Mediated conflicts: Capacities and limitations of ‘mediative journalism’ in public diplomacy processes

Abstract

Based on the concept of public diplomacy, this article analyses the possible contributions of journalism to international political conflict resolution processes and, more specifically, asks if quality journalism can take on mediative functions in foreign policy. The approach of this article is to consider the concept of ‘mediative journalism’, which means that first of all links and differences between journalism and mediation as a conflict resolution tool have to be recognized. An explicit link between mediation and quality journalism has not been tested yet, although both show partly similar mindsets and attitudes concerning, for example, balance, the plurality of perspectives and critical reflection, as the article clearly shows.