COUNTERPOINT

will serve us well, to an extent, as grundnum of what should be the roles of the media, as the sub-continent battles with terrorism and its attendant complications.

Fundamental to effective and professional undertaking in the coverage of terrorism is capacity building (training and re-training) to acquire knowledge and understanding of the demands of conflict-sensitive reporting. Issues arising from ongoing and escalating violent conflicts may include undercurrents of religion, culture, ideology-related issues that require specialised skills, sensitivity and respect for sensibilities and idiosyncrasies of parties and actors.

It will do the journalist a world of good if two imperatives are held as sacrosanct: one, no story is worth your injury, and certainly, no story is worth dying for, literally. Two, truth is usually the first casualty in a conflict - don’t look for the dead amongst the living

Other variables that the media must be prepared to hug may include the following:

- In reporting terrorism, do not sex up (or romanticise) bestiality, bloodshed or notoriety;

- Update yourself on contending issues in conflict and pay close attention to professional ethics in interpreting these contentions;

- Drag your reports to accommodate all sides, not just two, and avoid subtle injection of personal opinions or conclusions;

- Ensure your focus is on the narratives of the conflicts, not dwelling on details and hues of violence and ghastly spectacle;

- Be wary of profiling principals of terrorism in ways that elevate their criminality, and frame them as heroes or some modern-day Robbin Hoods!

- If you must report from the war-fronts, remember our two imperatives, then work out personal safety measures, keep open channels of communication always, be accountable, and maintain a cordial relationship with official coordinators of the theater of war

- It is useful to exploit local knowledge within the axis of operations, and engage professional experts in expanding the perspectives, and deconstructing complexities in your reports

- Fact-check dramatic exposures, “breaking news”, statements, scoops, and social media “gifts”.

- Be socially responsible, and restrain from sensational headline casting, and stories skewed alarmingly to aggravate conflict.

(The above is the third and final part of a conference paper entitled “The Journalist As Terrorist’s Best Friend”)