A few words about

Peace Journalism

An introduction

What is Peace Journalism?

The easiest way to understand it is via analogy. We are all familiar with medical reporting which covers not only the findings and research related to disease, but also of health and ways to cure or prevent diseases. In fact, in many publications, it comes under the rubric “Health” rather than “Illness”. Peace Journalism aims to do the same thing with reporting on conflict. Rather than focusing solely on violent responses to conflict, peace journalism aims to report on how violence can be prevented and reduced and to make visible peaceful responses to conflict. For more information on Peace Journalism, read this introductory article.

Aside from the Peace is Sexy blog, Marianne’s Peace Journalism writing and research can be found in the following places:
Peer reviewed article

in Journalism: Theory & Practice (SAGE)

This paper presents an in-depth analysis of Peace Journalism, using US media coverage of the Iraq War as a case study. First it lays out some of the basic tenets of peace studies, specifically Johan Galtung’s discourses. It then applies these theories to an analysis of Iraq War coverage in the American media. This analysis shows how an approach rooted in Peace Journalism could alter the way in which such conflicts are portrayed in the media. Such a strategy can move the public discourse away from a focus on violent means, to find creative conflict transformation mechanisms that allow different voices and interests to be heard.

  • Peer review article for the premier academic journal “Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism,” indexed in 45 research databases and widely subscribed to by academic and research institutions.
  • Length: 8000 words
Book chapter

in Journalism ‘a Peacekeeping Agent’ at the Time of Conflict edited by Tirse Erbaysal and Yasemin İnceoğlu (Brill)

Case study research into what happens when fear and propaganda rule the Mozambican media environment and what possibilities that leaves for Peace Journalism.

  • co-authored with Maria Ahmad and Aradhana Sharma
  • Foreword by Jake Lynch
White paper

published by the Peace Alliance Foundation

This paper provides a snapshot of the current state of violence in the United States and a sampling of proven, statistically verifiable programs that successfully prevent and reduce violence. While these programs remain hampered by inadequate and inconsistent funding, lack of resources and limited geographic reach, the fact remains that they are beneficial for Americans’ social well-being and for Americans’ financial bottom line.

  • 4 082 words (without appendices)
  • Cited in:
    • Maver, Dorothy J. and Michael Abkin, “Moving from a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace: The Case for Ministries and Departments of Peace” in Earthrise: The Dawning of a New Civilization in the 21st Century, Ed.: Patrick U. Petit, Goi Peace Foundation, 2008.
    • At least 50 meetings with Members of U.S. Congress
Masters thesis

for the European Peace University

The U.S. Department of Peace will anchor the peace discourse, nurturant parent frame, peace media, peace journalism, and democratic ownership structure, thus helping move mainstream media from a culture of war to a culture of peace. Using a framework which combines peace studies, cognitive linguistic theory, communications and media studies, this thesis demonstrates how this is possible.

What others say about working with Marianne
Marianne is an expert in peace media, especially peace journalism. For us at the Peace Alliance Foundation, she researched and wrote a white paper on relative costs and benefits of violence and peace in our society and organized an academic roundtable, hosted at Georgetown University, on strategies for creating peace. In sum, Marianne is outstanding as a scholar, peace activist, organizer, and all around human being.
Mike Abkin
Board of Directors, National Peace Academy
Scroll to Top