Constructive journalism

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Constructive journalism is an altered understanding of journalism that is slowly gaining a foothold in academia as well, and encompasses the field of communication that is based on reporting solution-oriented news, rather than primarily centering around negative and conflict-based stories. By providing more background information and reporting more on positive developments, readers should be able to get a more realistic picture of the world and apply the information given in practice. Constructive journalism, however, is not identical to opinion journalism or activism .

More detailed determination

The core of constructive journalism is to inform society about what solutions there might be. Constructive journalism pioneers say that, as a journalist, you have a huge impact on the way people think because you construct the news. Journalists need to be more aware of this responsibility by being more careful about the way they construct their stories. They think that many journalists who use a very cynical way of reporting the news forget that by reporting everything that goes wrong from a distance, they are moving society.

This also rejects the one-sided focus on a negative view. Findings from positive psychological research are thus incorporated in order to create new framework conditions for journalism. Constructive journalism therefore aims not only at reporting on conflicts and problems, but also at a more comprehensive presentation of the issues at hand. It aims to uncover the root causes of problems, but also to report on emerging ideas and developments in order to bring society on more unbiased and sustainable paths. Constructive journalism seeks to express how change is possible and highlights the role that every member of society can play in promoting it. In addition, he seeks to strengthen the journalism code of ethics by avoiding the distortion of information in order to give a more realistic picture of the world. Constructive journalism tries to create an engaging narrative that is factually correct without exaggerating numbers or realities.

The term constructive journalism was coined in the Scandinavian region by journalists such as Cathrine Gyldensted and Ulrik Haagerup . In Germany, representatives of constructive journalism are for example Maren Urner or Alexander Sängerlaub .

definition

Similar to how constructive criticism not only lists what went badly, but also makes suggestions for improvement and highlights positive aspects, constructive journalism also consciously relies on reporting that not only addresses problems, but also helps to find solutions to these problems.

An often expressed claim of constructive journalism is the representation of a "realistic worldview". It should avoid a “journalistic negative bias ” and address positive developments on an equal footing with problems. The aim should be critical reporting without distorting reality through “one-sidedness or black and white painting”. This reporting should be characterized by a constructive rather than a negative attitude. Constructive journalism also tries to present disputes not as chronic conflicts, but as dilemmas in which both sides have reasons for their actions.

Constructive journalism distinguishes itself from positive journalism in that the core goals of journalism must continue to be fulfilled: Constructive journalism, like "classic" journalism, sees itself as the fourth power in the state and sees itself in a watchdog role to uncover and address social problems Corrective action.

An important role in constructive journalism is the awareness of the effects of reporting on consumers and society. Fundamental psychological findings about these effects should help to build up a conscious and responsible reporting. Constructive journalism has a lot in common with peace journalism .

Another basis of constructive journalism is a strong orientation towards the future. Constructive journalists like Cathrine Gyldensted often criticize “classic” journalists for asking too much past and present questions (to find out how the current situation came about and who was to blame) rather than focusing on who how can help make a change.

Scientific basis

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The accusation of a negative trend in media coverage has been examined and confirmed in various international studies, including in Germany. In connection with this, the particularly high portrayal of helplessness was noted. A survey by the Swedish Gapminder Foundation in several Western countries also showed that the majority of the population has an exaggeratedly pessimistic attitude towards exemplary issues such as literacy rates, vaccination rates or the development of child mortality and deaths from natural disasters.

Scientific studies have shown that the ability to solve problems creatively is significantly higher from a positive mood than from a negative mood. Negative moods, such as those generated by negative news items, on the other hand, can reduce performance.

criticism

Critics complain that constructive journalism suggests simple solutions to complex problems. In addition, proposals would have to be socially negotiated and should not be served on a silver platter. Furthermore, in constructive journalism, often only the ideas of large western companies and organizations that can be attributed to PR and not to journalism are passed on.

distribution

In German-speaking countries

Compared to the international environment, constructive journalism is less widespread in Germany. The business magazines brandeins and enormous have been named as examples . So far, none of the major German media houses has explicitly opened a section for constructive reporting. However, magazines such as Spiegel and Die Zeit have indicated that they want to report more constructively in the future. In 2015, Spiegel Online started a series of constructive articles on various topics under the then editor-in-chief Florian Harms . At the beginning of 2016, Der Spiegel published an article about the social scientist Max Roser and announced that working with him would lead to the start of a column .

  • Since autumn 2013 the online magazine Good Impact has been reporting constructively and solution-oriented about new opportunities and solutions to social challenges .
  • The German online format Tea after Twelve, which publishes its articles in English, describes its type of reporting as "solution-based storytelling". Launched in September 2014, it is read in over 180 countries and was named the best European web magazine in 2015.
  • The online medium N21 , which offers sustainability-oriented and positive solutions, was launched in Austria in June 2015 . Constructive journalism was enshrined in the N21 editorial manifesto. N21 stands for a better, more sustainable future and was launched by the sustainability research company SERI .
  • In March 2016, the online medium Perspective Daily , founded by Han Langeslag and Maren Urner , successfully completed its crowdfunding campaign as one of the largest crowdfunding projects in Germany. Since June 21, 2016, Perspective Daily has been offering its members constructive and solution-oriented journalism without advertising - previously, the productive start was planned for the end of May. An article appears from Monday to Friday. Even before the start, the project was recognized as a culture and creative pilot in 2015 and received the sustainability seal Werkstatt N from the Council for Sustainable Development in 2016 .
  • In May 2016, the print magazine Kater Demos, founded in 2015, hit the kiosk for the first time . The issue, which bears the subtitle “Das utopische Politikmagazin”, is devoted to single-topic issues such as “Democracy” or “Work”, political issues in all its breadth and - free of advertising - also offers possible solutions through pure analysis and description of the status quo in the form of concrete utopias .
  • Since November 2016, “The Good News App” has been offering an editorial, four good news items and one good fact on working days .
  • Since November 2016, NDR Info , the public information program of Norddeutscher Rundfunk , has been highlighting grievances under the heading “NDR Info Perspectives” and presenting constructive solutions.
  • The news portal "good news for you" was launched in January 2017 and publishes several constructive and positive news, stories and portraits every week.

In the international area

  • In the Netherlands, the constructive online medium De Correspondent was launched in 2013 after a crowdfunding campaign.
  • The Times Media Group (TMG) in South Africa, founded in 2012, has given journalists special training in constructive journalism.
  • The Danish Cavling Prize winner 2012, Asbjorn With, worked with methods of constructive journalism in his award-winning contribution.
  • Under Alan Rusbridger, The Guardian launched its constructive Keep it in the Ground campaign for divestment from fossil fuels .
  • Also in England, the author Matt Ridley publishes a column in the Times that can be counted as constructive journalism.
  • Several international newspapers have launched constructive sections, including the Huffington Post (“What's working?”) , The Washington Post (“The Optimist”) and the New York Times (“Fixes”) .
  • Channel 4 reported constructively on the Paralympics under the title Meet the Superhumans 2012.
  • For Foreign Policy , the economist Charles Kenny published the series The Optimist until 2014 .

Constructive Journalism Day in Germany

In 2018 the Constructive Journalism Day celebrated its premiere in Germany. It was organized by the Hamburg Media School and NDR Info , funded by the Schöpflin Foundation. The second edition followed in 2019. It is a one-day conference with lectures and workshops on the subject of constructive journalism. The hosts are Claudia Spiewak , the program director of NDR Info and editor-in-chief of NDR radio, Hamburg, and Prof. Dr. Stephan Weichert , head of the Digital Journalism program at the Hamburg Media School. International top speakers such as Tina Rosenberg from the Solutions Journalism Network came to Constructive Journalism Day .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gyldensted, Cathrine, "Innovating News Journalism through Positive Psychology" . "University of Pennsylvania Scholarly Commons". August 1, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ Curry, Alexander L. & Hammonds, Keith H. "The Power of Solutions Journalism" Please specify either wayback - or webciteID - or archive-is - or archiv-url parameters . "University of Texas at Austin". August 1, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  3. ^ Gyldensted, Cathrine "You will not believe what Upworthy can teach the media about sustainability" . "The Guardian". August 14, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  4. ↑ Sillesen, Lene Bech "Good news is good business, but not a cure-all for journalism" . "Columbia Journalism Review". September 29, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  5. ^ Tenore, Mallary Jean "How constructive journalism can improve the way media makers tell stories" . "IVOH -Media as Agents of World Benefit". September 2, 2014. Accessed December 21, 2014.
  6. ↑ Albeanu, Catalina "Why constructive journalism can help engage the audience" . "Journalism.co.uk". August 18, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  7. ^ Ellis, Justin, "With Knight Funding, Solutions Journalism Network wants to grow reporting on positive results in health reporting" . "Nieman Foundation". January 18, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  8. ^ A b Constructive Journalism Project: What is Constructive Journalism. accessed on December 24, 2015 (English, text is under Button Characteristics of constructive journalism .)
  9. ↑ Cathrine Gyldensted: From Mirrors to Movers: Five Elements of Positive Psychology in Constructive Journalism. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015, ISBN 9781514777497 .
  10. ^ A b Grace Ferrari Levine: "Learned Helplessness" and the Evening News . In: Journal of Communication . Volume 27, No. 4, 1977, DOI: 10.1111 / j.1460-2466.1977.tb01863.x
  11. ^ Matthias Heinz, Johan Swinnen: Media sland in economic news: A factor 20 . In: Economic Letters . Volume 132, 2015, pp. 18–20, DOI: 10.1016 / j.econlet.2015.04.011
  12. ↑ Guido Mingels: Ingoranz-Test: Do you really know how things are in the world? In: Spiegel Online . September 10, 2014, accessed December 24, 2015
  13. ↑ AM Isen, KA Daubman, GP Nowicki: Positive affect facilitates creative problem solving. In: Journal of personality and social psychology. Vol. 52, Number 6, June 1987, pp. 1122-1131, PMID 3598858 .
  14. ↑ Wendy M. Johnston, Graham CL Davey: The psychological impact of negative TV news bulletins: The catastrophizing of personal worries . In: British Journal of Psychology . Volume 88, No. 1, 1997, pp. 85-91, DOI: 10.1111 / j.2044-8295.1997.tb02622.x .
  15. ^ E. Alison Holman, Dana Rose Garfin, Roxane Cohen Silver: Media's role in broadcasting acute stress following the Boston Marathon bombings . In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . Volume 111, No. 1, 2013, pp. 93-98.
  16. ↑ Shawn Achor, Michelle Gielan: Consuming Negative News Can Make You Less Effective at Work. In: Harvard Business Review . September 14, 2015, accessed December 24, 2015
  17. ↑ Kathrin Hartmann, Brigitte Baetz : "Constructive journalism" - "Who says what a solution is?" In: deutschlandfunk.de. Deutschlandfunk , April 2, 2018, accessed on April 11, 2018 .
  18. ↑ The media can give hope! - About good news and encouraging journalism. Retrieved February 27, 2017 .
  19. ↑ Why so negative? - Constructive journalism in Germany . In: European Journalism Observatory (EJO) . July 13, 2016 ( online [accessed February 27, 2017]).
  20. ↑ Florian Harms: Articles that go on. In: Spiegel Online , SpiegelBlog. August 14, 2015, accessed December 24, 2015
  21. ↑ In- house announcement Re: title, innovations, bread . In: Der Spiegel . tape January 1 , 2016 ( online [accessed February 5, 2016]).
  22. ^ Website of the online magazine Good Impact
  23. ↑ Jonathan Widder: Dare to be more optimistic! How the media shape the negative worldview of the citizens . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung . November 29, 2015.
  24. ^ Tea after Twelve
  25. ^ Sabine Elsässer: Tea after Twelve: Solution-based Storytelling In: United Networker . October 22, 2015.
  26. ↑ Lena Lammers: "Should one way turn out to be a dead end, we just propose another route one" In: Edition F . December 14, 2015.
  27. ↑ Sylvia Binner: Bonn start-up is best web magazine 2015 In: General-Anzeiger (Bonn) . 19th October 2015.
  28. ^ Website of the online magazine N21
  29. ^ N21 editorial manifesto
  30. ↑ SERI - Sustainability Research and Communication GmbH
  31. ↑ Perspective Daily - your online magazine for a better overview. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  32. ↑ Hangover Demos
  33. ^ "Views of an Angler" - the Süddeutsche Zeitung on the second issue of Kater Demos on the focus of work , accessed on July 7, 2016
  34. ↑ Fed up with bad news? Then you absolutely need this app. , from January 21, 2017, loaded on March 12, 2019
  35. ↑ NDR Info Perspektiven
  36. ↑ good news for you - The news portal for a better life. Retrieved July 20, 2019 .
  37. ↑ De Correspondent
  38. ^ Tiso Blackstar Group. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  39. ^ Matt Ridley | The Times & The Sunday Times. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  40. ↑ Meet the Superhumans. Retrieved June 19, 2017 .
  41. ^ The Optimist | Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 5, 2016 .
  42. ↑ Constructive Journalism Day 2019 - Hamburg Media School. Retrieved May 16, 2019 .