Peace journalism and the Libya crisis

The current uprising in Libya is not only a chance for the oppressed population of the African country to reclaim their freedom. It is also a convenient time for the journalists of the world to give the more responsible and sustainable way of peace journalism a try. And it is a chance for the newspapers which swallowed and spread the lies of the warlords Blair and Bush in 2003 to atone for their irresponsible journalism.

Annabell McGoldrick and Jake Lynch

   The Libyan uprising offers many opportunities for peace journalism due to some unique features in the way it is carried out. According to Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick, peace journalism should not portray a conflict as consisting of only two parties contesting the same goal. The multiplicity of different participants in the revolt and the variety of their motives must be taken into consideration by the media. They must not be seen as one homogenous group.

      Additionally, the tabloids in particular should resist the temptation of only reporting about violence. The deeper reasons behind the revolt, such as the daily oppression by the regime of Colonel Gaddafi, must be taken into consideration as triggers of violence.

     Also, the theory of peace journalism recommends avoiding the use of demonizing labels, such as the use of the terms psychopath or lunatic in Gaddafi´s case. Instead, Lynch and McGoldrick propose to use the own descriptions of the person´s or parties involved.

    It sometimes seems justified to label Gaddafi a maniac, given what he does to his own people. But then we have to ask ourselves how it was possible for a “mad dog”, as he was dubbed by President Ronald Reagan during a news conference on the ninth of April 1986, to rule a multiethnic country for 40 years. And whether the term “beloved leader of the revolution” does not reveal much more truth about the dictator´s psyche than he imagines.