Covering and Explaining Conflict in Civil Society is a collection of essays that highlights issues of ethics specifically in journalism of conflict. The media takes an active interest in reporting cases of conflict as political unrest has a direct and immediate impact on people’s lives.

In the first part, this volume presents four such reportages; one each from Libya, Pakistan, Turkey and Khairlanji (India). Devoted to reportage, these case studies raise an important question: How far can a reporter prescribe and opine in her reportage? The authors explain, by their own example, the need for a journalist to be aware of this question during live reportage.

The second part of this volume is a critical look at the contemporary media scene in India. The authors draw our attention to the vibrant civil society that shook the administration when allegations of corruption cropped up. Citing instances of corruption within the media, the essays delineate the conflict between vested interest and ethics in journalism. In the concluding part, the authors focus on social media, as a new medium of civil society, playing an active role in the reportage of conflict—through clicks and shares. The essays here provoke the reader to ask if journalistic ethics do find a place in social media at all!

Presenting case-studies, theory and arguments, this volume is invaluable for students of journalism and mass communication. It will also be of interest to the lay reader.