Doors open at  in the lobby of the LVR-Landes Museum Bonn. Coffee and pastries to start the day!

CEO of the Bonn Institute, Ellen Heinrichs and CEO of Constructive Institute, Ulrik Haagerup open the conference.

This year the Nobel Peace Prize went to two journalists whose work “is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”. We will learn about the role of journalists in promoting peace rather than conflict and also the central importance of listening to one another.

The Nobel Peace Center stresses dialogue as a key ingredient for peaceful societies, they have explored this in their book inspired by Nobel laureates, “Those Who Listen Change The World”.  In the words of Nelson Mandela “The best weapon is to sit down and talk”.

When covering a severe conflict such as the war in Ukraine does it make sense to talk about constructive journalism? Is there space for nuance in such a scenario? Should we just use journalism to talk about horror or do we also need to talk about hope?

Moderator
Wanjiku Mwaura, Multimedia journalist, Deutsche Welle

The changing climate is one of the biggest stories of our time but journalists have struggled to convey an issue with such a gradual impact and whose consequences lie in tomorrow. Some journalism outlets seek to show the climate as “crisis “, however this may exacerbate climate anxiety and lead to disengagement. How can journalists over come climate fatigue and cover climate change more constructively?

Moderator
Cynara Vetch, Project Lead, International, Constructive Institute

The 2022 Reuters Digital News Report is just out! We will hear about some key research findings. What are the reasons for “selective news avoidance”? How are news organisations attempting counter this? Why are there growing efforts to offer news audiences a sense of hope or personal agency with their coverage?

Speaker
Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University

With our Explorer project Constructive Institute has invited leading editors and journalists in Europe to explore innovative ways for journalists to become constructive-conversation leaders in times of rising polarisation. News media need to find new formats for public conversation, new questions, new frame settings. We explore some of these ideas in this panel.

Moderator
Ewen MacAskill, Investigative Journalist and Pulitzer Prize Winner for the Guardian

It is a new role for journalists to act as facilitators of constructive democratic conversation. What can reporters learn from other professions? What skills and experience do a hostage negotiator and a marriage counsellor have that can help journalists promote calm and curious conversation?

Moderator
Ulrik Haagerup, CEO, Constructive Institute

There is growing awareness that local new matters. Local reporting encourages political participation and caters to the needs of communities outside of metropolitan centres. How can local journalists ensure that their vital work benefits the news audiences they serve? Led by insights from the Bonn Institute join a conversation about constructive local reporting.

The internet has been built on the attention economy, your time is money. Often audiences attention has been captured by shocking and sensational content, virality is not necessarily a marker of quality. What financial incentive structures are there for content which informs users and builds bridges rather than divides? What can tech giants and marketing corporations do to promote journalism which serves society?

Moderator
Ulrik Haagerup, CEO, Constructive Institute

Kenyan political reporting has been described as “gladiatorial” with the country’s coverage focused on personalities and conflict rather than policies and paths to a better future. Innovative news media start up Debunk Media tried to do something different. We learn about their #PresidentialSeries where they took a thoughtful and nuanced approach to featuring Kenya’s presidential candidates.

We hear why Editors across Europe are implementing constructive journalism as a a pillar of their organizations’ editorial agenda.

Moderator
Alexandra Borchardt, Head of Journalism Innovators Program, Hamburg Media School

Magdalene is a feminist news media in Indonesia, an increasingly conservative and patriarchal country. We hear how their newsroom took on the controversial topic of sexual education including religious leaders, parents and teachers in the conversation.

Journalists from Constructive Institute’s Explorer project unpack the lessons they have learnt. Practical advice and tools for journalists who wish to facilitate conversation across divisive issues.

If you were to understand the world through photojournalism, you would most likely conclude that the human race is only about war, abuse, famine, and other atrocities.  Is there a way to move beyond the shock and awe to incorporate nuance and complexity? Can we cover conflict and suffering differently? In this discussion photojournalists will unpack new constructive frames for the world.

Moderator
Bjarke Calvin, Former Executive Editor of Magnum Photos, Entrepreneur & Fellow at Constructive Institute

This panel will look at the impact of a journalistic focus on politics and politicians. We will discuss how an emphasis on aggressive pundits and sensational sound bites cripples political conversation, handing the microphone only to loudest and most shocking and drowning out thoughtful analysis. Looking at three new innovative formats of political programming from Northern Europe, we explore how we can escape this toxic cycle and find new ways forward.

Moderator
Ulrik Haagerup, CEO, Constructive Institute

Annual prize for innovative constructive journalism reporting. At a time of increased polarization and ongoing conflicts, our organizations join forces to award the best examples of constructive and solution focused reporting rooted in conflict  – which can be global, national, or local based. We look for reporting with a wide range of formats where journalism has shown its capacity of serving excluded communities, including a broad diversity of perspectives, embracing nuances and complexity of a divisive issue, but also bringing agency, hope and dialogue by reporting on responses to the issue and engaging the public in a conversation on potential solutions.

The moderator and host summarise the day and chart a path forward.

Participants invited for a drinks and conversation on the Landesmuseum roof terrace.