Peace representations in Colombian media during transitional justice from 2016 to 2021

This study analyzes peace representations in the Colombian press during transitional justice (2016–2021) of an intractable conflict. A sample of 1,800 news articles and 1,609 photographs from two national newspapers was analyzed through automated lexical analysis and manual image coding. The authors’ findings revealed two dominant representations: a victim-centric approach (negative emotions and confrontation) and an institutional one (state-led, political cooperation). Results indicate the press reinforced a hegemonic, institutional perspective, portraying government elites as drivers of peace –related to structural peace initiatives, while depicting victims and communities as passive beneficiaries – aligned with negative peace, underlining conflict ending over societal transformation. Peace narratives shifted from heterogeneous perspectives to singular focuses on victims or institutions. Emotionally impactful images, often depicting victims, children, and death references, were used to evoke reactions, yet gender disparities overlooked women’s agency. The press prioritized bureaucratic, top-down peacebuilding, sidelining grassroots initiatives and alternative solutions from conflict-affected communities, reinforcing a state-centric approach to peace.