Objectives of the symposium
The objective of the symposium is
to examine the historical experience of the Rwanda genocide
as part of a broader discussion of the role of news media
in conflict prevention or resolution and the abuse of media
in vulnerable societies.
While considerable attention has
been devoted to the topics of hate media in Rwanda and the
international media’s failings in coverage of the genocide,
these aspects have never been examined in tandem in a broader
review of the role of the media.
We will engage journalists, experts
and academics from Rwanda, the African region and internationally
in the broader debate about the role of the media in the events
of 1994, events that have had an echo in other parts of the
continent, in such places as Sierra Leone, Congo and Burundi.
This symposium will serve not only
to enrich the debate, but also to strengthen the research
community on these vital issues, not least by bringing together
working journalists and academic experts from such varied
disciplines as communications, international relations and
genocide studies.
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