War and Peace Journalism
A 15-points course at Oslo University College (Journalist Education) Spring 2005
Introduction
The course in "War and Peace Journalism" is a 5-point (15 according to the Norwegian
system) course on the masterprogramme in journalism, a joint programme between Oslo
University College (Journalist Education), Oslo University, Institute for Media and
Communication (IMK), and Master of Global Journalism programme at University of
Örebro.
Potenial participants
The course is aimed at participants from the Journalism Programme at Oslo University
College and the students at the Master of Global Journalism programme.
Qualifications and course applications
The course can admit up to 30 participants. 20 of the places at the course are earmarked for
students at the Master of Global Journalism programme and 10 places are earmarked for the
Journalism programme Oslo University College.
Aims
The aim of the course "War and Peace Journalism" is to stimulate critical journalism on issues
like wars, international conflicts, mediations and peace efforts in conflicts and globalization.
The students will be offered knowledge, journalistic skills and attitudes to make them capable
of:
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analyse journalistic performances in conflicts
analyse mechanisms which promote peaceful and violent solutions to conflicts
seek knowledge of mechanisms that can potentially influence journalism in wars and
conflicts such as propaganda, stereotypes, enemy images and media strategies
develop analytical and practical skills i analysing media texts in order to reveal
ethnocentrism and stereotypes towards other cultures and religions and to develop
alternative coverage in form of a more peace oriented and multicultural journalism
The main focus of the course will be on the journalistic presentations of wars and conflicts.
Conflict in this respect is both meant to be manifest conflicts such as war, acts of terror and
violence and structural conflicts like the economical and cultural differences between the rich
north and the poor south.
Content
There will be a critical presentation of existing conflict-orientated war coverage in main
stream media and presentation of examples of alternative peace oriented and multicultural
journalism from conflict zones. The course will have a focus on journalistic presentation on
conflicts after September 11., The war against terror, the Middle East conflict and a potenial
war against Iraq. The themes of lectures, course literature and workshops will be on
propaganda and media strategies, globalization of war- and conflict-journalism, the discourse
of orientalism and counter strategies to meet these. Through workshops with textual analyses
and journalistic techniques the participants will be able to highlight their journalistic
consciousness and skills to be better journalists within the issues of war an peace.
Organising and working methods
The course will be a full time course in week 5 2005. There will a combination of lectures,
seminars and workshops.
Programme
January 30.
Arrival in Oslo and registration at Oslo University College, the Reception dep. JBI on 3 rd
floor Eva Balkes hus, Pilestredet 48.
January 31
09.00 Rune Ottosen (Oslo University College) and John Jones (CPD): Introduction to the
course
09.30-11.00 Rune Ottosen: Propaganda and media strategies in war journalism
11.30-12.30 Lunch
12.30-15.00 Stig Arne Nohrstedt: Globalization of War News
15.00-17.00 Rune Ottosen: Enemy images and the impact on the journalistic process
February 1
9.00-11.00 Elisabeth Eide: How to analyse media content in war and peace journalism
11.00-12.00 Lunch
12.00-17.00 Workshop with textual analyses
February 2
9.00 -11.00 Rune Ottosen: Fiction or facts in war reporting
12.00 – 16.00 Workshop with analyses of the film Black Hawk Down
February 3-4
Annabel McGoldrick and Jake Lynch: Workshop on "Peace Journalism – the Ethics of
Reporting Conflicts"
This workshop will offer an interactive discussion about conflict reporting and about Peace
Journalism – a practical ethical approach of growing global importance. The following topics
will be dealt with:
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War Journalism – the dominant narratives of conflict reporting and how to recognise
them
The explanation for violence and the connection between diagnosis and remedy
The way news ‘shapes’ a conflict and its effect on the way we think about it
How and why the efforts of peacemakers – large or small – can make good copy
‘Objectivity’ and ‘the Feedback Loop of cause and effect’ as alternative models for the
journalist’s role and responsibility when covering conflicts
Conflict outcomes – what is the problem? What is the solution?
A typology of violence – direct, structural and cultural
Understanding the cycle of violence
Interventions to break the cycle of violence – who, what, where, when, why and how?
Understanding trauma as a story and as a factor in the journalist’s own experience
Exam/evaluation
The participants have to write a term paper on 20 pages on a chosen topic within the main
orientations of the course theme. The deadline for the paper will be around May 1 (exact date
to be announce later). The paper can be written in English or Norwegian.
Responsible for the course: Professor Rune Ottosen
Reading list (may be updated):
Höijer, Birgitta & Nohrstedt, Stig Arne & Ottosen, Rune 2002. The Kosovo War in the
Media - Analysis of a Global Discursive Order. Conflict & Communication
online no. 2 2002. 12 p.
Eide, Elisabeth 2002. Reflections on Orientalism and Othering (in compendium) 53 p.
Eide, Elisabeth 2002. Warfare and Dual Vision (in compendium) 30 p.
Katovsky. Bill & Carlson, Timothy (2003). The Media at War in Iraq – an oral history. Guilford
Conn: The Lyons press. 140 p.
Kempf, Wilhelm & Luostarinen, Heikki 2002. Journalism and the New World Order vol. II ,
Chap 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15 Studying War and the media. Gothenburg: Nordicom. 153 p.
Lynch, Jake 2002. Reporting the World. Taplow Court: Conflict and Peace Forums. 103 p.
McGoldrick, Annabel and Lynch, Jake 2000. Peace Journalism: How to do it?
http://www.transcend.org 26 p.
McLaughlin, Greg 2002. The War Correspondent. London: Pluto Press. 105 p..
Nohrstedt, Stig A. & Ottosen, Rune (eds.) 2004. U.S. and the Others. Global Media Images
on “The War on Terror”, Introduction, Chap 1,2,3,4,5,7 Gothenburg: Nordicom. 104 p.
Ottosen, Rune 1995. Enemy Images and the Journalistic Process (pp. 97-113), Journal of
Peace Research no. 1 1995. -16 p.
Ottosen, Rune 2000. Rambo in Somalia? A Critical Look at Media Coverage of Operation
Restore Hope. In Kaarle Nordenstreng & Michael Griffin (eds.): International News
Monitoring, Hampton Press, Cresskill, NJ. 30 p.
About the lecturers
Rune Ottosen is professor of journalism at Oslo University College. He is the author of
several articles and books on the issues of war and peace journalism. Together with Stig A.
Nohrstedt he edited vol.1 of "Journalism and the New World Order. Gulf War, National News
Discourse and Globalization" and edited "Krigens retorikk. Medier, myter og konflikter etter
11. September" together with Elisabeth Eide. In 2004 he together with Stig A. Nohrstedt
edited the book U.S and the Others. Global Media Images on the War on Terror. Gøteborg:
NORDICOM.
Stig Arne Nohrstedt is professor of Media and Communication at the University of Örebro,
Sweden. He is the author of several books and articles within the field of war journalism,
crisis communication and mediaethics. He edited vol.1 of "Journalism and the New World
Order. Gulf War, National News Discourse and Globalization" together with Rune Ottosen.
In 2004 he together with Rune Ottosen edited the book “U.S and the Others. Global Media
Images on the War on Terror”. Gøteborg: NORDICOM.
Elisabeth Eide is Associate Professor at the Journalism Deptt., Oslo University College. She
has published several works on journalism, related to gender and to 'cross-cultural'
communication. Her doctoral thesis analyses the representation of India in a Norwegian
|weekend magazine - and also discusses reportage on ethnic minorities in Norwegian
newspapers. She has also published four novels with an international, cross-cultural scenery.
She is co-editor of "Krigens retorikk" together with Rune Ottosen. In 2004 she published the
book “Å se verden fra et annet sted” (To see the world from somewhere else) together with
Anne Hege Simonsen.
Annabel McGoldrick and Jake Lynch are journalist and active in Transcend - a peace and
development organisation for conflict transformation by peaceful means. They have organised
workshops with journalists and analysts in many countries including Indonesia, where they
have spent six weeks in the autumn 2002, introducing more than 200 participants to Peace
Journalism. They have earlier organised similar workshops in Nepal; Norway; Turkey; the
Middle East and the Caucasus.
They teach their own MA courses at the universities of Sydney, Australia (Peacebuilding
Media – theory and practice), and at the School of Journalism at Cardiff, Wales (Ethics of
Reporting Conflicts).
They are the authors of many publications including the Peace Journalism Option volumes IIII; Reporting the World – a practical checklist for the ethical reporting of conflicts in the 21st
Century and Peace Journalism – What is it? How to do it?
They are both experienced international reporters. Lynch works mainly for BBC News in
London and was the Independent Sydney correspondent in 1998-99. He covered the NATO
briefings in the Kosovo crisis for the satellite TV channel, Sky News.
McGoldrick contributes as a reporter to radio programmes on the BBC World and home
services. She helped to make Against the War for BBC TV during the Kosovo crisis, with
Harold Pinter. She runs Reporting the World – a series of discussions, publications and a
website www.reportingtheworld.org for journalists in London.