Conflict
Media intervention type 2 and 3
Reporting for Peace is a training programme initiated by Internews Indonesia which has helped 200 print and radio journalists to move beyond the 'body count' style of war reporting and to report on conflict constructively. "For journalists who live and work on the front line", says co-founder Fiona Lloyd, "one careless word or one inaccurate detail can ignite a conflict. But equally, one clear balanced report can help to defuse tension and neutralise fear."
Internews is an international non-profit organisation working to enhance tolerance and understanding by supporting independent media in emerging democracies and using the media as a tool to reduce conflict within and between countries. In Indonesia, Internews believes that well balanced, accurate, and objective broadcast news will play a crucial role in the country's transition to a peaceful, democratic society. To encourage the development of such media, Internews pursues a six-part programme which includes training for journalists, training specific to television, productions for radio, internet connectivity, technical support, and media law.
Since 1999, journalists from Indonesian conflict regions have come together to learn how to better tackle conflict issues in their communities, without taking sides, and how to de-escalate violence through balanced reporting.
Reporting for Peace (RFP) training is based on the following assumptions:
The training provides practical and analytical skills and is structured around parallel sessions, which allow the trainers to work with smaller groups and to give more individual attention. It culminates in the production of a newspaper (by the print group), a one-hour live broadcast (by the radio group), or production of short news features with 'Reporting for Peace' themes (by tv journalists). The course also focuses on teamwork and leadership skills - as well as individual creativity.
Media environment
After more than three decades of authoritarian rule under Suharto, Indonesia's media has experienced dramatic growth in recent years. The geographic expanse of the country has made TV and radio crucial tools of communication and information. There are now more than one thousand independent radio stations, an increase of 30 per cent in two years. The number of publications has grown exponentially in what Indonesians call the 'reformasi' era that has ushered in greater journalistic freedom and diversity.
But such rapid growth has resulted in lower ethical and professional standards, and a rise in biased and sensationalist reporting. In areas of sectarian violence, some reporters have been prevented from reporting from both sides of a conflict on account of their ethnic identity. A further problem is that local authorities often refuse to co-operate with the press, and in some cases assert a right to censor reports. Journalists are also sometimes viewed by the local population as 'provocateurs'.
Both journalists and civilian sources are subject to threat and intimidation in areas of conflict. An additional problem for Indonesian media operating in conflict zones is that national advertisers tend not to spend their advertising dollars on media in these areas, placing them under financial pressure.
Preparations
Preparation is crucial to the success of RFP. Understanding the nature of the conflict and the state of media in the conflict area is, of course, essential. Internews compiles an inventory of all potential sources, and categorises them according to their position and/or affiliation (state media, independent, type of media, political affiliation, lobbying or interest group, objective source of information, etc.). These preparatory activities must reach beyond the capital city to assure sufficiently broad perspectives.
Foreign trainers should inform themselves fully about the local environment and political situation, using such tools as e-mail clipping services, up-to-date websites, etc. They should arrive on site with ample time to adjust to local climate conditions (at least two days in advance), to receive briefings from the local organisers, and if possible, to allow for additional preparatory activities with respect to course materials, scheduling, and familiarising themselves with the participants.
A competent local training co-ordinator should deal with logistics. This individual can also maintain contact with participants, channel feedback from the participants back to the trainers, and help the trainers to understand the different cultural and social dynamics of their new training environment.
Participants
The RFP workshops usually comprise journalists from radio, TV and print media. Each participant receives an invitation letter which explains in detail what the expectations from both sides should be. The workshops bring together people from a wide range of media backgrounds, with varying levels of experience and different expectations.
Location of the training
If the security situation permits, the workshop should be held in the conflict area. Participants then come face-to-face with the realities and complexities of reporting in a conflict zone - and are able to use the experience as something of a rehearsal for future coverage. It is also an excellent way to bring journalists from the area of conflict and outside journalists together and to promote dialogue.
Often, the workshops will be under surveillance. Trainers should be conscious of the tension this may cause and should take measures to help the participants to feel secure.
Training materials
Training materials - especially 'case study' exercises - are mostly built around realistic but fictitious examples. This allows participants to engage with issues of journalism (particularly angle and balance) without getting too caught up in details.
Two training manuals1, written by Peter du Toit and Fiona Lloyd and translated into Bahasa Indonesia, are used to complement the workshops. The first book addresses the nature of conflict and conflict management approaches, and looks at how journalists can cover conflict in a way that facilitates dialogue and problem solving, without resorting to "sunshine journalism".
The other covers the practical skills and ethical issues involved in reporting conflict. The book also gives practical tips on the more creative aspects of journalism - like making radio or TV mini dramas with messages - and includes a chapter on how to handle personal stress, when 'reporting from the frontline'.
The training sessions
The first day
The workshops are held in environments that are sensitive or even dangerous, and so, at the outset, there is usually a sense of insecurity and tension. For example, at a workshop in Aceh, one participant expressed the concern that: "there are spies in the group"; while another feared that the workshop might be stopped because of "government pressure". Participants therefore need sufficient time during the opening session to get to know each other and establish a sense of common ground. Participants should also be given the opportunity to anonymously express their own hopes and concerns.
Fiona Lloyd reports that in past workshops, participants expressed a range of concerns focused on trust and security. To allay such fears, ground rules were established: notes could be taken during workshop sessions but sessions would not be recorded, workshop reports would not include names of participants, and individuals could request that sensitive comments be regarded as 'off the record'.
This initial session is followed by a session with a specially designed exercise to establish a common understanding of the media environment in which participants are working. This exercise is called the 'Tree of Media Exercise', and uses the metaphor of the jambu-air [rose-apple tree] tree to depict, metaphorically, the interactions of various elements in society with respect to media:Having created a picture of the audience, the group then focuses on the different 'fruits' - intercultural understanding, public awareness of human rights and democracy, entertainment and information, etc. - emerging from good journalistic practice, and engages in a discussion on the opportunities journalists have to play a meaningful role in society.
The final part of the exercise involves a focus on the different threats - symbolised by the worms - to the growth and development of a sound media environment. Those challenges may include economic insecurity, corruption, censorship and self-censorship, lack of the skills, poor and inexperienced management, risks faced by journalists, scarce resources, and problems relating to editorial independence.
Via the metaphor, journalists from different organisations, areas and contexts see that while they may have different goals and target audiences, they are all operating within a broader environment and confront similar challenges. As such, the exercise helps participants find common ground about their goals, objectives and professional orientations and this recognition underpins most of the discussions.
Enhancing journalistic skills
The RFP model is divided into two sections: practical skills sessions, adopted
to suit the needs for radio, television or print personnel and conflict management
sessions. Practical training sessions cover the areas reporting conflict; interviewing;
writing for radio, TV and print media; principles of radio and TV presentation;
becoming more interactive; and collecting the stories.
During this part of the workshop, special attention is paid to issues of balance, framing and disaggregation. Trainer Fiona Lloyd remarks: "Of increasing importance, in my sessions, is an exploration of news values, so that participants gain the skills to identify and report on those 'hidden' stories that often don't make the mainstream media: stories which show so-called 'ordinary' people or community groupings working together to build dialogue - stories which challenge prevailing stereotypes and prejudices."
The conflict resolution sessions address topics such as understanding conflict, managing conflict, journalists' roles in conflict, professional issues in conflict reporting, and nws-values, story ideas and practical application.
Through these sessions, participants should better understand the sources of conflict and the ways that journalists can help create conditions that allow for constructive conflict management. The sessions examine how personal values can impact on conflict reporting and address issues such as choice of language and how the perspective of the journalist affects the perception of the receiver. Trainees also participate in a 'real life' press conference.
Field work
The skills enhancement sessions occupy the first six days of the programme. Following these sessions, participants get one day to reflect and prepare for the practical work. Each RFP course concludes with two days of practical fieldwork. Print journalists produce a newspaper (which is then published and distributed for free to the community); radio journalists produce a live broadcast on a local station featuring news, mini dramas, PSAs, interviews, phone-ins, etc; and TV journalists produce short features with RFP themes.
The practical component is vital to the success of RFP training. Participants achieve tangible and have copies of whatever they have produced to take home to their own work environment.
In the past, participants have produced stories on:
Final session
All the participants are brought together for a final session during which they are asked to complete evaluation questionnaires. "The final session also allows participants to brainstorm ways of strengthening the informal networks that had been forged during the workshop," says Lloyd. "The aim is to help participants focus on the way ahead - in terms of individual challenge and potential networking." These sessions also provide opportunities for the participants to share experiences - which the trainers have found is particularly important for journalists who may feel isolated and alienated in their daily work and needed support from colleagues in other areas
Evaluation Feedback from participants indicates that one of the important benefits of the RFP sessions is the contact among journalists that results. In some cases, this has resulted in the establishment of informal networks. Journalists from Aceh, for example, have established a radio community linking three stations, and journalists from Palu rely on an informal network to check the veracity of rumours and stories.
RFP journalists also point to improved contact with the local community. This has involved, for example, discussions with local community leaders in Maluku on how to use culture to 'talk peace,' and radio programming on Best FM in Palu aimed at challenging stereotypes and building relationships within a fragmented community.
A third outcome, as reported by RFP participants, is personal change. "Covering stories of conflict brings anger," reported one participant. "At RFP I learned to keep that anger down - to see the actual story properly. Now I think two or three times before putting stories on-air if the way they are written may cause conflict." Another, from Kalimantan, said that he had gained the confidence he needed to handle a new and challenging post, to better understand the complexities of the conflict, and to write about the 'bigger picture.'
RFP journalists also tend to utilise the media to challenge stereotypes. For example, a radio journalist invited soldiers to participate in programming on National Army Day, so that listeners might understand 'the human face behind the uniform.'
Clearly, participants also appreciate the opportunity to discuss common problems with fellow journalists. "Training like this is not only important because of the skills we learn. It also provides us with a safe space - a neutral space - where we can talk to each other as friends and colleagues. Conflict can make you crazy. We need forums like this to remind ourselves that we are human beings."
From the trainer's perspective, Peter du Toit observes that the media in conflict areas often suffer from a lack of an 'institutional memory'. This impedes journalists in their abilities to set standards for themselves. "I believe that training courses can play an important role in this regard. Essentially trainers become surrogate mentors, helping journalists to see what they can achieve and to set personal targets for themselves. This then creates the possibility of ongoing development as participants take what they have learned back to their stations.'
The way forward
If there is value in RFP, then clearly, formal follow-up sessions for participants
will also be valuable. But less formal follow-up is also desirable. The distribution
of e-mail lists, and the establishment of websites and chat rooms, for example,
provide participants with opportunities to exchange information and stories.
Because RFP is likely to have a ripple effect, Internews itself sees a need
to reach more journalists, but Fiona Lloyd cautions that this should only occur
if adequate resources are available.
One way to broaden the impact is to train RFP trainers, and Lloyd has accordingly
developed a 'Trainer of Trainers' (TOT) Programme. The curriculum aims to give
participants an understanding of the principles of interactive, participatory
training, and help participants to understand the structure, aims and outcomes
of the RFP approach. However, the TOT programme can't provide potential trainers
with all the tools required, so the RFP designers have conceived a more extensive
programme which includes more hands-on experience with RFP as preparation for
becoming full-fledged trainers. 'When dealing with people from communities traumatised
by conflict, it would be foolish and potentially counterproductive to have incompletely
trained or inexperienced trainers operate courses such as RFP,' says Internews
Indonesia director James Lorimer.
A final recommendation by Internews staff is that RFP training should be complemented
with 'Hostile Environment Reporting' training. "RFP may be the first and most
important intervention in an area wracked by conflict," says Lorimer, "but we
believe other programmes of journalistic support are necessary. In some areas
of Indonesia where violent conflict is ongoing, giving journalists the skills
to cope with dangerous situations should be part of our package."
Note
1 Training manual Reporting for Peace consists of Journalists and Conflicts, by Peter du Toit and Broadcasting from the frontline: skills, techniques and challenges for radio journalists, by Fiona Lloyd.