Center for Media and Peace Initiative

Production of the Journal of Media & Public Policy - the quarterly publication of the Center was completed and circulation of hard copies to readers and institutions took place during the first quarter. The quarterly peer-reviewed Journal of Media and Public Policy is one of the center's ambitious projects to support a socially responsible media system. Every article we publish has the potential to influence global debate, open minds, increase civic engagement, and strengthen democratic governance. In collaboration with universities and organizations, the Journal of Media & Public Policy examines the interconnection between the media and public policy through research and commentary. The Journal of Media & Public Policy published for an international audience seeks to serve as a resource for journalists and public administrators around the world. In collaboration with universities and organizations, the Journal of Media & Public Policy focuses on the interconnection between media and public policy through research and commentary. It covers the areas of social science such as management, marketing, finance, economics, banking, accounting, human resources management, international relations, law, development studies, history, journalism and mass communication, democratic governance, cross-cultural studies, public administration, psychology, sociology, women studies, social equity and so on. JMPP publishes original papers, review papers, conceptual framework, case studies, empirical research, and book reviews.

November 11, 2023, the 10th edition of the Gershowitz Conference on Media and Democratic Governance themed:"Confronting Democratic Diminution: Press Freedom in an Era of Pandemic, War, and Political Crisis." Democratization suffered more reversals in 2021, with the percentage of people living in a democracy falling to well below 50% and authoritarian regimes gaining ground. The 2022 edition of the Gershowitz Conference on Media and Democratic Governance engaged a broad spectrum of practitioners, academics, civil society leaders, journalists, and other stakeholders with professional expertise on priority topics related to democratic recession around the world. The CMPI-SPAA partnership creates a unique platform that facilitates discussion around specific subject areas in the democracy, governance, and media fields, with the goal of generating new knowledge and understanding, forging, and expanding new international, intercultural, interdisciplinary research networks, and partnerships.The outcome of the conference is contained in the report entitled "Democratic Diminution & Future of Governance: Thoughts on Constitutionalism, Populism, and Journalism."

May 22-24, 2022, CMPI participated in the Dialogue on Media in the Diaspora convened by The Hollings Center at Washington, DC. Burgeoning Africa diasporas across the United States either establish their own conventional and digital media channels, or partake in existing media to carry the voice of the homeland into the diaspora community, and to report local and international news. For a journalist living in the diaspora, working in a newsroom in a country other than the one being covered raises a host of challenges around information and audiovisual verification, security and reliability of local sources, and objectivity and subjectivity. Covering one's homeland from abroad may also entail opportunities around constructing diasporic identities, bridging the divide between the diaspora and 'homeland' communities, and professional development rewards. The aims of this dialogue were, to build linkages among journalists who may not otherwise have opportunities to interact and share details on their work; to understand the diaspora media landscape in the United States; and to share best practices on fact-checking, security, content creation and other matters that diaspora journalists grapple with on a daily basis. CMPI used the platform to showcase its decade long project on Diaspora Media Initiatives including a presentation of the book: "Media & Diaspora Strategies: Issues in Global Governance and Democratic Participation" that chronicles lectures and training sessions o diaspora journalists.