What if journalists listened more than they talked? Report shows it might not be a bad idea

08.07.2026

What if journalists spent less time talking and more time listening? This question was central for Ralf Andersson during his fellowship at the Constructive Institute and led him to write the report: “Journalism at ear level”.

“The biggest lesson from my fellowship wasn’t about technology, AI, or business models. It was about listening. Journalism at ear level,” says Ralf Andersson, Head of the Centre for Journalism at the Syddansk Universitet – University of Southern Denmark – and now former fellow at the Constructive Institute.

“Over the past year, I’ve explored how journalism changes when we stop seeing audiences primarily as consumers and start seeing them as participants in the journalistic process. When journalists create genuine a true curious dialogue with communities and users,” Ralf Andersson says and elaborates:

“But the biggest challenge isn’t convincing audiences to engage. It’s convincing newsrooms and journalists. Meaningful audience engagement requires more than a new project or a clever format. It requires a cultural shift. Leadership. And a new mindset: It challenges traditional ideas about what journalism is, and how it is practiced”.

In Ralf Anderssons report “Journalism at ear level” he finds that a new journalistic role is emerging that is different from that of a storyteller or investigator. It is the journalistic role as a facilitator. Of dialogue, communities, and democratic conversations.

“This may become even more important in an AI-driven media landscape. As AI makes content easier to produce, human presence, trust, visibility, and authentic relationships become more valuable. The future of journalism may not depend solely on producing better content. It may depend on building better relationships,” he says.

Read the full report ‘Journalism at ear level’ here.

Thanks to TrygFonden for supporting our fellowship programme.