[ecrea] cpf Journalism in a world of terrorism. Terrorism in the world of journalism

Journalism in a world of terrorism.Terrorism in the world of journalism

International conference for journalists and media researchers
9 – 11 May 2017
The Linnæus University Kalmar, Sweden
Terrorist actions create chaos. Everywhere in the world, regardless if 
in Norway, Tunis, Pakistan, France or Iraq, acts of terror disturb the 
society in its foundations. The effects are dramatic, often including 
destruction and the death of many people, men, women and children.
   Who are terrorist?
   What is a terrorist act?
   What is terrorism?
   How do journalists report terrorism and find reliable sources?
   What are the effects on society when hit by terrorist acts?

It is an increased challenge for journalists to cover terrorism. Threats 
of revenge and political decisions limit journalists from doing a fair 
job. Sometimes journalists are the targets of terrorist acts, like in 
Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and in Paris against Charlie Hebdo.  Alleged 
anti-terrorism policies increasingly prevent journalists by limiting 
freedom of expression as in the USA after 9/11 and in Turkey recently.
Journalists are citizens of the society to which they report. Different 
societies look differently on terrorism. What is called ‘terrorists’ in 
some places might be labeled ‘freedom fighters’ somewhere else.
Terrorism hits not only war-torn countries, but also societies that 
terrorist groups regard as enemy, as fault to blame. The attack on 9/11 
is a brutal example with global consequences.
Civil society, democracy and the general public´s rights are collateral 
casualties.

Terrorism and anti-terrorism policies are combined forces making 
journalism a more dangerous, but also a more indispensable profession 
than ever. The terrorist attacks and the subsequent new wars, increased 
immigration, xenophobia, right-wing populism and massive surveillance of 
populations worldwide have put media and journalists in a crisis with 
global reach. It is urgent to encourage understanding and communication 
of perspectives and experiences among professional journalists and media 
researchers with an aim to improve reflective and ethical media 
reporting about terrorism and its implications.
This call for a conference on Journalism in a world of terrorism - 
terrorism in the world of journalism May 9-11 2017 at the Linnaeus 
University in Kalmar, Sweden, offers a unique opportunity where 
academics and journalists meet to share experience, discuss and reflect 
the dilemmas journalism in the world of terrorism has to cope with.

 
Themes for discussions
> Safety of journalists and the issue of impunity
> Reporting legal issues and human rights
> Semantics: uses of words such as ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’
> Protection of journalists’ integrity and independence
> Consequences of social media and new ICTs on terrorism reporting

Cooperative and coordinated efforts internationally and locally are 
needed to protect and secure journalists covering terrorism and related 
conflicts. Increased collaboration between journalists’ collectives and 
civil society organizations seems important, but who is taking the lead? 
What can journalist education institutes do?

Keynote speakers
Robert Fisk: Award-winning author and international correspondent
Daya Thussu: Professor of international communication at Westminster 
University Corney C Radsh: Advocacy director of Committee to protect 
journalists
Can Dündar: Turkish journalist and editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet, 
Turkish newspaper

Preliminary program

Tuesday 9 May, Noon – 5. 00 pm
Keynote speakers
Buffet dinner
Wednesday 10 May, 9am – 5 pm incl. breaks for lunch and refreshments
Presentations, workshops and discussions
Formal dinner

Thursday 11 May, 9am – noon incl. breaks for refreshments
Plenary sessions and conclusions: what now?

The conference is free of charge.

The conference will result in a book including papers and presentations.

Application
To apply please send an email with abstract to: (kalmarconference /at/ lnu.se) 
Please include contact information: name, position, e-mail address and 
phone number.
Deadline: 15 February 2017. Full text is expected mid-April.


 
Journalism in a world of terrorism
Terrorism in the world of journalism


Conference Aim and Purpose

Terrorism and anti-terrorism policies are combined forces making 
journalism a more dangerous, but also a more indispensable profession 
than ever. The terrorist attacks and the subsequent new wars, increased 
immigration, xenophobia, right-wing populism and massive surveillance of 
populations worldwide have put media and journalists in a crisis with 
global reach. It is urgent to encourage understanding and communication 
of perspectives and experiences among professional journalists and media 
researchers with an aim to improve reflective and ethical media 
reporting about terrorism and its implications.
This conference on Journalism in a World of Terrorism 9-11 May 2017 in 
Kalmar, Sweden, offers an opportunity for such meetings and discussions. 
Editors and reporters with experiences of news reporting from 
Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other war-torn countries will, together 
with advanced scholars in conflict journalism, share facts and views on 
the challenges that journalism about terrorism has to cope with today.


Themes for Discussions

Conditions on the field for journalists reporting from the new wars in 
Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere are deteriorating because of lack of 
respect for the protection of journalists in international law. 
Increasingly journalists are killed, targeted by terrorists and even 
regular troops, kidnapped and harassed. Fewer correspondents dare to 
take the risks, and war crimes are committed without media attention. 
The lethal dangers may result in self-censorship and jeopardize the 
forth estate role of journalism. Civil society, democracy and the 
general public’s rights are collateral casualties too.

Content, formats and language of the reporting are constant concerns. 
Media logic and the sense for drama amplify horror and fear, anxiety and 
threats, as calculated by terrorists like ISIS/Daesh and Breivik 
recently and by Baader-Meinhof and PFLP in the 1970s. Notions such as 
‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorists’ are continuously controversial and 
contested. The UN definition excludes state terrorism, and is therefore 
not always sufficient and self-evident. Police officers have compared 
media reporting about terrorism with a loaded weapon on the street for 
anyone to use, and propose restrictions on the media. Globalization is 
said to encourage media reflexivity, but are journalism better today 
than yesterday in informing about the strategies applied by terrorists 
and anti-terrorism agencies apply to make media and journalists their 
allies, tools and weapons? What lessons have the profession learned from 
previous cases?
Contextual coverage of terrorism and counter-terrorism policies is a 
critical issue for news media with its obsession of immediacy. According 
to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2015 the number of deaths as result 
of terrorism have increased nine-fold between year 2000 and 2014, and is 
now almost 33.000. How could backgrounds, contingencies and hidden 
agendas be exposed in a more relevant way? How should media get the 
courage to reveal the counter-productivity of anti-terrorism policies – 
as often been the case – when fear and anxiety is proliferating? “The 
global war on terror” has been a disaster but is still fought, although 
under other banners. What kind of journalism is needed to immunize the 
public from simple warmongering under the pretext of security and 
protection? What journalism can operate in a global culture of fear and 
re-define the fourth estate role at a global level? What journalism will 
remind about the connections between the global war on terror and the 
growing racism and xenophobia worldwide? What media report that 80 
percent of the deaths of terrorism in the West is caused by lone wolf, 
right-wing extremists (GTI report 2015; data from 2014)?

Communication-technology development has radically changed the ground 
for opinion building and propaganda. Terrorists mobilize supporters 
through social media and other “echo-chambers” hidden from public 
attention and critical information. A less noticed complication is that 
also mainstream media and the political elites are marginalized as they 
are constituting a – although larger – echo chamber too, where pluralism 
is failing.

Consequences of the reporting – is that a professional concern? What 
ethical principles are adequate to cope with the obvious risks of being 
targets and weapons in the combined terrorism/anti-terrorism conflicts? 
Is it, as some would argue, reasonable to follow the credo “Publish and 
be damned”, i.e. the idea of consequential neutrality? Is it moral and 
applicable?
Cooperative and coordinated efforts internationally and locally are 
needed to protect and secure journalists covering terrorism and related 
conflicts. What can be done to make safeguarding of reporters and 
prosecution of human rights violations key issues for the global 
community? How can journalism and media research intensify the support 
for establishing institutional and legal frameworks that will change the 
situation for the better. Increased collaboration between journalists’ 
collectives and civil society organizations seems important, but who is 
taking the lead? What can journalist education institute do?





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