The Head of Media Communication Committee of the United Nations Association of Africa (UNAA), Ambassador Victor Asije, has called on national and international media organisations to urgently redirect their efforts toward promoting global peace through responsible reporting.
Ambassador Asije said the media’s influence in shaping public opinion and setting the global agenda could not be overstated, urging journalists and media houses to prioritise stories that foster harmony rather than conflict.
“As community, city, national and international media organisations and practitioners, the quest for a peaceful world must now be uppermost in our agenda-setting role,” he said. “Let us gradually replace war journalism with peace journalism. The world needs peace journalism now more than ever.”
Describing the media as the “fourth estate of the realm,” Asije called for increased dissemination of peace-building and peace-making stories through news reports, features, analyses and documentaries.
The UNAA Director of Peace, Security and Conflict Prevention noted that the world had endured enough misunderstanding, prejudice, racial discrimination, crises and wars, stressing that journalists must be more deliberate and selfless in promoting global stability.
“Because the pen, printed word and broadcast audio-visuals are mightier than swords and nuclear weapons, the media must align itself with strengthening global peace,” he said.
He lamented the continued loss of innocent lives, including journalists, during conflicts across different regions, and urged media practitioners to recommit themselves to peace advocacy.
“As reporters, correspondents, editors, managing editors, editors-in-chief and managing directors, the world is looking to you to help make it a more peaceful place,” he added. “People across ethnic groups, nationalities, colours and religions are tired of crises and wars of any kind.”
Ambassador Asije, who is also the International Society of Diplomats (ISD) Special Emissary on Media to Nigeria, commended media organisations for their resilience and dedication to public service, while challenging them to deploy their platforms more forcefully in the global call for peace.
“The world is crying out for peace. Media organisations and practitioners should use their powerful profession to join the growing chorus demanding peace,” he said.
He concluded by pledging to continue engaging media stakeholders across different countries on the urgent need to promote understanding and peaceful coexistence among peoples worldwide.