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다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Social conflict is the one of major issues in media studies. First of all, social conflict within a society is ubiquitous. Second, social conflict often dominates the subject of news media; and third, mass media play a vital role in the development and regulation of various social conflicts. Especially in civil societies, the relationship between the two are complicated.
This study aims to examine how social conflicts, in general, are presented in news media and to demonstrate what the new directions of news reporting are favorable in civil societies.
The dominance of social conflict as a subject in media news has received considerable attention from scholars holding various points-of-view. Several studies focus on the organizational constraints, journalistic practices and their effects on the news content. Other researchers have sought to identify additional constraints that are external to the news organization.
Following from these research, the main function of media in social conflict seems to be the reaffirmation of the status quo of the dominant order. When the news cover images and message of social conflict, it is often the case that the 'strikers' are presented negatively and usually the news frame can be characterized by it's event orientation, simplification, exaggeration and dramatization. The journalistic routine can make the presentation biased or in a stereotypical way.
But with the development of the civil society, the purpose. items and types of social conflicts are now more pluralistic and complex. As the paradigm of conflicts change. news media must find a new approach in dealing with social conflicts. This means that not only the function of media but also the journalistic practices of reporting should be redefined and reformed.
New directions are suggested as follows:
(l) The positive function of social conflict for the social system should be re interpreted. and reported progressively by the media. In media politics, it is important to place the function of media as the conflict manager.
(2) As social conflicts becomes more complicated and more diverse. a more thorough guideline for journalistic practice is necessary to ensure its professionalism. In terms of social justice the purpose and type of social conflicts should be categorized and then interpreted in a deliberate manner.
(3) The ideological terrain of defining and interpreting conflicts should be extended from conservatism to radicalism. If possible. it is favorable for the media to serve the adaptive functions of social change. That means news media should operate not as the defenders of the existing order but as agents of social change.
(4) The method of news gathering should be reformed. According to previous studies, news sources of social conflicts were highly restricted to official channels. News value were more selective and depended upon the external characteristics of the events such as the number of strikers. Thus, the sensational aspects were emphasized rather than the structural and intrinsic problem of the issue at hand.
(5) It is the problem of the negative linguistic presentation routinized by ritual in news reporting. For example ⅰ) the preference of event-oriented reporting ⅱ) the over-simplification or exaggeration of events such as strike ⅲ) the dichotomy between 'good' and 'bad' ⅳ) The absence of explaining the cause. Regardless of the reporter's intent, such routine restrain or distort the social meaning of conflicts.