Journalism in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Fuelling conflict of Force for Peace?

Abstract

Roughly 120 militias remain active in the East-Northern regions of the DRC, leading to massive displacement, continuous exploitation of the civilian population and surges of hate speech. With Western media often pushing narratives that are overly fixated on the resources in the DRC, the importance of a native Congolese voice in journalism is significant. The thesis will analyse the role of journalism in the DRC throughout the conflict. It will do so by providing a historical perspective and ‘delinking’ from Western standards in journalistic discourse. The thesis will show how Congolese media have contributed to the conflict through the spread of hate speech, as well as inaction against political elites. It will then go on to break down the structural conditions that have shaped the Congolese media landscape. Finally, it will consider how these conditions have influenced Congolese journalism’s potential for peace journalism. Combining Discourse theory with Decolonial theory, the thesis will explore journalism’s complex position within conflict in the DRC.