Welcome to the Center
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.
The need
The need for integrated, interdisciplinary research, education, and public service on the relationship
between the media and conflict is palpable, and deserves attention and support.
The media has experienced unprecedented growth, evolution, and influence during the last two decades, as communication
technology advanced and proliferated, news organizations filled a 24/7 news
cycle, and corporate ownership consolidated. Yet this growth has created
challenges, too: how to promote the responsible, ethical journalism that a
democratic society requires in an era of consolidated ownership; how to manage
newsrooms that converge print, broadcast, radio, and internet technologies in a
way that is both fair for journalists and efficient for management; how to
maintain the proper distance between news and entertainment.
Similarly, law and conflict resolution have expanded and evolved dramatically in the last quarter century as vehicles of
public and private social ordering. The practice of law moved beyond the
traditional adversarial process to include a wide variety of methods of dispute
resolution such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. More broadly,
though, legal scholars are recognizing and exploring the meaning and importance
of the rule of law for the exercise of effective democratic governance. It is
here that there is a vital and unexplored link between the media, law, conflict
and its resolution. Law is a dynamic process, responding as appropriate to
individual and societal needs – needs that are often manifest in individual and
social conflict. At the same time, the coverage of conflict informs the
evolution of the law—including legislation, treaties and regulations—helping
shape public understanding of conflict, of the systemic response to it, and of
the adjustments necessary to implement change. This coverage is a vital part of
democratic society, and will help determine whether the path of conflict will be
constructive or destructive.
Meeting the need
Co-directed by Journalism Professor Michael J. Grinfeld and Law Professor Richard C. Reuben, and steered by a national board of
directors, the Center will explore this linkage between law, conflict, and the
media through an ambitious but important programming agenda. This effort
includes not only theory building, empirical research, and curriculum
development, but also will also bridge the gap between theory and practice by
reaching out to local, national, and international communities of practicing
journalists and the general public.
Research: The Center will develop a research agenda aimed at generating new knowledge in the area of how media affect conflicts and
their outcomes, and that applies that knowledge in a way that improves
professional and ethical practices and standards in journalism; that improves
the constructive development of the rule of law; and enhances citizens’
participation in a democratic society. Other areas of scholarly inquiry on the
Center’s horizon include conflict related issues arising out of the
reporter-source relationship, as well as newsroom conflict and its impact on the
content and quality of journalism as well as the professional life of
journalists. Learn more about our research activities
Teaching: This research will pave the way for
classroom leadership as well, as more and more students take advantage of the
Center’s broad array of new curricular programs designed to give journalists a
better understanding of the law and the legal system, as well as the impact of
their journalism on conflict. This often interdisciplinary learning will deepen
the sophistication of tomorrow’s journalists, regardless of whether they are in
journalism or strategic communications. These programs also provide similar
opportunities for law students to develop a better understanding of the media,
its methods and its processes.
Read more about current dual degree programs
Outreach: The Center will interact with the
professions and the community (local, national and international) in ways that
promote a constructive role for journalists in shaping the effects of social
conflict, foster the accurate and appropriate coverage of law and conflict, and
foster the effective management of conflict within newsrooms. It will do so by
developing and implementing programs that address professional practices and
standards. In addition, through its Access to Justice Project, the Center will
institute programs that will use the combined disciplines of law and journalism
to advance and improve the public's knowledge and utilization of the legal
system. Programs in process now include an Innocence Project, a Domestic Abuse
Project, and a Medical Malpractice Reform Project. Learn more about out outreach efforts
Project Partners
Co-Directors
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MICHAEL J. GRINFELD studies media effects on conflict and dispute resolution processes.
He teaches courses in writing, journalism and conflict, and media, law and the courts. Grinfeld is also an adjunct associate
professor at the MU School of Law. Emphasizing topics in law and medicine,
Grinfeld is currently a contributing editor for California Lawyer and Psychiatric Times magazines. His work has also appeared
in other magazines, including House Counsel, Global Journalist, Medicine & Behavior, Parenting, Healthcare Business,
Geriatric Times, and the Forensic Echo. Before coming to the MU School of Journalism in 2001, he was a reporter with the
Los Angeles Daily Journal. Prior to turning to journalism, Grinfeld was a lawyer for 16 years, specializing in civil litigation. He is a former
vice president of claims litigation for Los Angeles-based insurer Farmers Group, Inc.
Click here for Professor Grinfeld's CV. |
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RICHARD C. REUBEN
is an Associate Professor of Law at the
University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, a Senior Fellow at the law
school's
Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution, and co-author of Riskin et al,
Dispute Resolution and Lawyers (3rd ed.) (West 2005). A lawyer and journalist, Professor Reuben was nominated for a
Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court and other legal
matters, and has served as the Editor of the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Magazine since 1996.
Professor Reuben earned his law
degree at Georgia State University, and his masters and doctoral degrees in law
at Stanford Law
School. His current research focuses on the relationship between dispute
resolution and law and democratic governance, as well as confidentiality in
dispute resolution. His articles have appeared in a number of law reviews,
including the Harvard Negotiation Law
Review, the California Law Review,
and the UCLA Law Review. He is also a co-author of a major dispute
resolution textbook for law schools, Dispute Resolution for Lawyers 3rd
ed. (West 2005). Professor Reuben teaches
Conflict Theory, Negotiation, Legislation, Election Law, Administrative Law,
and Local Government Law. Click here
for Professor Reuben's CV. |
Affiliated Faculty
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Mary Beck is a professor of clinical law at the the Missouri University Law School. She directs the Family Violence Clinic and teaches courses in Advocacy, Family
Violence and Public Policy, Interviewing and Counseling, and Pretrial Litigation. Full Bio |
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Glen Cameron teaches at the Missouri School of Journalism and co-founded the Health Communication Research Center at MU. He focuses his research on how to use
strategic communication to address public health concerns. Full Bio |
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Kent Collins chairs the Broadcast News Department at the Missouri School of Journalism. Full Bio |
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Charles Davis is the Director of the Freedom of Information Center at the Missouri School of Journalism where he also teaches in the News-Editorial department.
Full Bio |
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Sandy Davidson teaches communications and media law at both the Missouri School of Journalism and the Missouri School of Law.
She is also the attorney for The Columbia Missourian.
Full Bio |
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Steve Easton is a Professor at the University of Missouri Law School. Full Bio |
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Ed Lambeth is the founding director of the Missouri Center for Religion, Professions, and the Press at the Missouri School of Journalism,
where he is a professor emeritus. Full Bio |
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Phil Peters specializes in health law at the University of Missouri Law School, where he is the Ruth L. Hulston Professor of Law.
Full Bio |
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Leonard Riskin directs the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution and the Initiative on Mindfulness in Law and Dispute Resolution at the
University of Missouri. Full Bio |
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Esther Thorson is the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Full Bio |
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Rod Uphoff is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Full Bio |
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Steve Weinberg teaches in the magazine sequence at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Full Bio |
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Betty Houchin Winfield teaches political communication and research methods at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Full Bio |
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