What is Constructive Journalism?

Constructive journalism is a response to increasing tabloidization, sensationalism and negativity bias of the news media today and offers an add on to both breaking and investigative journalism.

In Short

“Constructive journalism is a response to increasing tabloidization, sensationalism and negativity bias of the news media today”

Constructive Journalism Is

Aiming to be critical, objective and balanced
Tackling important issues facing society
Based on facts and unbiased
Calm in its tone
Does not give in to scandals and outrage
Bridging, not polarising
Forward-looking and future-oriented
Nuanced and contextualised

Constructive Journalism Is Not

Promoting a specific agenda, crossing the line between journalism and politics
Uncritical or naive
Promoting heroes, governments or civil society organizations
Obscuring critical viewpoints
Activism in any shape or form
Dumbed-down, trivial or happy news
Giving in to false equivalence / balance
Advocating one solution over another
Oversimplifying complex problems or solutions to complex problems

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Different Approaches

Slow News

Slow journalism shares the same values as other “slow”-movement subsets in its efforts to produce a good, clean and fair product. How does it fit into constructive journalism? Read here.

How We Work

Role Models

With our constructive fellowship we work to enable the fellows to strengthen their knowledge of their chosen topic areas, as well as to explore existing solutions to problems in the fields they are or will be covering. You can read about the fellowship here.