Using the Media Constructively

Being a communications major has taught me a lot about the media and the roles it plays in our society. All too often, it presents the negative in a way that is not constructive. When I do see it being used positively in spite of the sadness that is so prevalent in today's world, it shows me that there is hope for the media to be a vehicle for change.

As an intern for a non-profit, internationally connected peace and justice organization, I get a lot of opportunities to attend forums and discussions on topics that interest me. This week, thanks to information from my wonderful supervisor, I was able to go to a forum at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Study. The presentation was part of a monthly forum series on conflict presentation and resolution, and today's was on media projects and communication strategies. The program stated that the purpose was to "explore the role of innovative, independent media projects...as a catalyst for positive change and conflict prevention," but it went beyond this to talk about media roles on a much broader scale.

Panelist Deborah Jones of Search for Common Ground's television and radio division talked about why media works-because there is a desire present in all cultures and people to tell their stories. In conflict, people have lost their power and, in that respect, their voice. Media in conflict resolution is effective, Jones said, because it means tapping into fundamental desires such as having your story heard, and there are so many different ways to tell your story through media.

The first step is the most essential: talking. Getting voices heard. Look at the Weather Vane. Over the past several months I've seen it become much more of an arena for discussion. Despite being in Washington, we stay connected-I saw an Opinion page with more letters to the editor in one issue than I saw in a whole semester when I was editor. Constructive discussion can resolve (although not always) even complicated conflicts. The media used in manners such as locally run and programmed radio and television stations are also helping to resolve conflicts around the world. But the media has a responsibility as an institution to not just fix and forget.

An issue that can be hard to solve in the use of media in conflict resolution is sustainability after the conflict has ended-how do you use the good that has already been done to prevent the bad from happening again? Panelist Adam Kaplan of USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives talked about the goal of media as an institution in the area of conflict that can be sustained in that environment even after the conflict has ended. Media must have longevity; it must outlast those of us who go and help. As an institution it must continue in the good work it started to be an agent of positive change that is more than just temporary.