Inspiration

How We Work

The institute works towards changing the industry in three interdependent ways. By collecting and distributing new knowledge we push forward new inspiration through our conferences, workshops and the award. We foster new role models through our international fellowship program and in this proces create global ambassadors for change across the profession. This section cover inspiration.

Global Constructive Journalism Conference

Each year the Constructive Institute holds a conference in order to bring together all those interested in the impact of the news media on our democracies. Our newest conference was called “Listen Louder” and took place in Bonn, Germany in June 2022 with Wanjiku Mwaurah as host. Visit the conference page here to read more and to see insights from panels.

Conference Page
Democracy Debate Tour
Denmark

In November 2018 the institute facilitated a series of debates in a new constructive format. Here politicians, journalists and several hundreds of citizens met to debate how to improve the trust in media and politicians to strengthen democracy.

In partnership with Trygfonden and The People’s University.

Future of Journalism Award

At a part of our annual Global Constructive Journalism Conference, Constructive Institute presents the Future of Journalism Award together with Solutions Journalism Network.

The Future of Journalism award is presented to a journalistic project which embodies constructive journalism approaches, including a solutions focused frame their reporting.

In 2019 Guardian Health Editor Sarah Boseley (pictured above), photographer David Levene and video producer Millie Harvey took home the award for their investigation into how the Democratic Republic of the Congo has all but defeated sleeping sickness.

In 2022 the Future of Global Constructive Journalism award was given to the Polish-based Startup magazine Outriders for being pioneers in constructive journalism not as nice, cute stories, but as a natural next layer of uncovering the big challenges of our time facing people and democracy. Read more here.

Accepting the award, Sarah Boseley said:

“Most of the media think that stories have to be about something terrible that is happening and it’s only very occasionally that you can turn the tables and say, yes, there are terrible things happening, but within that there are some fantastic things too and maybe we should look to the positive.”

Democracy Boot Camp

Find out more about “constructive politics” from Kirsten Brosbøl, Obama Foundation scholar and former Minister for the Environment in Denmark

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Denmark

How do you prepare for the one of the most important job in Society – getting elected to Parliament to shape the laws of the land? Together with Rødding Folk High School – the oldest folk high school in Denmark and the world – and Statistics Denmark, Constructive Institute invited all newly elected parliamentarians following the June 2019 election in Denmark for talks about what kind of a job is actually awaiting a publicly elected official. We called it “24 hours for Democracy”.

Constructive Politics

We brought together thought leaders, senior parliamentarians, story tellers, statisticians and representatives of the press to discuss how to be a good leader for society and as importantly how avoid becoming a part of a political culture that many people feel is nurturing mistrust in politicians? An overall ambition is to take inspiration from some of the approaches of constructive journalism in the realm of politics and develop a concept of “constructive politics”. In partnership with Trygfonden and the Danish Statistical Office.
Educating Future Journalists

In collaboration with 4 Folk High Schools and the journalism educational programs in Denmark, Constructive Institute has initiated the project “Education future journalist”. The aim of the project is to rethink the journalism training at the Folk High School to incorporate elements of constructive journalism as the core of the teaching.

As part of the project we will develop a teaching curriculum and online learning resources tailor made for students who are preparing to apply for journalism school and students at journalism programs. The project will have a series of engagement activities with workshops and a competitions to give the students hands on training and help test and develop the educational material. In partnership with Nordea Foundation.

Want to Know More?
THE CONSTRUCTIVE NETWORK
Who We Work With

In this section you can read about who we work with and how we do it. If you are interested to see the people in our NGO network go here.
New Knowledge
Constructive News Mirror

The Constructive News Mirror is a prototype software we are developing in order to provide newsrooms and publishers with a tool for evaluating the ‘constructiveness’ of their news output.