Preparing Psychological Messages Through A Media Strategy to Achieve Community Peace

Abstract

The media, through its various means, deals with the issue of peace, especially after 2003, as it is a rich subject that pushes the public to follow, participate, and promote in an attempt to create a public opinion that supports it and rejects criminal behavior, violence, extremism, terrorism, and the rule of law so that the citizen can enjoy a happy and reassured life. The media is one of the characteristics of Civilized societies are an image of reality, and through it one can build trends, correct opinions, make decisions, solve problems, and determine trends towards private and public issues. The media is a double-edged sword. It is a tool of peace when it calls peoples to familiarity, affection, and brotherhood, and a tool of war when it pushes peoples to division, hostility, and hatred. It has areas for delivering its messages, including developing awareness, supporting national belonging, informing citizens of events, covering events, and instilling values. Praiseworthy, introducing national heritage, paying attention to public issues, introducing scientific and cultural developments, and providing information in the fields of science and knowledge. Social peace cannot be achieved without the components of society enjoying equal spaces to express their opinions, concerns, and ambitions in a climate where openness to all parties prevails, and all opinions are understood, without excluding anyone, with the aim of reaching the common ground where everyone meets, as freedom of opinion is guaranteed.
Peace news contains informational and news values in its general context, as it affects the public through various values, including influence, as the focus is on news that interests the public to create the desired impact on their opinions and attitudes towards the events that reach them through the news. There are many media strategies specialized in spreading the culture of peace, according to the constitution and applicable laws, in a way that enhances cooperation between government institutions and media institutions, and consolidates the public’s conviction that peace is the responsibility of the competent agencies, the media, civil society organizations, the family, the school, and the individual.
Media messages seek to influence the public, reach the largest geographical area, bring about change, guide and educate. Media messages are divided into cultural, entertainment, guidance, and guidance messages, news messages, investigations, lectures, and seminars, but the media faces human and technical obstacles that limit its effectiveness. It was found that (48.32%) of the sample sent messages with (national) content, (23.68%) with (professional) content, (12.64%) with (political) content, and (8.8%) with (popular mobilization) content. (6.56%) without specific content. It became clear that the difference is not large between males and females in sending psychological messages, and this is evidence of openness, a sense of security, and equality. The role of women is increasing day after day, and it appeared that the age group (25-34) years is the largest in the current research, and it is evidence of the youth of Iraqi society. Which prompted the researcher to recommend to the Journalists Syndicate the formation of a specialized committee that encourages national media programs, rewards their owners, and invites media professionals to adopt programs with positive content, and stay away from programs with empty content that aim only to occupy time.