Peace is certainly a beautiful word, a longing, a desire eternally repeated, an aim, an excuse, an addition that justifies everything ... However, what sells peace as news? If we understand peace as the end of a war, as the end to a conflict, yes, can become headline news for its uniqueness. But if by peace we mean the absence of violence, murder, fighting, is not subject to appeal especially to the media.
According to a study by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) and Media Tenor, the news that peace deal in a positive way amounts to just 1.6% of the total information provided by the 23 television channels from 15 countries analyzed, including BBC1 English. However, the media gave special coverage to violent stories and offer a negative perception of the context in which they occur. You could say, as this work, which tends toward a certain sensationalism, to a magnification of events in comparison with the importance they actually have in society.
In fact, some of the most "peaceful" are the most space devoted to news in its bulletins related to violence or insecurity. Thus, eight of the 10 programs analyzed most time was devoted to violence in the U.S. or the UK. On the opposite side, the television report more dunks in peace were the Qatari Al Jazeera and the German ARD Tagesschau.
deserves special mention in the study of the conflict in Afghanistan, which has been discussed with particular detail, comparing the information broadcast by CNN International, BBC World and Al Jazeera Inglés. It is curious that in this case, is also Qatar chain which has devoted more time to report on steps taken in this country to consolidate peace. This situation reaches the point that Al Jazeera provides up to three times more positive stories to the BBC and eight more than CNN.
said Steve Killelea, founder of the IEP, "if the media makes too much emphasis on negative information related to war and violence, convey a sense that these are the only ways to achieve peace, the opposite what experts say is necessary to create peaceful societies. " Moreover, this kind of news do not worsen the image the world has of the countries that experience a conflict, which is much more difficult to launch peace initiatives or to support governments that are committed to end to violence.
This study, although partial, it illustrates how far the negative stories, macabre or rugged attract more attention from the media themselves, and therefore, the readers, rather than positive. So it is not surprising that a murder in a big city like Madrid or Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhere such facts do not cease to be outstanding, to occupy entire pages of the newspapers, magnifying and exploiting its morbid and sensitive side. Without doubt, we bait the media and audience, or part of it at least receives it with open jaws.
The media seems to be clear, therefore, that the public is not interested in positive stories, which show us how they have reduced the uncertainty of how a country has achieved peace or succeeded to agree upon the parties in conflict, what steps have been taken to reduce tensions between two opposing sides ... But perhaps as Lennon said, let's give peace a chance.
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