{"id":267638,"date":"2021-11-17T17:05:07","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T22:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=267638"},"modified":"2021-11-19T17:06:26","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T22:06:26","slug":"solutions-journalism-offers-press-more-constructive-role-in-covering-conflict-panellists-say-as-international-media-seminar-on-middle-east-peace-concludes-press-release-pal-2242","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/solutions-journalism-offers-press-more-constructive-role-in-covering-conflict-panellists-say-as-international-media-seminar-on-middle-east-peace-concludes-press-release-pal-2242\/","title":{"rendered":"“Solutions Journalism” Offers Press More Constructive Role in Covering Conflict, Panellists Say, as International Media Seminar on Middle East Peace Concludes – Press Release (PAL\/2242)"},"content":{"rendered":"

PAL\/2242<\/strong>
\n17 NOVEMBER 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Media experts called for the broader application of solutions journalism \u2014 an approach focusing on problem-solving responses \u2014 in reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as the 2021 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East concluded today.<\/p>\n

Organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications and moderated by Nanette Braun, Chief of the Department\u2019s Communications Campaigns Service, the Seminar took place virtually over two days, bringing together diplomats, journalists, media experts and youth representatives from around the world.\u00a0 Today\u2019s panel discussion, featuring three panellists, explored the theme \u201cSolutions journalism in the coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict\u201d. (For the previous day\u2019s coverage, see Press Release\u00a0PAL\/2241<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Dina Aboughazala, the founder of Egab \u2014 a platform specializing in solutions journalism in the Middle East and North Africa \u2014 outlined the four pillars of that approach, stating that a solutions story focuses on a response and provides rigorous evidence of how solutions are working. \u00a0It offers insight, making the response relevant to other situations. \u00a0It also reveals limitations, as there are no perfect solutions.\u00a0 With fewer solutions-based stories coming out of the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank than from Israel, she stressed the need to correct that imbalance, emphasizing that solutions journalism helps each side to see the perspectives of the other and enables the media to portray each side in a new light.<\/p>\n

Eetta Prince-Gibson, former Editor-in-Chief of\u00a0The Jerusalem Report<\/em>, stressed the critical importance of defining problems in specific terms and articulating them clearly.\u00a0 Suggesting that such concepts as \u201cthe conflict\u201d or \u201cthe occupation\u201d be broken down into solvable components, she said there should be examples of similar problems facing other religious groups in conflict.\u00a0 She also emphasized the need for training, calling on academia, particularly schools of journalism, to play a constructive role.<\/p>\n

Daoud Kuttab, Director General of the Community Media Network, said solutions journalism, unlike \u201cpeace journalism\u201d, does not veer away from the first fundamental of journalism, which is to seek truth.\u00a0 Stories must conclude with solutions, \u201cnot singular but plural\u201d, he stressed, adding that options must be presented along with their associated economic, political, financial and cultural costs.\u00a0 He hopes to see more solutions-based stories on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but journalists must have humility and understand that the crisis cannot be resolved by them.<\/p>\n

Panel II: \u00a0Solutions journalism for the Israel-Palestine conflict<\/u><\/p>\n

Moderated by Nanette Braun, Chief of Communications Campaigns Service in the Strategic Communications Division of the Department of Global Communications, the Seminar\u2019s second panel discussion explored the theme \u201cSolutions journalism in the coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict\u201d.\u00a0 It featured the following panellists:\u00a0 Dina Aboughazala, Founder of the media start-up Egab and former senior journalist with BBC Monitoring; Daoud Kuttab, Director General of Community Media Network; and Eetta Prince-Gibson, former Editor-in-Chief of\u00a0The Jerusalem Report<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ms. BRAUN highlighted the role of media in reporting on solutions, instead of focusing on bad news.\u00a0 Audiences want to see examples of how problems can be overcome and how they impact their lives, she said, noting that solutions journalism seeks to inspire hope.\u00a0 Today\u2019s panel discussion will explore how solutions journalism can be practiced and even thrive in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.<\/p>\n

Mr. KUTTAB said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a great subject upon which solutions journalism can be experimented.\u00a0 Noting that the problem is that journalists are trained to go after bad news, he voiced his disagreement with a view that the public is tired of bad news.\u00a0 Indeed, it loves bad news, prompting the media to continue publishing it.\u00a0 What he likes about solutions journalism is that, unlike peace journalism, it does not veer away from the first fundamental of journalism, which is to seek truth.\u00a0 Stories must conclude with solutions, \u201cnot singular but plural\u201d, he stressed, adding that options must be presented along with their associated economic, political, financial and cultural costs.\u00a0 He advocated for more journalists practicing solutions journalism, which has not often been seen on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.<\/p>\n

Ms. PRINCE-GIBSON said she is not familiar with how solutions journalism is being applied to conflict, but solutions journalism can draw a lesson from a problem that has been dealt with elsewhere.\u00a0 People tend to think the problem they are experiencing is unique to them, but similar problems can in fact be found elsewhere.\u00a0 Describing \u201ccompassion fatigue\u201d, she said she does not know what audiences want any longer.\u00a0 Defining problems in specific terms and articulating them is critical, she said, suggesting that \u201cthe conflict\u201d or \u201cthe occupation\u201d be broken down into solvable components.\u00a0 There should also be examples of similar problems facing religious groups in conflict.<\/p>\n

Ms. ABOUGHAZALA, outlining the four pillars of solutions journalism, said a solutions story focuses on a response and provides rigorous evidence of how solutions are working.\u00a0 It offers insight, making the response relevant to other situations.\u00a0 It also reveals limitations, as there are no perfect solutions.\u00a0 Citing the importance of drawing on past lessons of conflict resolution \u2014 including in South Africa \u2014 she also urged a closer look inside the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.\u00a0 It has been 20\u00a0years since a two-State solution was first laid out.\u00a0 That is enough time to assess how it is working, what insights can be drawn and what its limitations are.\u00a0 \u00a0However, narratives have remained the same on both sides, and there is the need to bring in new ones.\u00a0 Citing statistics from the United States-based Solutions Journalism Network, she pointed out that fewer solutions stories are coming out of Gaza and the West Bank than from Israel.\u00a0 She went on to stress the need to correct that imbalance, emphasizing that solutions journalism helps each side to see the perspectives of the other and also enables the media to portray each side in a new light.<\/p>\n

Ms. BRAUN then asked the panellists to elaborate on what can be done to promote solutions journalism.<\/p>\n

Ms. PRINCE-GIBSON underscored the importance of training, which will give journalists the tools and courage needed to face naysayers in their communities.\u00a0 They should also feel safe, not accused of collaboration.\u00a0 Journalists can find places in society or the world where the solutions approach can be practiced, which requires funding and frameworks.<\/p>\n

Ms. ABOUGHAZALA said the first step is to have good training.\u00a0 Though Solutions Journalism Network has monthly seminars and offer various resources in English, a lack of credible information in Arabic remains a problem.\u00a0 Her media startup, Egab, offers training for non-English-speaking journalists.\u00a0 Noting that writers who publish their solutions stories with the Solutions Journalism Network can act as \u201cchampions\u201d in their communities to train other journalists, she said good examples are crucial to convincing skeptics.\u00a0 It is also important to investigate solutions, instead of just promoting them.\u00a0 Cautioning against the oversimplification of complex narratives, she said journalists can help bridge the gaps between conflicting parties by presenting complexity that leads to a deeper understanding of each side\u2019s position.<\/p>\n

Mr. KUTTAB said he believes in solutions journalism, but journalism cannot solve problems.\u00a0 At the end of the day, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved by journalists.\u00a0 Emphasizing that members of the media need a little bit of humility, he said comparison between media in Israel and Palestine is not meaningful because the former has a thriving industry while the latter is just a group of individuals.\u00a0 In that context, he hopes to see international media practice solutions journalism, as they have money and resources that local media do not.<\/p>\n

Ms. ABOUGHAZALA said that while journalists cannot resolve conflicts and other global challenges, they can fix the problems in their own industry.\u00a0 That is what she is trying to do.<\/p>\n

Panellists were then asked to share useful tools and resources on solutions journalism.<\/p>\n

Ms. PRINCE-GIBSON, stressing the importance of creating space for practitioners to learn from each other, drew attention to \u201cO2O2\u201d, a service that translates articles from Arabic into Hebrew and vice versa.<\/p>\n

Ms. ABOUGHAZALA cited the Solutions Journalism Network and the Constructive Institute in Denmark as useful resources, as well as Egab for Arabic speakers.\u00a0 Only by building up the capacity of journalists can the media industry change.\u00a0 Stressing that laws and policies are important, she said it is the journalists who manifest them in practice.<\/p>\n

Asked about the role of academia, Ms. PRINCE-GIBSON said schools of journalism do not teach students how to deal with the reality and complexity of the situation on the ground.\u00a0 Pointing out that many young writers are freelancers, who therefore miss opportunities for mentoring, she said it is important to create forums for young journalists.\u00a0 Academia can play a key role in creating such spaces.<\/p>\n

Ms. BRAUN, quoting David Bornstein of the Solutions Journalism Network, said: \u00a0\u201cThe biggest potential corruption of solutions journalism is if it devolves into a kind of \u2018good news\u2019 or \u2018feel good\u2019 product, rather than a source of problem-solving knowledge grounded in rigorous, critical reporting.\u201d \u00a0On the question of neutrality, she said critics of solutions journalism have voiced concerns about potential bias and advocacy in reporting.<\/p>\n

On that point, Ms. ABOUGHAZALA said those types of bias are not true examples of solutions journalism, but rather \u201csolutions imposters\u201d.\u00a0 There are also many inspiring stories about individuals, but they are not solutions stories.<\/p>\n

Ms. PRINCE-GIBSON said journalists who practice the solutions approach are promoting ideas to make the world a better place and, in that sense, are \u201cadvocates\u201d for solutions.<\/p>\n

For information media. Not an official record.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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