Role of print media in conflict escalation: a study of selected print media houses in Lusaka district, Zambia.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the Role of the Print Media in Conflict a Study of selected Print Media Houses in Lusaka District, Zambia. The overall objective of the study is to establish the role of the Print Media in Conflict A Case Study of selected Print Media Houses in Lusaka. The main objectives or specific objectives being: -to examine the role of selected Print Media in Conflict in the Community through their publications. To assess the priming of stories by Print Media Houses on conflict in the Community of Lusaka. To describe the challenges Print Media faces in their role in Conflict in the Community of Lusaka, to propose solutions to the challenges faced by the Print Media in Conflict in the Community of Lusaka.
The research targeted a population of 25 respondents in Lusaka Province. The Respondents consisted of the Residents, National Government Representatives, Country Commissioners, Deputy Country Commissioners and Journalists. The sample selection procedure in this study was the selection of four major Zambian Newspapers. Both purposive sampling and census sampling methods were used in the study.
The study found that their pull and push factors that makes journalists to prime the stories the ways they do, there is financial aspect, agenda aspect and there is professionalism aspect which is at play in print media houses. findings also indicate that the magnitude of escalation of conflict in the community in the four dailies is low across all the units of analysis - news stories, columns, editorials, letters-to-editor and advertisements and the available content is disproportionate – more of civil rights, economic and social rights, and less of political rights and cultural rights. Secondly, the inclusion of human rights hinges on both policy and individual journalistic conviction while the issues covered are subject to standard news selection criteria and weighted against economic goals. Thirdly, there is polarity on the aspect of engagement of other actors by the two dailies. The latter contend they engage other actors through columns, letters and as sources, while the former feel they are not availed the platform. Fourthly, the newspapers revealed challenges including victim averseness to disclose information; bureaucracy in obtaining evidence; and administrative challenges. Lastly, the human rights related change attributable to the four newspapers is marginal.