Pakistani-Indian colleagues meet, discuss reporting projects Of the dozens of peace journalism projects I’ve taught in 32 countries, few match the success of the Cross Border Reporting workshops that I’ve been involved with since 2018. Thus, I was thrilled to reconnect yesterday with my Indian and Pakistani journalist colleagues in a new zoom meeting series called, Cross Border Conversations. From Himal SouthAsian news The Cross Border Reporting project, sponsored by the East-West Center, has brought together Indian and Pakistani journalists, uniting them first for Zoom trainings, the ..read more

Insightful jointly reported N. Ireland-Kosovo stories published An insightful series of articles jointly produced by journalists from Kosovo and Northern Ireland is being published by Shared Future News in Belfast. These articles were produced as part of a groundbreaking project that combined discussions about reporting a troubled past with the principles of peace journalism. The participants first visited Kosovo and then Northern Ireland to learn about how journalists from both places are dealing with these thorny issues.  As I wrote earlier, "It was gratifying to see how the project gr ..read more

Election 2024: Don't fan the flames The first rule of peace journalism is this: at minimum, don’t make a bad situation worse and don’t add fuel to the fire. Regardless of the election’s outcome, there will be anger, finger pointing, inflammatory language, false claims, and even hatred. So, what can the media and the public do to not exacerbate what will undoubtedly be an incendiary situation? First, the public can avoid spreading propaganda. NPR has a great guide that details how to do this, including not getting anxious if the results aren’t available election night; pausing before re-po ..read more

New professional chapter begins at East-West Center When one door closes, another door open. Challenges are just opportunities by another name. You’ll land on your feet. Yes, I used these cliches while counseling those who lost jobs, or didn’t get hired for the job they wanted. I was embarrassed to utter these seemingly silly phrases because, honestly, I couldn’t come up with anything better. I certainly didn’t really believe what I was saying. In hindsight, maybe I was right. I’m starting a new job now—one that is the perfect fit for my abilities and experiences. I am the seminars/journalism ..read more

Brainstorming ideas at workshop in Chisinau Fulbright Update: Journalists learn Responsibly Reporting Roma One of the tenets of peace journalism is to give a voice to the marginalized in our communities. Here in Moldova, and throughout much of Europe, there is probably no group that is as marginalized as Roma. With this in mind, I launched a two-seminar series on Responsibly Reporting Roma. The first event was held on May 17 in Chisinau, and the second a week later in Soroca, a city north of Chisinau with a large Roma population. Both seminars were s ponsored by the Independent ..read more

Hot off the presses: The new Peace Journalist magazine The latest edition of The Peace Journalist magazine is out! It features a special report on a ‘reporting the past’ project with journalists from Kosovo and Northern Ireland, as well as dispatches from Ethiopia, Gaza, Uganda, and elsewhere. The magazine can be viewed/downloaded at https://www.scribd.com/document/774752030/The-Peace-Journalist-mag-Oct-2024  . This edition of The Peace Journalist was produced in cooperation with Making Peace Visible, a bridge-building organization that facilitates conversations globally about h ..read more

MPV, Indian-Pakistani peacebuilders inspire As we approach the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, my thoughts and gratitude turn to the peacemakers with whom I’ve had the privilege of collaborating. While the list is too long for one blog (or a dozen blogs), let me pick out a few peacebuilders whom I admire: I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Making Peace Visible—MPV.  MPV is a bridge-building organization that facilitates important conversations globally about how the media cover peace and conflict. MPV’s mission is to help expand global coverage o ..read more

N. Ireland, Kosovo journalists forge professional, personal bonds August was a whirlwind that took my colleagues and I to Kosovo, then back home for a few weeks, then finally to Northern Ireland. We were collectively tapping into one another’s wisdom about the troubled pasts that both regions are still dealing with, and how, as journalists, we can most responsibly report on issues like anniversaries, memorials, victims, trauma, and justice. (See my previous blogs for details about the trips to Pristina/MitrovicaKosovo and Belfast/Derry Northern Ireland).  At the Bloody Sunday memori ..read more

"Reporting the Past" journalists reconvene in N. Ireland (BELFAST AND DERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND)—Sometimes, everything goes just right. No, I’m not talking about my Belfast to Kansas City travel home, which included a cancelled flight, a second massively delayed flight, and a soul-crushingly long passport control line at O’Hare. What went right—just right—was the second part of our project that has brought together journalists from Kosovo and Northern Ireland. Early in August, we visited Kosovo. Last week, we were in Northern Ireland, hearing about media and The Troubles, and discussing responsi ..read more

Part Two Journalists learn N. Ireland, Kosovo history, and PJ's role  in reporting about troubled, contested pasts (Pristina and Mitrovica, Kosovo)-Last week, 20 journalists from Kosovo and Northern Ireland gathered for a workshop focusing on responsibly reporting a troubled past. The journalists learned about the conflict in Kosovo, and analyzed the obstacles they face in reporting about contested narratives about the past. Of course, peace journalism was also on the menu. The four day program included classroom sessions and a number of fascinating trips.  (In my previous blog below ..read more