Our Events
PeaceBeats is a series of public convenings that bring journalists, peacebuilders, and allied experts into conversation about how conflict is covered, and how it could be covered differently. We examine blind spots, challenge common narratives, and explore more constructive approaches to reporting on war and violence.
INAUGURAL EVENT | Framing Immigration: How Media Narratives Shape Public Perception
Too often, migrants and refugees are portrayed as a crisis to contain, a threat to fear, or a burden to manage. Misinformation, disinformation, and dehumanizing language obscure the real people at the center of these stories, and the conditions that forced them to leave home. Moreover, such stories often ignore the substantial contributions immigrants can make to their communities. This kind of coverage doesn’t just mislead the public. It shapes who we blame and what responses we come to see as justified.
Our inaugural PeaceBeats event (date TBA) will look at how immigration and displacement are covered in United States media specifically. We will examine whose voices are left out and what more accurate and constructive coverage could look like. We will pay special attention to how dehumanizing language affects public attitudes toward immigrants and refugees, and how that shapes who is seen as deserving of protection or belonging.
This inaugural event will be hosted in partnership with the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, with participation from the Leir Institute of Migration at the Fletcher School, TheSolutions Journalism Network, and other organizations working on issues related to immigration, refugees and the media.
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2027 International Summit
We are working with our partners and allies to move peacebuilders and peace initiatives closer to the front burner of public discourse. A two-day summit in Washington, D.C. will create a platform for key stakeholders in conflict reporting to engage with peacebuilders, neuroscientists, and technologists to examine how both the news media and social media play dual roles in hindering and promoting peace efforts. These key stakeholders include journalists worldwide, editors as gatekeepers, researchers providing critical media analysis, peacebuilders facilitating civil discourse, journalism students, and program officers at philanthropic foundations. The summit will feature dynamic presentations, experiential workshops, and the latest research, to foster strategies for reimagining media coverage of peace and conflict. This event follows the success of our inaugural symposium at the New York Times Center in 2018, a partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting that attracted over 400 journalists and peacebuilders. Following this, MPV founder Jamil Simon was awarded the Luxembourg Peace Prize.
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MPV will launch its second International Summit in Spring 2027 in Washington, D.C., hosting experts in journalism, peacebuilding, neuroscience, and technology to examine how media both helps and hinders peace efforts.
Past Events
2018 Inaugural Symposium
The WSPS International Symposium at the New York Times Center explored critical issues related to covering peace and conflict.
War Stories Peace Stories: Peace Conflict & The Media drew over 400 leading journalists, peacebuilders, thought leaders and funders to the New York Times Center on April 11, 2018. The daylong symposium put storytelling about peace efforts front and center in order to challenge the prevailing narrative about how the world deals with conflict. A primary goal was to encourage greater reporting on peace efforts, diplomacy, and nonviolent resistance around the world and to inspire a wider range of approaches to conflict reporting.
The invitation-only event featured a keynote on the impact of war by Sebastian Junger, best selling author, award winning producer and journalist; a conversation with Alexis Okeowo, journalist and author and recent winner of the PEN/Open prize in literature; moderated panel discussions with key peacebuilders and journalists who have worked on or reported from international conflicts. We also provided an opportunity for journalists to secure funding for stories about peace through a competition organized in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. This competition produced tangible results described in the full report available for download above.
“It is imperative that we learn how to explain the possibility of peace and its concrete benefits to a skeptical public. This symposium, linking media and peacebuilding experts, is exactly what we need to make peace a subject that captures the public imagination.”
Melanie Greenberg
Managing Director, Humanity United