(ENGLISH)

The Salling Foundations and Constructive Institute are Expanding their Cooperation

With a new donation of 2 million Danish Kroner, the Danish foundation Salling Fondene are further supporting the Constructive Institute and together working to make Aarhus a global hub for changing the international news culture.

More specifically, the Constructive Institute, located at the University of Aarhus, will gather knowledge and develop editorial formats that can strengthen  constructive social dialogue in the media.

“In a time of growing polarization and mistrust of democratic institutions, it is imperative that  people get a true and fair view of each other and the world. The press plays a crucial role. In an impressively short time Constructive Institute is spreading the ideas of more nuanced and solution-oriented journalism to the rest of the world. We are pleased to be able to lift this work further,” says Jens Bjerg Sørensen, Chairman of the Board of Merchant Herman Sallings Foundations.

“In an impressively short time Constructive Institute is spreading the ideas of more nuanced and solution-oriented journalism to the rest of the world. We are pleased to be able to lift this work further.”

– Jens Bjerg Sørensen, Chairman of the Board of Merchant Herman Salling Foundations

Founder and CEO of the Constructive Institute, Ulrik Haagerup, sees great potential in developing new ways of debating significant societal challenges with the media industry:

“The challenges we as a society face after the Corona crisis are becoming extensive. There is a need for the media to play a critical and constructive role in conveying accurate information and attitudes. Together with the Salling Foundations we are developing a Constructive News Lab and now we have the opportunity to expand our focus on journalistic innovation.”

“Together with the Salling Foundations, we are developing a Constructive News Lab, and now we have the opportunity to expand our focus on journalistic innovation.”

– Ulrik Haagerup, CEO Constructive Institute

According to Ulrik Haagerup, for several generations the press has drawn inspiration for debates on politics and societal problems from war rhetoric.

“We call interviewees victims, talk about; crossfire, duels, hard talk. During election campaigns we recruit debate participants for their ability to use their mouth more than their ears. The population is demanding other debate formats and journalists who are more conversational leaders rather combatant judges or prosecutors. Can we as journalists learn to facilitate significant societal debates rather than acting as umpires in a boxing match between red and blue?”

The Constructive Institute was founded in 2017 as an independent NGO owned by a foundation. The board includes Per Westergaard, chairman of Jysk-Fynske Medier, Connie Hedegaard, chairman of Berlingske Media and Jimmy Maymann, chairman of TV2 Denmark.

(DANISH)

Salling Fondene og Constructive Institute Udbygger Samarbejdet

Med en ny donation på to millioner kroner støtter Salling Fondene arbejdet på Constructive Institute med at gøre Aarhus til et globalt centrum for en ændring af nyhedskulturen.

Konkret vil Constructive Institute, der er placeret på Aarhus Universitet, indsamle viden, udvikle og dele redaktionelle formater, der kan styrke den konstruktive samfundsdialog i medierne.

”I en tid med voksende polarisering og mistillid til demokratiske institutioner er det afgørende, at befolkningen får et retvisende billede af hinanden og verden. Her spiller pressen en afgørende rolle. På imponerende kort tid er Constructive Institute med Danmark som udgangspunkt ved at sprede ideerne om mere nuanceret og løsningsorienteret journalistisk til resten af verden. Det arbejde er vi glade for at kunne løfte yderligere,” siger bestyrelsesformand i Købmand Herman Sallings Fond, Jens Bjerg Sørensen.

Stifter og direktør for Constructive Institute, Ulrik Haagerup, ser et stort potentiale i sammen med mediebranchen at udvikle nye måder at debattere væsentlige samfundsudfordringer på:

”De udfordringer, vi som samfund står overfor efter Corona-krisen, bliver omfattende. Der er brug for, at medierne spiller en både kritisk og konstruktiv rolle i at formidle korrekt information og holdninger. Sammen med Salling Fondene er vi ved at udvikle et Constructive News Lab, og nu får vi mulighed for at udbygge vort fokus på journalistisk innovation.”

Ifølge Ulrik Haagerup har pressen i et par generationer hentet inspiration til debatter om politik og samfunds-problemer fra krigsretorik.

”Vi kalder det interview-ofre, krydsild, dueller, Hardtalk, valgkamp og rekrutterer ofre debatdeltagere efter deres evne til at bruge munden mere end deres ører. Befolkningen efterspørger andre debatformater og journalister, der er mere konversationsledere end kampdommere eller anklagere. Kan vi som journalister lære at facilitere væsentlige samfundsdebatter i stedet for at være boksedommer mellem rødt og blåt hjørne?”

Constructive Institute blev stiftet i 2017 som en uafhængig NGO ejet af en fond. I bestyrelsen sidder blandt andre Per Westergaard, formand for Jysk-Fynske Medier, Connie Hedegaard, formand for Berlingske Media og Jimmy Maymann, formand for TV2 Danmark.