Fabíola Ortiz dos Santos

Research Fellow

Research Focus

    • Media development/assistance in (post)conflict societies; media systems in Africa; media and peace; media in conflicts; journalism practice; peacebuilding; peace journalism; human rights journalism, communication for development/for social change.
    • PhD research focuses on an exploratory study of radio stations in the Central African Republic and their role in promoting peace. The project works across boundaries, disciplines and the multifaceted paradigms of local peacebuilding approaches embracing the fields of media development, peace and conflict studies. It explores the use of radio as a peacebuilder and its limits of independency, objectivity and non-partisanship of the media sector in a conflicting scenario.

    Curriculum Vitae

    • Since January 2023, Desk Officer for Anglophone and Lusophone Africa at the Catholic Media Council (CAMECO) in Aachen.
    • Since November 2018, PhD fellow at the MEDAS 21 – ‘Global Media Assistance: Applied Research, Improved Practice in the 21 Century’ (Erich Brost Institute for International Journalism, Dortmund) and research associate at the Institute of Communication Science in Duisburg-Essen University, Germany.
    • September 2016 – June 2018, MA at the Erasmus Mundus Journalism Programme on Media and Globalisation with Specialism in War and Conflict. Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX) and Aarhus University (Denmark), Swansea University (United Kingdom).
    • 2006 – 2014, BA History, State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil.
    • 2004 – 2008, BA Journalism, School of Social Communication at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil.
    • Since 2008, worked as a journalist and local producer for international journalists and TV channels. Her reporting was dedicated to covering human rights, development and international affairs in the Global South.
    • Media outlets: News Agency IPS – Inter Press Service; UK based website Dialogochino.net / Chinadialogue; IDN – InDepthNews.info; Climate Home; Global Development Professionals Network from The Guardian; Thomson Reuters Foundation; Equal Times; News Deeply; Portuguese News Agency – LUSA; SciDev.Net. Brazilian press: Universo Online - UOL; Opera Mundi; BBC News Brazil; newspaper Folha de São Paulo, environmental website O ECO, magazines Língua, Educação (Ed. Segmento), História Viva (Ed. Duetto).
    • 2018, Received the Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize at the 2018 UNCA (United Nations Correspondents Association)
    • 2017 Journalism AMAN Prize – Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies.
    • 2017 Journalism Grantee of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation about the reporting on reintegration of former child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
    • 2015 Journalist Fellow at Dag Hammarskjöld UN Fund for Journalists, New York, USA.
    • 2015, Internship Department of Press & Communication, OAS – Organization of American States in Washington DC, USA.
    • 2013, Rédacteur international news desk, AFP – Agence France Press, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    • 2008 – 2011, Correspondent, International Portuguese News Agency – LUSA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    • 2008, Internship, UN Information Center in Rio de Janeiro (UNIC-Rio), Brazil.
    • 2006 – 2007, Internship, Public National Radio, Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    • 2005 – 2006, Internship, University Newspaper “Jornal da UFRJ”, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    Peer-reviewed Publications

    • Mutsvairo, B., Santos, F. O. dos, & Chitanana, T. (2023). De-Westernizing digital politics: A Global South viewpoint. In S. Coleman & L. Sorensen (Eds.), Handbook of digital politics (2nd ed., pp. 15–28). Edward Elgar Publishing.
    • Santos, F. O. dos. (2023a). Culture de la Paix in Central Africa: Building ‘Communities of Affect’ and Safe Spaces through Sango Broadcasts. In African Language Media (pp. 193–210). Routledge.
    • Santos, F. O. dos. (2023b). The Construction of Peacebuilding Narratives in ‘Media Talk’—A Methodological Discussion. Journalism and Media, 4(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia4010023
    • Santos, F. O. dos. (2022). Journalism in Times of Pandemic: Ethical and Responsible Reporting in Transitional Societies. In J. Lynch & C. Rice (Eds.), Responsible Journalism in Conflicted Societies—Trust and Public Service Across New and Old Divides (1st ed., pp. 123–137). Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003178217-11
    • Santos, F. O. dos, & Schönbächler, V. (2022). Influencing factors of ‘local’ conflict journalism and implications for media development: A critical appraisal. Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, 11(2), 189–209. https://doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00090_1
    • Santos, F.O. dos (2021). Promoting peace: The role of radio journalism in conflict prevention, Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 19(1), pp. 175–196. https://doi.org/10.1386/rjao_00040_1
    • Santos, F.O. dos (2021). Myths and Misconceptions on Covid-19: ‘Congo Check’ and ‘Talato’ Verification Experiences. Frontiers in Communication - Political Communication and Society, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2021.627214 
    • Santos, F.O. dos (2021). Fighting Disinfodemic in Central Africa: Fact-checkers Experience Against Covid-19 Fake News. In F. R. Cádima & I. Ferreira (Eds.), Perspectivas Multidisciplinares da Comunicação em Contexto de Pandemia, Vol. 1 (pp. 144–164). Coleção ICNOVA. https://doi.org/10.34619/n8sz-0v13
    • Santos, F. O. dos (2021). Peace Journalism: A Tool Within Media Development? Research Reviews for Media Development Practitioners, 2. https://www.medas21.net/app/download/6283362866/Media-Dev-Research-Reviews-2-Peace-Journalism.pdf?t=1635261285
    • Santos, F.O. dos (2021, February 2). Developing the Media Sector in Peacebuilding Contexts. Centre for Freedom of the Media - CFOM. University Sheffield. (online blog post) http://www.cfom.org.uk/2021/02/02/developing-the-media-sector-in-peacebuilding-contexts/
    • Santos, F. O.; Brasil, A. Broadcasting the Covid-19 Pandemic in Central Africa: A Content Analysis of a United Nations Peacekeeping Radio. Radiofonias –  Revista de Estudos em Mídia Sonora, Mariana-MG, v. 11, n. 02, p. 89-128, mai./ago. 2020. https://periodicos.ufop.br:8082/pp/index.php/radiofonias/article/view/4356
    • Santos, F.O. dos (2020). From a ‘culture of fear’ to a ‘culture of hope’: Media as agent for social change in times of pandemic. Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics 17(3/4), 84-95.
    • Ortiz, Fabíola. ‘Eliana Sousa Silva, favela activist’ In: Rein, Marcy et Ross, Clifton Until the Rulers Obey: Voices from Latin American Social Movements. USA: 2014, PM Press. https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=567
    • Ortiz, Fabíola. ‘Raimundo Belmiro, rubber tapper and environmental activist’ In: Rein, Marcy et Ross, Clifton Until the Rulers Obey: Voices from Latin American Social Movements. USA: 2014, PM Press. https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=567 

    Presenting at Conferences & Workshop Organisation

    • Santos, F. O. dos (2021, April 20). Journalism in Times of Pandemic: Ethical and Responsible Reporting in Transitional Societies [Chapter presentation]. At the Lecture ‘Journalism and trust in (post-) conflict environments - insights from Africa and Northern Ireland, Peacebuilding Hub (Resarch Network), Center of Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at Sheffield University, UK, online lecture.
    • Santos, F.O. dos (2022, July). UN radios in peace missions: a safe discursive space for peacebuilding? The case of Guira FM in Central Africa [Accepted for paper presentation]. International Association for Media and History (IAMHIST) Conference, Kiel University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
    • Workshop Organisation with Phd students from Francophone African countries (April 27-29, 2022) on Current Challenges in Media Development Félix-Houphouët-Boigny University, Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Within the framework of ‘Knowledge for Tomorrow’, funded by Volskwagen Stiftung.
    • Santos, F. O. dos & Schönbächler, V. (2021, July 11-15). Influencing Factors of ‘Local’ Conflict Journalism and Implications for Media Development – A Critical Appraisal [Paper presentation]. IAMCR 2021, online conference.
    • Santos, F. O. dos (2021, April 20). Developing the Media Sector in the Central African Republic [Paper presentation]. Assistance or Hindrance? Policies, Practices, Coordination and Impacts of Foreign Media Intervention in Conflict-Affected Societies, Center of Freedom of the Media (CFOM) and Research Group on UN Media and Peace Processes (RUNMAPP), online lecture.
    • 5-6 November 2020: Presented the Paper ‘Sustainable Journalism and Peacebuilding: Elesongo Radio Program in Central African Republic’ at the C4SC CONFERENCE 2020 PARTICIPATIVE PUBLIC SPHERE promoted by the Centre for Development Communication – Communication for Social Change (EC4SC) at the Institute for Communication and Media Science University of Leipzig, Germany.
    • 15-16 September 2020: Presented the Paper ‘Journalism in Times of Pandemic: Ethical and Responsible Reporting in Transitional Societies’ at the Conference ‘Responsible Journalism and Communication in conflicted & divided societies’; Coventry University, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, in conjunction with School of Journalism, UK.
    • 6-8 March 2020: Participation at the Workshop ‘Conflict Analysis Training’, World Youth Academy, Novi Sad, Serbia.
    • November 2019 – February 2020: Postgraduate course for PhD candidates, Jönköping University, Sweden, ‘Sustainable Communication (SusCom)’ 7.5 ECTS. Web-based/Distant learning. 60 credits (hp) represent a full academic year.
    • 18-21 September 2019: Paper presented at 6th ECREA Radio Research Section Conference – “Radio as a Social Media” - held at DISPOC (Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences), University of Siena, Italy.
    • 7-11 July 2019: Attended the International Association for Media and Communication Research Conference (IAMCR)” held at Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
    • 19-21 June 2019: Participation at the ‘PhD Masterclass’ at the Development Studies Association Conference – DSA2019 “Opening up Development”, held at the Open University in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.
    • 19-20 April 2019: Paper presented at the ‘International Conference on Journalism, PR and Media Trends’ at RUDN University (Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia), Moscow, Russia.
    • 6-7 December 2018: Seminar ‘UN Peace Operations Radios: Lessons Learned and Best Practices for their Post-UN Transitions.’ Promoted by Fondation Hirondelle and Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP), Geneva, Switzerland.
    • September 2016: Fellow at the seminar “Media in Conflicts Seminar (MICS)”,  promoted by the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC), Lauder School of Government Diplomacy and Strategy, Israel.
    • November 2012: Fellow at the Course “Journalism and Global Editorial Management”, promoted by the South American Correspondent Union (UNAC), Catholic University in Valparaíso (PUCV), Valparaiso, Chile.
    • April 2012: Joined the course “Transparency and Investigation: Journalism with Public Information”, promoted by ABRAJI (Investigative Journalism Brazilian Association) and Bureau of the International Program for the Development of Communication-UNESCO.
    • July 2010: Joined the course “Journalists in Armed Conflict Areas”, promoted by the Brazilian Peacekeeping Operations Joint Center (CCOPAB) and the UN Information Center in Rio de Janeiro (UNICRIO), Brazil.
    • March-December 2009: Joined the course “Africa And Africanities” promoted by the Department of History, State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil.
    • July 2008: Joined the course “The UN and International Contemporary Questions”, promoted by the the UN Information Center in Rio de Janeiro (UNICRIO) in occasion of the 60th Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Anniversary, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.