Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa, Special Advisor at the ICT4Peace Foundation was invited by the ICRC to speak at a session titled ‘Media As Aid During Humanitarian Crisis’ on 2 August 2022, as part of the ‘War Reporting: Navigating an Ethical Minefield‘ conference series.
In humanitarian crises, information is vital to enable people to make decisions – life changing decisions. What is the role of the media in ensuring that people have access to timely, reliable information in languages they understand? How are humanitarian organizations working to ensure that they are listening and communicating effectively with the people they are supposed to serve? Join experts on the delivery of #InfoAsAid to unpack the challenges and lessons from the field.
In the segment above, Hattotuwa answers question on how media can be more responsible in reporting from, and on contexts of violent conflict. The answer captures complexity of media landscapes today, including acts of journalism by ‘victims’ through social media.
The next question posed was if social media, & citizen journalism helps or hinders humanitarian assistance. Hattotuwa’s answer addressed key driver of mis/disinfo in current hot-war contexts, pegged to how political will is informed by public perceptions.
Addressing how mis- & #disinformation were inextricably entwined with content framing conflict & context, Hattotuwa noted degree to which social media platforms were flailing & failing, allowing hurt & harm to grow at the cost of help & humanitarian norms.
The full session is on the ICRC’s official YouTube channel. Click here.