Constructive Journalism

Origin of Constructive Journalism

Constructive journalism is not a completely new phenomenon but builds on previous counter movements that use a public-oriented approach. These movements, such as the social responsibility theory, peace journalism, civic journalism, and more recently, solutions journalism, all share a dissatisfaction with conventional journalism. They share a strong commitment to responsible journalism that is fair and accountable and acts in the best interest of citizens and society. According to these movements, traditional journalism disproportionally represents institutions, and the logic of power in society [Page 396]and is too distant to the citizens and civil society it claims to serve. These counter movements oppose the sender-oriented journalistic discourse that was dominant throughout the 20th century and still is in much of conventional journalism. Compared to the conventional approach, these counter movements can be characterized as public-oriented, with a focus on how to stimulate public dialogue.

The renewed attention to a constructive approach can be understood against the background of sociocultural, economic, and technological developments that have fundamentally changed the environment in which journalism operates. Under the influence of structural societal change, including digitalization, the mass media model that characterized public communication in the 20th century has been gradually replaced by a network model in the 21st century. This transition has severe consequences for the professional journalist, the public, and the news industry. During this process, journalism has lost its monopoly position as news supplier and a scarcity of news changed in an overflow of available information. Moreover, a relatively passive receiver of news has been replaced by an active news consumer who can decide what news they want to consume, along with the place and time they want to consume it.

Next to that, practitioners as well as scholars show a growing concern about the negative bias in news and the effects this can have on both news consumption and democracy. On an individual level, it can lead to apathy, disengagement, and feelings of powerlessness. Within society, the negative focus is likely to increase polarization and divisions.

The idea that constructive journalism can improve 21st century journalism first resurfaces in Northern Europe. It receives international attention due to two Danish journalists, Ulrik Haagerup and Catherine Gyldensted. Both argue that news overrepresents negative angles and reports excessively about conflicts, problems, and disasters, contributing to an unbalanced, negative worldview. However, they differ in their approach to the concept. Haagerup uses the term constructive news to indicate that he sees the constructive approach primarily as a shift in practice that should lead to improved news products. Gyldensted uses the term constructive journalism to indicate that she refers to a paradigm shift that goes beyond the quality of the product. She includes the importance of an engaged role of journalists in society. Gyldensted combines insights from the field of journalism and the behavioral sciences, especially from positive psychology, to further develop the concept of Constructive Journalism and substantiate it with empirical research.

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