Media, War and Peacebuilding

The presence of armed groups and the proximity of armed violence and war have a tremendous impact on a community’s daily life, social fabric, local political and economic processes, and inter-communal relationships and interactions. This talk will examine the different ways war impacts communities and how citizens’ media can counter these impacts. Through a series of examples from Professor Rodriguez's fieldwork in Colombia, the talk will illustrate the complex and multidimensional roles citizens’ media have in contexts of armed violence.

Instead of conceiving of media exclusively as tools for information or persuasion, she will explain how well-grounded community media can meet complex communication needs that include repairing torn social fabrics, reconstructing eroded bonds, reclaiming public spaces, resolving intra-community conflicts, fostering horizontal communication and interaction, and privileging aspects of community life that have not been hijacked by war. 

Clemencia Rodríguez is Professor in the Department of Media Studies and Production at Temple University.

Shakuntala Banji is Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications, LSE. 

Nick Couldry (@couldrynick) is Professor of Media, Communications and Social Theory in the Department of Media and communications at LSE. 

The Department of Media and Communications (@MediaLSE) undertakes outstanding and innovative research and provides excellent research-based graduate programmes for the study of media and communications. The Department was established in 2003 and in 2014 our research was ranked number 1 in the most recent UK research evaluation, with 91% of research outputs ranked world-leading or internationally excellent.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEColombia