The Media and Humanitarian Crises

The Brookings Institution recently launched a series of meetings on "the relationship of the media, relief agencies and the US government in determining humanitarian response. The purpose of the series is to analyze trends in media coverage of world-wide humanitarian crises and the impact this coverage has on government policies, relief operations, and ultimately on the victims of the crises." The first seminar focused on reporting crises, and included discussions of the problem of forgotten emergencies. The next two seminars, to be held in the fall 2007, will focus on "Bloggers, buzz and soundbites" and "Public diplomacy, military involvement, humanitarian response and the media."

The interplay among the media, NGOs, and governments in humanitarian crises and conflict situations can be complex. A recent report from the Instituto de Estudios sobre Conflictos y Acción Humanitaria (IECAH) attempts to analyze and shed light on these relationships.

In May the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a meeting on "The Role of the Media in Conflict," which looked at the impact the media can have both on conflict prevention as well as on the escalation of conflict. A briefing note summarizing the discussions was issued in July.

Reporting in conflict situations is inherently risky. The International News Safety Institute and the International Federation of Journalists Africa Office teamed up to produce "Live News Africa: A Survival Guide for Journalists" (July 2007), to help journalists learn how to reduce risks when covering wars and other conflicts.

Posted in Publications and Events.