The Application of Solutions Journalism: Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Group in Somalia

Dilan Ciftci 1 *
More Detail
1 Assist. Prof. Dr., Department of Journalism, Near East University, Near East Boulevard, Nicosia, CYPRUS
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 9, Issue 3, Article No: e201914. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/5782
OPEN ACCESS   2454 Views   2186 Downloads   Published online: 14 May 2019
Download Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

The aim of the current study is to explore the strategic transition from traditional peacekeeping operations to current peacekeeping operations and the conceptual development of solutions journalism with an emphasis on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in general and special focus on the Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Group (SCPAG) activities during the Somalia’s 2016 electoral process. In total, 72 videos from Vimeo UNSOM SCPAG channel were coded with regards to conflict frames and solutions journalism during the Somalia’s 2016 Electoral Process. This study provides an overview for the transition from traditional peacekeeping to current peacekeeping operation in order to map the differences in application of UN peacekeeping operations by using already existed studies on the historical background of peacekeeping operations were reviewed. The present data suggests that UN peacekeeping operations in general, and more precisely UNSOM SCPAG have an impact on the strategic communications during the Somalia’s 2016 electoral process, which might be explained as an example of successful solutions journalism. In findings indicate that Somalia’s 2016 electoral process with the help of the UNSOM SCPAG demonstrated not only higher interest on the electoral process, but also higher number of women seats in the parliament as well that it can be said that UNSOM SCPAG activities adopting an active solutions journalism role.
Keywords: current peacekeeping operations, solutions journalism, strategic communications, UNSOM SCPAG, Somalia’s 2016 Election

CITATION

Ciftci, D. (2019). The Application of Solutions Journalism: Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Group in Somalia. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 9(3), e201914. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/5782

REFERENCES

  • A review of UNSOM’s communications in support of Somalia’s 2016 Electoral Process Available at: https://unsom.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/20170915-electoal-process.pdf
  • Alexander, V. D., Thomas, H., Cronin, A., Fielding, J., & Moran-Ellis, J. (2008). Mixed Methods. In N. Gilbert (ed.), Researching Social Life. London: Sage.
  • Aragones, E. (1997). Negativity effect and the emergence of ideologies. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 9(2), 189-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0951692897009002003
  • Bellamy, A., Williams, P., & Griffin, S. (2004). Understanding Peacekeeping. London: Polity.
  • Brader, T. (2005). Striking a responsive chord: How political ads motivate and persuade voters by appealing to emotions. American Journal of Political Science, 49(2), 388-405. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0092-5853.2005.00130.x
  • Çatal, Ö. (2017). New Technologies Challenging the Practice of Journalism and The Impact of Education: Case of Northern Cyprus. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(11), 7463-7472. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79975
  • Ciftci, D. (2014). Peace journalism and news coverage on the annan plan referendum: the role of framing the conflict issues and negotiation process. GSTF Journal on Media and Communications (JMC), 1(2). https://doi.org/10.5176/2335-6618_1.2.19
  • Ciftci, D., & Evren, F. B. (2018). A New Creative Culture Example: The Case of the ‘What will be Happen News Bulletin’in North Cyprus. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 8(4), 385-398. https://doi.org/10.12973/ojcmt/3959
  • Cohen, S. (2013). States of denial: Knowing about atrocities and suffering. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Cooper, R. (2001). Un-timely mediations: Questing thought. Ephemera: Critical Dialogues On Organization, 1(4), 321-47.
  • Feinberg, M., & Willer, R. (2011). Apocalypse soon? Dire messages reduce belief in global warming by contradicting just-world beliefs. Psychological science, 22(1), 34-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610391911
  • Galtung, J., & Ruge, M. H. (1965). The structure of foreign news: The presentation of the Congo, Cuba and Cyprus crises in four Norwegian newspapers. Journal of peace research, 2(1), 64-90. https://doi.org/10.1177/002234336500200104
  • Kurpius, D. D. (2002). Sources and civic journalism: Changing patterns of reporting? Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 79(4), 853-866. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769900207900406
  • Laqua, D. (2015). Democratic Politics and the League of Nations: The Labour and Socialist International as a Protagonist of Interwar Internationalism. Contemporary European History, 24(2), 175-192. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960777315000041
  • Meffert, M. F., Chung, S., Joiner, A. J., Waks, L., & Garst, J. (2006). The effects of negativity and motivated information processing during a political campaign. Journal of Communication, 56(1), 27-51. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00003.x
  • Pedersen, S. (2015). The Guardians: The League of Nations and the Crisis of Empire. Oxford: Oxford Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199570485.001.0001
  • Ramsbotham, O., Woodhouse, T., & Miall, H. (1999). Contemporary Conflict Resolution: The Prevention, Management and Transformation of Deadly Conflicts. London: Polity.
  • Ramsbotham, O., Woodhouse, T., & Miall, H. (2005). Contemporary Conflict Resolution: The Prevention, Management and Transformation of Deadly Conflicts. London: Polity.
  • Rosen, J. (1999). The challenge of public journalism. The Idea of Public Journalism, 44.
  • Ryan, S. (2000). United Nations Peacekeeping: A Matter of Principles? International Peacekeeping, 7(1), 27-4. https://doi.org/10.1080/13533310008413817
  • Shah, D. V., McLeod, D. M., Kim, E., Lee, S. Y., Gotlieb, M. R., Ho, S. S., & Breivik, H. (2007). Political consumerism: How communication and consumption orientations drive “lifestyle politics”. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 611(1), 217-235. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716206298714
  • Sheldon, Z., & Romanowski, M. (2018). Amazing! Two Graduate Students Wrote About Stupid Internet Stuff and Got Away with It! (Page 10 Will Blow Your Mind!). Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 8(4), 293-307. https://doi.org/10.12973/ojcmt/3953
  • Solutions Journalism Network available at https://www.solutionsjournalism.org
  • Ulas, S., & Vural, Z. B. (2019). Social Media Usage Practices of Luxury Brands: A Case of Luxury Automobile Brands’ Corporate Social Media Applications. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 9(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/5723
  • Wenzel, A., Gerson, D., & Moreno, E. (2016). Engaging communities through solutions journalism. New York: Columbia Journalism School.