South Asia: Media debate their role in reporting violence and conflict

Media covering Zamboanga City crisis (Photo by Richel Umel)

By Allison Lopez

NEWS DELHI (ICRC Ooctober 9, 2013) – More than 20 senior editors from media organizations in South Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific will convene in New Delhi yesterday October 8 and today to discuss the challenges of reporting on violence and conflict.

"Media do not just report news, they also form opinion – and that, in turn, shapes events," said Mary Werntz, head of the regional delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in India.” "It will be interesting to discuss with top professionals from South Asia how reporting can help address humanitarian consequences of violence and conflict."

Bringing humanitarian concerns into focus remains a challenge during conflicts and other situations of violence. Senior editors from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, Iran, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore will share their experiences and discuss the role and responsibilities of the media in covering different crises across the region.

This conference is being jointly organized by the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre and the Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution of the Jamia Millia Islamia University together with the ICRC in New Delhi. Over the past few years, the ICRC has cultivated its relationship with the media in South Asia, hosting similar events in Manila in 2011, Dhaka in 2007 and New Delhi in 2006.

Live updates from the conference will be available on Twitter (follow tweets tagged #asianmedia13). More information about the conference is available at http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/event/2013/10-03-south-asia-media-conference.htm