With the year drawing to a close, we’d like to end on a high.
The last few months have seen an amazing amount of development in the field of constructive journalism globally. We’ve seen constructive journalism mentioned at various industry events in the UK, universities have launched constructive journalism hubs and courses in the Netherlands and we spoke at the world’s first constructive journalism conference in Denmark.
We have also seen trusted colleagues launch more and more platforms for journalists and researchers to discuss and promote constructive journalism across Europe and the US, and we’ve been working with incredible press freedom organisations to adapt our own training to different international contexts, including for conflict regions like Syria.
We are encouraged to see mainstream media adopt and promote constructive journalism. As often, change started within the grassroots, but we need everyone on board to change the industry for good. With big legacy players joining independent media and start-ups, we’re expecting a real drive in consumer demand for more constructive news in the year ahead.
As Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner wrote in an editorial recently:
“If people long to create a better world, then we must use our platform to nurture imagination – hopeful ideas, fresh alternatives, belief that the way things are isn’t the way things need to be. We cannot merely criticise the status quo; we must also explore the new ideas that might displace it. We must build hope.”
On that note, we’d like to wish you all an inspiring, solutions-focused and hopeful New Year!
PS For more on these industry developments, you can view and subscribe to our latest newsletter right here.
