Somalia: Creating Space for Fresh Approaches to Peacebuilding

impact of international media in somalia
be emphasized in the press. When the leading news organizations do not have
the will or capability to cover these stories, international NGOs, working with
local organizations, should cooperate to ensure that the primary news organizations
are made aware of these success stories.
Recommendations for the media
Seek out and cover local and community led peacebuilding efforts.
1. Ensure that the parties involved in the conflict are receiving equal coverage of
both their positive and negative qualities. Seek out exceptions to the existing
narrative under which various groups are explained with relation to the war.
2. Focus attention on the areas where peacebuilding efforts are stalled and seek to
present solutions, or avenues for meaningful engagement through reporting.
In particular, advocate for the inclusion of excluded actors in the peace process,
including al-Shabaab.
Recommendations for local and international NGOs
1. Make direct contact with local and international media outlets, guiding their attention
towards local and community led peacebuilding efforts, as well as positive
accomplishments of demonized organizations, such as al-Shabaab. Begin
engagement through sympathetic reporters or editorialists at the media outlet
who have a history of conducting peace journalism (e.g. Nicholas Kristof with
the New York Times often writes positive human interest pieces on conflict
torn areas).
2. Partner with advocacy organizations in the home country of the targeted media
outlet (e.g. if the targeted media outlet is the New York Times, partner with an
American advocacy organization that focuses on Somalia or East Africa). These
organizations can often organize public awareness campaigns within the target
country that emphasize the one-sided nature of a media outlet’s coverage of a
conflict, prompting a more balanced coverage.
Appendix 1. Key words used to search for each frame
1) Civil war
Somalia + “civil war”
2) Humanitarian crisis
Somalia + “humanitarian crisis”
Somalia + “internally displaced”
Somalia + “refugees”
3) Local peacebuilding efforts
Somalia + “civil society”
Somalia + “grassroots”
4) Warlords
Somalia + “warlords”
5) Terrorism/Al-Qaeda
Somalia + “terrorism”
Somalia + “terrorist”
Somalia + “al-Qaeda”
6) Piracy
Somalia + “piracy”
Somalia + “pirate”
7) Natural disaster
Somalia + “natural disaster”
Somalia + “famine”
8) Islamic insurgency
Somalia + “insurgency” + “Islamic”
Somalia + “insurgency” + “Islamist”
9) Peace talks/Agreements
Somalia + “peace talks”
Somalia + “peace agreement”
Somalia + “peace process”
10) Peacekeeping missions
Somalia + “peacekeeping”
Somalia + “peacekeeper”
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