Letter from the Committee Director
Dear Delegates,
My name is Jivyaa Vaidya and I am thrilled to welcome you all to the Press Corps committee of the Shishukunj Model United Nations 2017.
Currently an 11th grader, I am a major bibliophile, an avid painter, and a movie buff. I love doing adventure sports, singing, binge watching shows and procrastinating precious time away. I aspire to be a globe-trotter and become an artist.
The Press Corps in a MUN serves as a link between the United Nations and the global population. It keeps the people updated with the actions going on in the committees, provides a new angle to the discussions and also keeps the delegates entertained in some ways.
Unlike the traditional Press Corps committees, the committee is going to have an agenda of its own. It is going to be normal MUN committee with debates and discussions, but with a twist of its own. Part of the conference time will be spent in the debating, but most of the time the delegates are going to be reporting.
The agenda for this year is, ‘Efficacy of Peace Journalism in Conflict Resolution.’ Peace journalism is a kind of journalism in which reporters construct “realities” and attempt to supplement the news conventions to give peace a chance. Journalists all around the world, even in war-torn areas, practice peace journalism at large to stop the conflicts. However, many doubt its feasibility and desirability in the different situations at hand.
I expect the delegates to not only represent their allotted newspaper agencies but report as individual journalists too. This will not be an ordinary Press Corps committee and I anticipate the delegates to write like real journalists with the common people in mind. I am sure we will have a great time. I look forward to meeting you all!
Thank you!
Jivyaa Vaidya
Committee Director
Press Corps
Organ Description
In the real world, the press, using its powers, maintains order, justice, human rights and international security and law. Similarly, the Press Corps in a MUN plays a dynamic role. It keeps the updated with the happenings in various committees. Besides, by keeping in character, the reporters pen down the opinion of the society and face the stimulating challenge of being a journalist. The reporters also keep the delegates entertained with separately written, informal and creative write ups.
The Press Corps committee this year will comprise of 18 reporters allotted with renowned news agencies from around the world. The reporters will be spending a quarter of their total time, debating in the committee room on the agenda and the other time in the committees, reporting. Although photographers are going to be clicking photographs at the conference, the reporters are recommended to click photographs of their own, to go along with the articles.
Agenda: Efficacy of Peace Journalism in Conflict Resolution
Peace Journalism is defined “when editors and reporters make choices - of what to report, and how to report it - that create opportunities for society at large to consider and value non-violent responses to conflict”. (Lynch and McGoldrick, 2005) Today peace journalism is part of a major wide-reaching media reform movement growing out of the strong evaluation of leading mainstream media practices. Peace journalists, take data from all sides of the conflict and construct many times, a fake reality to protect peace and prevent violence. Many argue that non-violence is not always the answer. Also, peace journalism does not look at fragmented and active audiences instead of a passive mass that needs to be enlightened by virtue of right and proper reporting. Some opponents illustrate peace journalism as “activist” news inscription that, while being socially engaged to endorse peace, is unlike mainstream objective, or stable, news coverage that seeks to remain impartial or above the fight.
This raises the important question: how objective and unbiased is peace journalism? From a peace journalism viewpoint, the claim “we just report the facts” must include the facts of how and according to what principals these “facts” came to meet the reporter, and how the finished coverage came to meet the facts.
The delegates are expected to look at this topic from all sides and discuss its desirability, and efficiency in conflict resolution. Many factors are to be kept in mind, including the media in countries around the world, and the role of peace journalism in the ongoing wars.
Note: This is an application-only continual crisis committee.