The role of reporters in mitigating and transforming conflicts.

Conflict is not Negative (The way we handle it can either be positive or negative)

Journalists of the Northwest and West regions of Cameroon under the umbrella of Cameroon Community Media Network (CCMN) in partnership with the PCC Peace Office have undergone a 4 day training on "Conflict sensitive reporting" at the Church Center in Bamenda.

The over 50 men and women of the press were and are being drilled on how to report during conflict  periods. The facilitator, Wolfram Metzig-Eisner coordinator of the PCC Peace Office and Ntui Oben, drilled the journalists on
√ Conflict and Violence
√ Conflict Analysis
√ Peace and reporting in times of conflict.
√ Hate speech
√ Communication and mediation.

At the end of this workshop,  journalists are expected to better understand the things to consider when covering conflicts which include
1.  Understanding of a conflict before reporting
2. Understand its underlying causes
3. Understanding the full effects on the people.
4. Consider where you get your "facts".
5. Consider whether your stories are contributing to escalate the conflict.
6. Question self on how to report so as to de-escalate a conflict.

With the above in mind, we will accept the fact that media reports/coverages often contribute in escalating  conflicts.  Sometimes this is desirable, constructive escalation is sometimes the best way for lower-power groups to gain power to effectively advocate for themselves.  But it's proven that often,  escalation gets out of control, and leads to increasing polarization, violence and cost to all the sides.
With such trainings,  journalists are empowered on ways to use their reports to de-escalate conflicts and make them more constructive.

If editors and reporters make choices of what stories to report and how to report them,  that will create opportunities for the society at large to consider and value non-violence responses to conflict.

The first part of this training was from the 11 to the 14 of June. The last part which started on the 18 will be rounding up on the 21st of June 2018.

If the practice of this profession should be Peace/conflict oriented,  then we must use the insights of conflict analysis and transformation to update the concepts of balance, fairness and accuracy in reporting.  Provide a new road map tracing the connections between journalists,  our sources, the stories we cover and take into account the consequences of journalistic intervention.  Build an awareness of non-violence into the practical job of everyday editing and reporting.
#PeaceIsPossible
#NoToViolence

                                           Ambe Macmillian A.