Report

In June 2024, we organised a roundtable “Conflict to Coexistence: Media’s Role in Shaping Public Perception” in collaboration with Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and Mongabya India. The session witnessed participation from sector experts working to address the issue and over 25 national and regional publications including- Aaj Tak, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Times of India, Down to Earth, Reader's Digest, The Lallantop, Dainik Bhaskar, Amar Ujala, Navbharat Times, to name a few. The discussions were extremely insightful and engaging, and ranged from discussing various geographies and types of animals with whom interactions have increased in recent times to unpacking what are some of the ground realities that journalists face while reporting on such issues. Many speakers in the room acknowledged the need to adopt a balanced approach to reporting which showcases the voices of multiple stakeholders. Throughout discussions, we also uncovered various insights into innate biases that arise among individuals while reporting on HWI due to their socio-cultural backgrounds. To remedy some of these challenges, we identified some critical next steps to take the work in this regard forward with the experts and publications present.