COMMUNICATION STRATEGY OF JOURNALISTS IN COVERING NEWS AT CONFLICT AREAS

Abstract

Violence often affects journalists in duty in conflict areas, ranging from intimidation, kidnapping, to murder. Conflicting parties often consider journalists as a threat. A journalist is compelled to fulfill the public's right to obtain accurate and actual information, yet still there are in fact various obstacles hampering a journalist to perform its duties, especially when covering news in areas of physical conflict such as war. The lack of understanding and knowledge of a journalist to cover the news in the conflict area becomes one of the factors making him vulnerable to be victims of violence. The study examines the operation of releasing hostages in Mapenduma Papua. It aims to find out the communication strategy of journalists in obtaining information and conveying them to the public by anticipating the unpleasant possibilities that may occur at any time in the conflict area. This research is a qualitative research with constructivist paradigm. The research method used is case study. The data were collected in two stages: the primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with selected speakers, while secondary data were obtained through literature study sourced from books and other publications. The results of the study show that among other things journalists need to pay attention to when covering conflict areas are: maintaining good relations with various parties, understanding the code of ethics, directing questions toward peace, quickly responding to an event, highlighting the vision of peaceful journalism, exploring information thoroughly, nurturing empathy according to context and condition, respecting off the record of information or source of information, being careful, responsible, and alert, as well as  guided by code of ethics.