Nonviolent Journalism: New Book Offers Pathbreaking Alternatives to Mainstream Media’s Embedded Militarism
TMS PEACE JOURNALISM, 31 Jul 2023
Jan Oberg, Ph.D. | The Transnational – TRANSCEND Media Service
22 Jul 2023 – Is there such a thing: Nonviolent journalism? Of course, there is. It’s only that we live in a perverted militarist culture and era in which nobody questions the concept of war reporting – rampant everywhere – but in which most people would probably respond to “nonviolent journalism” with a: What?
Those of us in the profession of peace have long known and cherished the theory and practice of peace journalism pioneered by TFF Associates like Johan Galtung, Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick. I don’t think it is a good term in the specific sense that journalists should never promote this or that value but report as honestly and multi-faceted what they see and hear. But its specific quality, in my view, is that peace journalism is about reporting the conflicts that violence and wars are rooted in – and not only the violence that most media wallow in today (and implicitly legitimate).
It also reports on those who work against war and not only those who promote and conduct war – and searches among the parties for answers to questions like: How can the violence stop and what must be done to move to a more peaceful – nonviolent – future and heal the hurt and harm?
When did you last see a media report – daily, journal, radio or television report – which did that as well as reporting the violence and all the military details?
The very least we should reasonably expect of our media is that they don’t directly promote warfare – by their choice and priorities of stories, warzones, perspectives, footage, reliance on certain experts from military establishments etc. But that is, tragically, exactly what the Western mainstream media (MSM) do 24/7.
If you want to explore these issues as presented by professionals around the globe – both conceptual and as practical manual with fine examples – I warmly recommend a book just published by the alternative international press agency Pressenza, “Nonviolent Journalism. A Humanist Approach to Communication.” You may order it here from Barnes & Noble.
Pressenza presents its book here, and here you’ll find two enlightening discussions with one of the editing nonviolent journalists, Tony Robinson – whom we have recently featured here at The Transnational. One would wish that other news agencies spent time and resources on serious reflecting on what they do and its consequences…
I also recommend that you acquaint yourself with Pressenza – the most high-quality and urgently important global news agency that you have probably never heard about. All about it here – where you may also subscribe to its newsletter – which I have done for years and look forward to every day.
There are alternatives to the intellectually decaying mainstream media and their embedded militarism. Indeed, there are only alternatives. Like Pressenza.
I am honoured to have been asked to write the book’s Prologue – “Selected mainstream media trends over the last 50 years. And how the media became the largest single obstacle to an understanding of our complex world.”
Thank you for asking me and for providing such fine cooperation and partnership, dear Tony and Pressenza!
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Prof. Jan Oberg, Ph.D. is director of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, TFF and a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment. CV: https://transnational.live/jan-oberg
https://transnational.live
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Tags: Alternative Media, Mainstream Media MSM, Media, Nonviolent Journalism, Peace Journalism, War Journalism
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2 Responses to “Nonviolent Journalism: New Book Offers Pathbreaking Alternatives to Mainstream Media’s Embedded Militarism”
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TMS PEACE JOURNALISM:
Dear Jan,
With all due respect for your opinions, I believe the problem is not that we live in a “perverted militarist culture where nobody questions the concept of War Reporting “. Although what you say is true, to me the main problem is that we live in a “perverted militarist culture where nobody questions the concept of War ”
This is because no Government, no politician and most journalists never call the War industry by its name. They all give it the sweet, positive name “Defense”. So, everybody thinks “oh, yes, we need Defense Forces, and with United Nation was in Ukraine and Russia, because Russia, by agreement with Biden, Zelensky and Guterres, started the war, thus is called the ‘invader’ all countries use the event to promote military sales, brainwashing populations with “Russia could also invade us, we must increase the size and power of our Defense Forces.”.
And with this lie, this absurdity, wars will never stop, no matter how much of your sort of Peace Journalism is produced. Reporting on those who work against war is in the main Media all the time. You have War Resisters International, you have the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Abolition 2000, Stop the War Coalition, World Without War, etc, etc. who make it to the general Media quite frequently. There are plenty of YouTube events on Peace, Disarmament and Human Rights.
But none makes any difference because journalists, even Peace journalists I’m sorry to say, don’t educate their readers. Unless people understand that politicians are not magicians, nothing will change. And Peace journalists, – Antonio will furious with me because he complains I criticise too much – seem to also believe politicians are magicians. They all seem to believe politicians can fulfil their duties of negotiating military contracts with other Governments or Armed Forces and create Peace at the same time.
This is the same as if horticulture journalists were telling readers they know of an apple tree that yields bananas. Or a cow that produces goat milk.
You ask “How can the violence stop and what must be done to move to a more peaceful – nonviolent – future and heal the hurt and harm?” the reply is simple. If you have a friend who loves whisky, whose doctor told him if with the condition of his liver, if he continues to drink he’ll die, do you give him a bottle of whisky for his birthday and tell him ‘not’ to drink it? peace journalists do nothing to explain that people who are disputing a territory should NOT have Armed Forces. No country should have Armed Forces. Only stun guns for the Police, in case a robber, rapist or murderer runs faster than the policeman. With a stun gun you can catch and arrest the criminal.
I have a suggestion: why don’t you start with SOFF in Sweden? they represent some 100 Swedish military companies employing 30,000 people. Since Dag Hammarskjöld was the obedient UN ‘Secretary’ and used his position to introduce the Swedish War industry to big time buyers, Sweden has thrived internationally, selling death galore. I believe in Peace. I’m deeply convinced Peace is Possible as I’m equally convinced, as Johan and Antonio know very well, that weapons are the enemies of Peace. Who shoots the first bullet or bom doesn’t matter. Bullets and bombs are made for killing and nothing else.
I rest my case.
I agree more with Antonio’s view of your comment than with anything you say, dear Alberto. As I have said before, I find your views either de facto extreme(ist) or extreme in the formulations. You assert things without any empirical evidence – like what you say about peace researchers and peace journalists – or accuse them of.
You read my text as the Devil reads the Bible. This text is about a new book that deals with nonviolent journalism – that is why I do not discuss war as such but … journalism. But you do not see it, I am afraid. You blow off a few things you have repeated (too) many times, also to me earlier.
Your description/views about Dag Hammarskjöld makes embarrassing reading to me – so much so that I will not argue one word since it is so far out and away from this noble man’s incredibly interesting life deeds.
May I suggest – as a constructive gesture: Try to read something and ask yourself: What is the merits of this argument/article? How could I improve on it and suggest more constructive aspects for a benign dialogue? And how could I learn to sometimes be receptive and not just condemn because something I read does not fit exactly with my own views?
You’ll find that that will be soothing and healthy to you body and soul. These are not the times when we who do our best in the field of peace should accumulate negative energies – of that there is more than enough, Alberto.