Commitment and ethical duty of social communicators toward victims of the Colombian armed conflict: an audiovisual practice perspective

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15847/OBS20262795

Keywords:

audiovisual co-creation, Colombia,, armed conflict, audiovisual narrative, filmmakers

Abstract

This article examines the challenges inherent to audiovisual production in contexts involving victims of the armed conflict in Colombia. To this end, it focuses on audiovisual producers as social communicators—professionals capable of creating spaces and social practices that foster citizenship and, through communication, contribute to shaping a collective sense of meaning. Methodologically, drawing on an interpretive qualitative approach with thematic analysis, five discussion groups were implemented, and the discourse generated among the participants was analyzed. According to the participating filmmakers, the two main contributions focus on the audiovisual as a tool and process to promote 1) the recognition and dignification of the victim during the audiovisual co-creation process and 2) the externalization of emotions. A third relevant aspect lies in the commitment and ethical duty of the audiovisual production team towards the communities. These findings are discussed from the perspective of the responsibility that falls on the audiovisual production team during all phases of production so that they can act as a social agent capable of giving communication the necessary meaning to build citizenship.

Author Biographies

Sandra Carolina Patiño Ospina, CMAPAZTOLIMA

Lecturer in the Social Communication Program at the University of Pamplona, Colombia. She holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in Media & Arts from the University of Salford (United Kingdom). She is the author of the book Acercamiento al documental en la historia del audiovisual colombiano (Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 2009) and several scientific articles. Her research focuses on social ethics for peacebuilding, feeling-thinking peace narratives (narrativas de paz sentipensantes), and the potential of audiovisual art for psychosocial recovery and territorial peacebuilding. She has served as principal investigator on projects awarded funding through national and international competitive research calls. She has produced micro-stories, videos, and documentaries addressing sustainable human development and environmental and biocultural dimensions. Her work seeks to raise the visibility of art and socioeconomic entrepreneurship while promoting the well-being of women’s collectives and communities experiencing vulnerability.

Carlos Rodríguez-Pérez, Universidad de La Sabana

Professor at the School of Communication at Universidad de La Sabana (Colombia), Head of the Department of Communication Management, and leader of the CICCO research group. He holds a PhD in Audiovisual Communication, Advertising and Public Relations from Complutense University of Madrid, where he received the Extraordinary Doctoral Award. His research addresses resilience to misinformation, political communication, public sector communication, and corporate communication, particularly the management of intangible resources. His work examines communication in democratic processes, information integrity, and relationships between institutions and citizens. He has published in international journals including *Media and Communication*, *Journalism Practice*, *Online Information Review*, and *European Politics and Society*.

Sergio Andrés Forero-Machado, Universidad de La Sabana

Social communicator and journalist with a Master’s degree in Journalism and Digital Communication from Universidad de La Sabana. He is a former recipient of the university’s Graduate Excellence Scholarship and a Fundación Carolina scholarship. He has worked in public-sector communication and journalism, telling stories of peace in Tolima, Colombia. His experience includes university teaching and research on journalism, audiovisual narratives for peace, and artificial intelligence in journalism. He has published work in these fields and secured funding through competitive research calls to develop related projects.

Miguel Ángel Brand-Narváez , Universidad de Antioquia

Psychologist trained at Universidad del Valle and a master’s student in Social Intervention, with an emphasis on Post-Conflict and Peace, at Universidad de Antioquia. He is an adjunct lecturer at Universidad del Valle. He was awarded the scholarship for "High-level human capital development in master's programs at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the Universidad de Antioquia for the Department of Bolívar" (BPIN code 2020000100578), an initiative involving the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Universidad de Antioquia, and the Fundación para el Futuro de Colombia (COLFUTURO).

Claudia Constanza Tovar-Guerra , Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Psychologist with a specialization in Conflict Resolution, a Master’s degree in Political Studies, and a PhD in Social and Human Sciences from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, where she is affiliated with the Faculty of Psychology. Her academic and research work focuses on psychosocial approaches to social and armed conflicts, cultures of peace, political subjectivities, and civil resistance. She has worked with communities affected by political violence and forced displacement and has advised international organizations on psychosocial support for victims, team care, communication for peace, and social reintegration. Her publications examine community-based psychosocial action and peacebuilding in Colombia.

Juan David Zabala-Sandoval, Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano

Professor of Psychology in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Universidad Autónoma de Chile, El Llano campus. He holds a PhD in Social Sciences from Universidad de Chile, is a psychologist, and has a Master’s degree in Education. He is also a researcher with the GESS group at Universidad de Ibagué. His research examines homelessness and other conditions of vulnerability and precarious living in Latin America, using a relational approach centered on people, their practices, and their experiences. His work has appeared in academic journals, including *CUHSO*, and scholarly books.

Viviam Andrea García-Pachón, Investigadora independiente

Psychologist with a Master’s degree in Human Rights and International Law of Armed Conflict. Her academic work focuses on social and legal psychology, transitional justice, the analysis of armed conflict, and human rights in Colombia. She has experience designing and implementing public policies aimed at populations facing vulnerability. Her research and publications address symbolic reparation for victims, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes, and historical memory.

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Published

2026-10-16

How to Cite

Patiño Ospina, S. C., Rodríguez-Pérez, C., Forero-Machado, S. A., Brand-Narváez , M. Ángel, Tovar-Guerra , C. C., Zabala-Sandoval, J. D., & García-Pachón, V. A. (2026). Commitment and ethical duty of social communicators toward victims of the Colombian armed conflict: an audiovisual practice perspective. Observatorio (OBS*). https://doi.org/10.15847/OBS20262795

Issue

2026: Early Access

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Sandra Carolina Patiño Ospina, Carlos Rodríguez-Pérez, Sergio Andrés Forero-Machado, Miguel Ángel Brand-Narváez , Claudia Constanza Tovar-Guerra , Juan David Zabala-Sandoval, Viviam Andrea García-Pachón

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This is an Open Acess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing and adaptation, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author and the journal.