Securitization theory was developed by Barry Buzan, Ole Wæver and Jaap de Wilde in their highly influential book Security: A New Framework for Analysis. It refers to a succession of authoritative claims or statements wherein a particular problem is successfully presented as an existential threat to a referent object, in turn requiring emergency measures exceeding the normal bounds of political procedure by legitimizing the breaking of established norms and rules.

The decision of whether an issue ought to be securitized or not should therefore not be taken light-heartedly. In most cases it might be better to opt for de-securitization - to switch out of emergency mode and engage problems through the open and democratic deliberations of ‘normal' politics. Depending on the ways in which it covers certain issues and events, the media has a direct influence on whether they become securitized or not. The panel will bring together a media-representative and a political scientist to discuss the responsibility of the media in this regard.

Hosted by Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) and Academy of the German Armed Forces for Information and Communication (AIK)

 

Jörgen Klußmann, Trainer for conflict senstive journalism and conflict transformation, Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation  

SPEAKERS 

Andreas Zumach, TAZ Correspondent in Geneva at the UN

 Dr.  Dieter Ose, Special Advisor Joint Support Command Köln, Expert in communication and security policy 

 

Jörg Becker, Institute for Political Science, Innsbruck University and KomTech-Institute in Solingen  

 

 Friday, 5 June 2009, 9:30 a.m., Room "Minister"