The possibilities of journalism as peace building on the periphery: The Colombian case

• Main Author: Jairo Ordóñez
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Berlin Regener Publishing House 2010-10-01
• Series: Conflict & Communication Online
• Subjects: Colombia; peace journalism; opinion articles; independent journalists; experimental study
• Online Access: http://www.cco.regener-online.de/2010_2/pdf/ordonez.pdf

This article analyzes the way the Colombian conflict is represented in Colombian and international qualitative independent opinion articles and their influence on readers' understanding of the conflict. In Colombia there are independent journalists, but according to this research, they are victims of polarization and for this reason support the war, although without a conscious intention to do so. Nevertheless, with the help of international qualitative media it would be possible to reorient Colombian journalism to journalism pro peace. This research suggests that Colombian journalism must and can be reoriented to a more proactive approach. The results of this experiment are encouraging, and perhaps if they were introduced into praxis, they would provide an opportunity for a country that desperately needs peace.