The Center for the Study of Conflict, Law and the Media at the University of Missouri-Columbia is a collaboration between the Missouri School of Journalism and School of Law. Through research, teaching initiatives and public service programs, we aim to enhance media's capacity to inform the rule of law and the constructive resolution of conflict, and to reinforce First Amendment media protections and the flow of information that is crucial in a free society.
We live in a time of unparalleled conflict at the local, national, and international levels – racial and ethnic conflict, economic conflict, interpersonal conflict, political conflict, class conflict, identity conflict, among others. As disputes rage, the spread of media technology means that more people know more about what's happening than ever before.
The media and the law have a vital role to play as these conflicts unfold, an impact that affects their identification, articulation, escalation or de-escalation, and resolution. Yet, remarkably, no academic institution has focused on the relationship between the media, law and social conflict. The Missouri Center for the Study of Conflict, Law and the Media seeks to fill this gap by harnessing the resources of the nation’s leading School of Journalism and law school program on conflict resolution to create ground-breaking, important, and robust programming in research, education and public service.
In particular, the Center’s mission is to elevate media coverage of law and conflict, to enhance the capacity of the media to inform the rule of law and the constructive resolution of conflict, to reinforce First Amendment media protections and the flow of information in a free society, and to assume an international leadership position in these areas through innovative research, curricular initiatives, and public service programs. All of these goals are meant to nurture and promote the Center's mission: To foster a better understanding of the experience, reporting and management of conflict, and its impact on law and democracy in the United States and abroad.