash of
Civilisations?”, Foreign Affairs, 1993.

Anurag Gangal, Professor,

30/03/2009 Political Science, Jammu 9
Unuversity, Jammu