The Local Media and International Conflict.

Although the local media are much more relevant to domestic and international conflicts, most studies have investigated the roles and coverage of the Western media. Moreover, international conflicts evolve through four distinctive phases: onset-prevention, escalation-violence, de-escalation-conflict resolution and termination-reconciliation. Most studies have investigated the media’s roles in the violent and conflict resolution phases. Very few studies have examined these roles in the other two highly significant phases of prevention and reconciliation. This paper suggests a first step to fill the gap. It deals with functions of the local media in the two highly neglected phases of international conflict. It examines existing concepts and approaches and suggests a new approach based on the integration and application of theories from both communication and international relations. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]