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AZERI, ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS CALL FOR SENSITIVE REPORTING OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 24 2014
24 January 2014 /LAMİYA ADİLGIZI, BAKURIANI Journalists from both
Armenia and Azerbaijan coming together in the neighboring country of
Georgia, a neutral zone for both sides, which have had no diplomatic
ties for two decades, have agreed that although there are huge
differences between the two societies in terms of the status quo, both
sides need a bit of understanding, patience and a touch of humanity,
a wish that can be realized through the hard work of conflict-sensitive
journalism, which needs to be promoted on both sides.
Talking about how to promote peace in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
journalists from both Armenia and Azerbaijan have decided that
confidence building and mutual understanding should be mainly focused
on, as these are very important for both Armenians and Azerbaijanis,
who have considered each other enemies for 20 years.
"It is just like a building under construction -- you set the base, so
that the building can stand firmly," Arzu Geybullayeva, an Azerbaijani
freelance journalist, said in an interview with Today's Zaman.
Noting journalists' important role in the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Geybullayeva believes that journalists
have a very unique power to move the settlement process of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict forward, and that is why a choice should
be made as to whether journalists will engage in conflict-sensitive
journalism or stay among those who report on the conflict in the
usual way today.
"If a conscious decision is made to be conflict-sensitive reporters,
then we can be the ones adding that very 'pinch of patience' to the
rhetoric around the conflict," Geybullayeva said.
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave within Azerbaijan, with
a majority Armenian population, became the main reason for the
ethnic-territorial conflict that erupted between Azerbaijanis and
Armenians in the early 1990s, as a result of which Armenian-backed
forces seized Nagorno-Karabakh along with seven adjacent Azeri
districts. A truce was signed in 1994, but there was no peace treaty.
Violence flares sporadically along the front line, while the media
is considered to be one of the prime sources of propaganda that not
only prolongs the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and leaves it unsettled
but also agitates the nations against each other.
Underlining the importance of conflict-sensitive reporting and agreeing
with Geybullayeva that "journalists should add more salt and pepper,
rather than wood, to the fire," Sargis Khandanyan, a young journalist
working for Yerevan-based Civilnet, is suspicious about the current
state of media, as he does not think that journalists contribute to
the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
"On the contrary, journalism and journalists are being used as tools
for propaganda, hence they are somehow victims of that propaganda.
However, journalists can form an image of reality on both sides,
presenting it 'close to reality'," Khandanyan said, in an interview
with Today's Zaman, adding that conflict-sensitive journalism is a
must for journalists covering the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but
unfortunately only a few journalists are aware and make balanced
stories using wording that is acceptable to both sides.
Khandanyan and Geybullayeva, along with 16 other Armenian and
Azerbaijani journalists, came together for the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict-aware journalism program held on Jan. 11-17 by the Imagine
Center for Conflict Transformation, which has been organizing
Azerbaijani-Armenian dialogue projects since 2007 that aim to
positively transform relations between the two nations and bring
lasting and sustainable peace in both conflict-torn societies.
Rizvan Huseynov, an Azerbaijani journalist and historian, underlines
the role of journalism in all sociopolitical processes of the world.
However, he thinks that it has a strong influence on the coverage of
conflicts, as "any incorrect wording, comments or aggressive rhetoric
might lead to greater confrontation and bloodshed."
"That's why journalists who are reporting about conflicts should
undergo certain training in which they the learn the skills of
conflict-sensitive journalism. Only after learning these skills can
journalists avoid provocative coverage of the conflict and find topics
that can ease the confrontation between the sides. Personally, from
my own experience, I can say that journalistic courses and training
allowed me to do less harm and instead learn more and contribute to
the reconciliation between our peoples," Huseynov said, speaking with
Today's Zaman.
Another Armenian participant in the program, Aghavni Harutyunyan,
who is also known as an analyst for the AZG daily, thinks that
journalists can contribute to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict only if they do their job professionally and do not become
tools of propaganda.
"With no wish to judge the journalists working in Armenia and
Azerbaijan, I can only hold up my own experience as a basis for
assessment, with the conclusion that nothing is done perfectly. Doing
a better job, being sensitive to conflict-related issues and paying
more attention to our wording will be affected by an understanding
coming from conflict-sensitive journalism," Harutyunyan said.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-337537-azeri-armenian-journalists-call-for-sensitive-reporting-of-nagorno-karabakh-conflict.html
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 24 2014
24 January 2014 /LAMİYA ADİLGIZI, BAKURIANI Journalists from both
Armenia and Azerbaijan coming together in the neighboring country of
Georgia, a neutral zone for both sides, which have had no diplomatic
ties for two decades, have agreed that although there are huge
differences between the two societies in terms of the status quo, both
sides need a bit of understanding, patience and a touch of humanity,
a wish that can be realized through the hard work of conflict-sensitive
journalism, which needs to be promoted on both sides.
Talking about how to promote peace in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
journalists from both Armenia and Azerbaijan have decided that
confidence building and mutual understanding should be mainly focused
on, as these are very important for both Armenians and Azerbaijanis,
who have considered each other enemies for 20 years.
"It is just like a building under construction -- you set the base, so
that the building can stand firmly," Arzu Geybullayeva, an Azerbaijani
freelance journalist, said in an interview with Today's Zaman.
Noting journalists' important role in the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Geybullayeva believes that journalists
have a very unique power to move the settlement process of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict forward, and that is why a choice should
be made as to whether journalists will engage in conflict-sensitive
journalism or stay among those who report on the conflict in the
usual way today.
"If a conscious decision is made to be conflict-sensitive reporters,
then we can be the ones adding that very 'pinch of patience' to the
rhetoric around the conflict," Geybullayeva said.
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave within Azerbaijan, with
a majority Armenian population, became the main reason for the
ethnic-territorial conflict that erupted between Azerbaijanis and
Armenians in the early 1990s, as a result of which Armenian-backed
forces seized Nagorno-Karabakh along with seven adjacent Azeri
districts. A truce was signed in 1994, but there was no peace treaty.
Violence flares sporadically along the front line, while the media
is considered to be one of the prime sources of propaganda that not
only prolongs the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and leaves it unsettled
but also agitates the nations against each other.
Underlining the importance of conflict-sensitive reporting and agreeing
with Geybullayeva that "journalists should add more salt and pepper,
rather than wood, to the fire," Sargis Khandanyan, a young journalist
working for Yerevan-based Civilnet, is suspicious about the current
state of media, as he does not think that journalists contribute to
the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
"On the contrary, journalism and journalists are being used as tools
for propaganda, hence they are somehow victims of that propaganda.
However, journalists can form an image of reality on both sides,
presenting it 'close to reality'," Khandanyan said, in an interview
with Today's Zaman, adding that conflict-sensitive journalism is a
must for journalists covering the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but
unfortunately only a few journalists are aware and make balanced
stories using wording that is acceptable to both sides.
Khandanyan and Geybullayeva, along with 16 other Armenian and
Azerbaijani journalists, came together for the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict-aware journalism program held on Jan. 11-17 by the Imagine
Center for Conflict Transformation, which has been organizing
Azerbaijani-Armenian dialogue projects since 2007 that aim to
positively transform relations between the two nations and bring
lasting and sustainable peace in both conflict-torn societies.
Rizvan Huseynov, an Azerbaijani journalist and historian, underlines
the role of journalism in all sociopolitical processes of the world.
However, he thinks that it has a strong influence on the coverage of
conflicts, as "any incorrect wording, comments or aggressive rhetoric
might lead to greater confrontation and bloodshed."
"That's why journalists who are reporting about conflicts should
undergo certain training in which they the learn the skills of
conflict-sensitive journalism. Only after learning these skills can
journalists avoid provocative coverage of the conflict and find topics
that can ease the confrontation between the sides. Personally, from
my own experience, I can say that journalistic courses and training
allowed me to do less harm and instead learn more and contribute to
the reconciliation between our peoples," Huseynov said, speaking with
Today's Zaman.
Another Armenian participant in the program, Aghavni Harutyunyan,
who is also known as an analyst for the AZG daily, thinks that
journalists can contribute to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict only if they do their job professionally and do not become
tools of propaganda.
"With no wish to judge the journalists working in Armenia and
Azerbaijan, I can only hold up my own experience as a basis for
assessment, with the conclusion that nothing is done perfectly. Doing
a better job, being sensitive to conflict-related issues and paying
more attention to our wording will be affected by an understanding
coming from conflict-sensitive journalism," Harutyunyan said.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-337537-azeri-armenian-journalists-call-for-sensitive-reporting-of-nagorno-karabakh-conflict.html