Peace Journalism

The study sought to evaluate the perception of UNIBENN students on the media brokers in peace and conflict resolutions in the 21 st century. The researcher revealed that the changing nature of peace and conflict resolution as brought by trends in modern communication technologies have af orded the media to be active participants in the negotiation process. However, the study shows that UNIBEN students of mass communication have little knowledge about the concept especially in the area of peace journalism to foster stability in crisis prone areas. Anchored on the agenda setting theory, the researcher articulates views that with the media ability to set the agenda for the society, it can help through its programme content drive social change and advocate peace oriented messages giving the society’s impression on the media as credible institution to push their course. The study adopted the survey research design method eliciting findings that the influence of the media on the society has weakened the power of diplomats in foreign af airs as well as the sovereignty of national government. To this end, the researcher revealed that as the media functions as mediators and peace brokers, the role of brokers is been threatened. The study concludes that institutions of government should make frantic ef orts towards improving a stronger synergy with the power house of information- the media. The study also looked at the knowledge of the new concept amongst student of mass communication advocating for the need to fully review the curriculum to accommodate this new trend in public diplomacy as
well as charting a direction towards peace journalism most especially in the African continent, Nigeria especially.