“Reconciliation Isn’t Sexy”: Perceptions of News Media in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT

News media play a key role in post-conflict contexts in helping to explain the peace process and report on current events. This research explores the perceptions of cross-community leaders about the role of journalism in reconciliation in present day Northern Ireland. The findings suggest that community activists perceive the media to be sustaining the legacy of the conflict and constraining debates about the way forward in Northern Ireland. We propose that they essentially advocate for a conflict sensitive model of journalism (Howard, 2004, Conflict sensitive journalism: A handbook by Ross Howard. IMPACS: International Media Support. https://www.mediasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ims-csj-handbook-2004.pdf .), underpinned by a communitarian ethical framework (Christians, 1997, “Social ethics and mass media practice.” In Communication ethics in an age of diversity, edited by J. M. Makau, and R. C. Arnett, 187–205. Urbana Champaign: University of Illinois Press.) which would better reflect the changed interests and needs of a post-conflict community.

KEYWORDS:

• Media roles
• conflict
• Northern Ireland
• communitarianism
• peace journalism
• NGOs
• information subsidies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 For a fuller explanation, see Roche and Barton (2013).

2 See the following link for an overview of the events leading to the most recent collapse of the Assembly: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38612860

3 Organisations were deemed relevant due to the team’s local knowledge, as well as reference to key databases e.g., NICVA (2016) State of the Sector.

4 Included in appendix.