How can you use media to foster dialogue and understanding in times of conflict?

Media is a messaging tool - a way to reach more people at one time. When your goal is fostering dialogue and understanding on a polarizing issue, it's important to frame your messaging with respect. Stories are a powerful way to begin dialogue and connection - just make sure you are sharing stories that represent each side and not to add more weight to one or the other.

The best way to engage an audience is through compelling people's stories. Somehow we use to unsee some things or we are numb, but by using the media correctly, we can help raise awareness among people. There are two important thing to remember - know problems and offer solutions and don′t judge.

When as a lawyer dealing with international transactions and representing clients in structuring joint ventures in the Middle East countries, I encountered cultural and social customs that differed from and often conflicted with my ideas about a society. Yet I found people I met to usually be sincere and decent. By observing them and reflecting on my own preconceptions, over time I came to realize the potential of my own efforts to deal positively with the differences. The result was that I came to a better understanding of both them and me. I realized that my task as a human being does not begin with changing the world. It is to first understand it and on that basis make a contribution.

I think media is a powerful tool to create healing and nurture compassion if used properly. If everyone took a minute to consider what they say and how they say it through media and social media especially, we can bring people closer together. I think everyone is sick of "keyboard cowboys" and divisive commentary. We need to take social responsibility for our messaging. Are we empowering and fostering understanding or are we creating the opposite? Respect for all perspectives and understanding how our words may harm or heal with our discourse is key. Finding a nuanced way to express our thoughts and feelings may ultimately reach more people and bring us all closer in times of conflict.

A mídia pode ser uma ferramenta poderosa para promover o diálogo e a compreens?o em tempos de conflito, pois dá voz às pessoas, às minorias e a todas as partes envolvidas. Ao permitir que ambos os lados expressem suas vers?es, a mídia possibilita a busca por pontos em comum e pontos de equilíbrio. Dessa forma, ela facilita a comunica??o, a empatia e a resolu??o de conflitos, promovendo um ambiente mais justo e inclusivo.

Yeah, that's the proper way. In today's reality, however, it doesn't work. People refuse to see or aggressively attack anything you put out that doesn't fit the narrative they adopted. If you live within the polarization, producing balanced content at least frustrates, and possibly threatens you. You want balanced reporting from Gaza, Russia or Serbia for Gaza, Russia or Serbia? Reporters and other content makers can't make a living from it, but are more likely to get spat at, a firebomb or worse. And, even when they work for foreign (Western employers), for criminal wages.

The power of culture is much more effective than the culture of power .. using media for a culture orientation for everyone.

Media can facilitate interactive platforms such as forums, social media discussions, and live debates, where people from different backgrounds can engage directly with each other. This two-way communication not only bridges gaps but also empowers individuals to voice their own experiences and insights, further enriching the dialogue. By prioritizing empathy and active engagement, media can transform from a mere information provider to a catalyst for constructive and inclusive conversations.

Un reportaje bien hecho, no solo contempla el punto de vista de un experto en el tema, de hecho no hay nada más humano que enviar un mensaje a través de las personas, que son capaces de compartir sus perspectivas con los demás, eso crea empatía y conexión.

I love the advice Theresa Payton recently gave on my Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt-Book Talk Podcast. She was on to talk about her new edition of her book, Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth. She suggested that if you see something online or in the news that you have an extreme reaction to (good or bad) look for verification in trusted sources, 1 local source, 1 national source, and 1 foreign source. Somewhere in between those three you can (hopefully) distill reliable facts and draw your own conclusions.

In fast media it is most important, that messages must be accurate, fact-based and informative. To look forward in to the future, I am sad, that I see - young people doesn′t read that much, they don′t pay that much attention, what they see or read - that′s why media must adapt according to circumstances. As I have seen, they are mostly in different social media platforms and ready to engage, when they see, what they like.

Audiences like to feel a part of a story or conversation. The media outlets must use creative approaches to engage with their viewers. If audiences feel cut off and disengage, then their negative emotions will be amplified. On the other hand, when steps are taken to get diverse perspectives from viewers, the third wall is removed. Audiences then become more accommodating to different perspectives, because they can also voice their opinions. Creating a two way form of communication, communicates respect and value. Most of the tensions in the world are directly linked to people feeling disempowered, and not respected. If the media can use Q&A segments, or their social platforms, to get people involved. The reward will be great.

Community engagement should be a key factor in conflict resolution. The media should be the voice of the people. What the masses think should be presented to further achieve a goal of peace. Audience engagement creates the platform of the people's feedback; how the conflict affects them and their will to resolve the existing conflict.

Engaging audiences isn't about algorithms, it isn't even about having the nicest production equipment (which pains me to say as a tech nerd), but instead, it's about allowing for your audience's voices to be heard. You get the most engagement when people feel like they can speak with you and have a safe place to express themselves freely. The best way to create this environment isn't to drop new posts about the latest business updates. It's taking the time to respond to the comments as well as provide updates. Allow your communications to provide in-depth responses to audiences as often and as thoroughly as possible.

Lograr el involucrameinto /engagement de las audiencias es un enorme desafío, en un mundo tan saturado de mensajes (tan superficiales en muchos casos!). Lograr la reflexión, la inclusión y la opinión auténtica de las audiencias es el gran desafío de las marcas. Si las marcas logran contar "casos/historias inspiradoras" no tengo dudas que se puede lograr un excelente engagement por parte de las audiencias, donde ellas se sientan parte. ?Una vez más las redes sociales son grandes aliandos para ello!

A good way to build trust is to be factual with your stories. While everyone has their own version of the truth, facts are undefeated. Therefore, it is important to always find credible sources to corraborate stories, especially in this era of fake news. If your audience can trust that this is accurate and that you are delivering objectivity, they will stay with you. They will not develop any resentment towards you for attempting to spread propaganda by fuelling bias perspectives. Being factual will help your audience to listen objectively, they will feel safe and comfortable with the information that you present. Ultimately, they will feel relaxed enough to have meaning conversation about conflict.

If there’s one thing that lacks these days is fact based reporting. Everything is skewed and leans on one side or the other. It influences the thought process of so many people. People believe what they see on the news as fact but it’s more of a personal interpretation of an event that occurred. That’s why they had to release that chart that shows bias vs facts vs which side of the spectrum it is for various shows and networks. We need to get back to fact based reporting. I don’t consider the news a reliable source of information directly. You need to dig around and separate fact from opinion and do your own research.

This one's a prerequisite for using media for good. Much too often, mainstream media and social media are full ignorant reports - if not outright lies. Don't believe everything you read.

Cada información, cada muestra, cada mensaje, debe entregarse luego de una investigación exhaustiva y bien planteada, sin estos elementos, se pierde cualquier ápice de credibilidad y además, se ofrece un producto mediocre.

Demonitising media is vital to fact-based reporting. Media that ensure money is not generated by viewing numbers and interactions will cause a decrease to hyperbolic rhetoric and sensationalism for increased engagement. Also with the power of AI, automatic fact checking could be added into posts and reels, but be mindful humans will always find new ways to abuse a system for gain.

La creación permite situarse en el espacio de la posibilidad, la imaginación es la herramienta que nos facilita pensar por fuera de los límites que en el día a día nos son obvios. Si pensamos el conflicto de una manera rígida e inmutable, este se irá solidificando cada vez más. Pero si nos damos el permiso de imaginar diferentes posibilidades, de darnos licencias creativas ante la vida, irán surgiendo poco a poco soluciones y puntos comunes. Como seres humanos, somos fruto de historias, es a través de ellas que le hemos dado sentido a lo que nos rodea. Es entonces imprescindible, sobre todo en momentos como este, aferrarnos a las historias, y a la diversidad que puebla el mundo.

Desde mi experiencia de tantos a?os trabajando en marketing, el poder de la creatividad es único! Hay marcas que han logrado plantear temas muy sensibles de una manera diferente y no pasa por tener grandes inversiones presupuestarias. Conectar con las personas desde las emociones es y será siendo una forma muy valiosa de crear contenido de valor, auténtico y con propósito. ?La creatividad es el lenguaje universal que lograr conectar a las personas!

For instance ,when my inner creativity gets blocked and I a flush of inspiration. I go for a walk to the Scottish parks with my camera and found myself in casual conversations while I enjoy the view of nature and diversity .The peace in diversity always intrigues me after arriving here ,we might not understand each other but we can feel pains in cries ,see happiness and explore it .Being amongst diverse talents has further spurred me and inspired my soul .Emotions is the center of creativity and yes visuals is enjoyable by me to invoke this expression of emotion across all divides .The greatest fulfillment for a creative is indeed passing meditating and thoughtful language of creativity to a global audience .

El ser creativos implica el poder situar nuestra estructura de pensamiento "fuera de la caja". Habitualmente, cuando existe un conflicto, es porque se ha llegado a un punto de inflexión por ambas partes. Si nos detenemos a analizar las situaciones podemos observar que las partes estan en un pensamiento que no les permite ver el bosque, estan viendo sólo el árbol. La riqueza de incorporar diferentes puntos de vista en una visión holistica nos permite abordar soluciones no convencionales que, frecuentemente, podrán ser aceptadas por las partes. Metodologías, como la lluvía de ideas, aplicadas de manera correcta nos pueden llevar a caminos inusitados y obtener resultados maravillosos.

My most profound experience of conversation in community relates to creative arts and media: Using meaningful, not divisive or political, material for the practice of healthy rhythms of discussion where many perspectives may be shared at lower stakes. Two examples: Billie Eilish’s “What was I made for?” popularized by the Barbie movie or Kate Bush’s “Running up that hill” repopularized by Stranger Things. These two pieces allow for diverse questions on storytelling and artistry: what images are used? What vocal techniques? Why? What mood is portrayed? Why do these songs have such wide appeal? They each open doors for questions about meaning in the context of a larger story. This practice equips us to engage more challenging topics in time.

By maintaining momentum and interest, media can help ensure that dialogue is sustained over time, which is crucial for long-term conflict resolution. It’s about creating an ongoing narrative that encourages persistent engagement and keeps the lines of communication open even when the immediate crisis has passed. Continuous engagement not only deepens understanding but also builds trust and accountability, which are essential for enduring peace and reconciliation.

The medium is the massage. To soothe the conflict; continuous and positive dialogue is a must. As media practitioners it is a must that we deliver a narrative which has goals to deliver the message of conflict resolution.

Si hablamos del conflicto y pretendemos hacerlo una o dos veces, sin ofrecer un análisis profundo de la situación, entonces no estamos haciendo el trabajo completo, incluso podríamos estar facilitándole a otro medio que lo haga mejor, basándose en nuestro trabajo, por eso es importante plantear desde el inicio cómo se pretende manejar la información y cada cuánto tiempo deberá ampliarse, para que el diálogo siga siendo tema de conversación.

Yes, tell the story with diverse perspectives and engage the community. These are the top priorities. What happens after you gathered the data? Media is a perfect tool to help with the reconnaissance of actual information. Attached metric data to your media. Polls and surveys are crucial to crafting your response message on the topic. Data allows you to study demographics, political affiliation, and other important information. This will help you create a tactical measured response strategy for your future communications. Thereby, influencing the community to take the call-to-action favorable to your organization.

En un caso muy reciente, al que tuve acceso, el conflicto se dío y desarrolló, aparentemente, de manera desigual entre un proveedor y un grupo de empleados, de alto nivel, de una empresa trasnacional. Sin embargo gracias a las redes sociales la parte en desventaja, expuso los hechos en redes sociales y propició que las oficinas centrales voltearán a ver un, aparente, conflicto sin importancia. Este ganó relevancia y culminó con una auditoría interna y por el momento, al menos, dos ejecutivos de alto nivel que han sido despedidos. Mentir o no es algo muy personal y puede ser parte de la estrategia de alguna de las partes, tan solo hay que considerar que el acceso a una comunicación vertical está al alcance de todos.