Rethinking journalism practice through innovative approaches to post conflict reporting.

Abstract

Since peace negotiations between the Colombian government and leftist Farc guerrillas began in 2012, it is generally accepted in the country that journalism has a responsibility to nurture peace. But an analysis of domestic news coverage concluded that the voices of victims were distinctly absent. This paper argues that a journalism intended to promote peace and reconciliation must include a wider range of voices and speak to those who have direct experience of conflict and suffering. We argue that a deeper understanding of trauma may help strengthen resilience in individuals and society and contribute to peacebuilding. Drawing on the authors’ research working with young people embroiled in Colombia’s civil conflict, the paper explores an alternative and innovative approach to the retelling of the stories of others and post conflict reporting. At a societal level, the project aimed to contribute to the process of reconciliation, using an autobiographical approach to capture the participants’ first-hand experiences and to highlight the challenges of re-integration. It presented their hopes through animation and the creation of a short, animated documentary. At a journalistic level, the project explored the efficacy of combining traditional methods of storytelling with animation to offer anonymity to vulnerable contributors of testimony.