Mitigating the consequences of negative news: How constructive journalism enhances self-efficacy and news credibility

An informed electorate is vital for a well-functioning democracy. Yet many citizens intentionally avoid the news because it evokes negative feelings of disempowerment and distrust. This study ( n = 270) investigated how social media exposure to a new journalistic approach, constructive journalism, influences news consumers. The results showed that constructive social media posts, as compared to negative posts, led to higher levels of positive affect, self-efficacy, and perceived news credibility. In line with the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the effects on self-efficacy and news credibility were mediated by positive affect. A similar mediating role was found for negative affect, counter to the theoretical expectations. These findings shed new light on the broaden-and-build theory, suggesting parts of it generalize to the context of news exposure on social media. The findings also suggest that constructive journalism may be an effective way to mitigate some of the main drivers of news avoidance in the 21st century.

A systematic review of constructive and solutions journalism research

Academic activity surrounding constructive and solutions journalism has surged in recent years; thus, it is important to pause and reflect on this growing body of work in order to understand where the field can and should go in the future. We conducted a systematic review of existing literature on solutions and constructive journalism ( N = 94), in an effort to (1) describe the state of this field by identifying the patterns and trends in the methodological and conceptual approaches, topics, institutions, countries and practices involved in this research, and (2) illuminate potentially important gaps in the field and suggest recommendations for future research.

An evaluation of constructive journalism in Zimbabwe: A case study of The Herald’s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

The coverage of crises such as the global health pandemic, COVID-19, is to a large extent guided by national interest, journalistic culture and editorial policies of media outlets. This article argues that the state-controlled newspaper, The Herald, in Zimbabwe deployed constructive journalism as an approach to report COVID-19. Constructive journalism is about injecting positive angles into news reports while abiding by the core news values of accuracy, impartiality and balance. The findings reveal that constructive journalism elements of solutions orientation, future orientation, and explanation and contextualization were frequently deployed by The Herald to advance a safe nation narrative whose objective was to prevent public hysteria in the face of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak in the country. The paper concludes that the deployment of constructive journalism in less developed countries like Zimbabwe to inspire hope through positive psychology in the face of global crises does not always yield the intended outcomes.

Jurnalisme Konstruktif dalam Berita Varian Baru Covid-19 (Analisis Semiotika Roland Barthes terhadap Berita di Okezone.com)

The purpose of this study was to review the text of news related to the new variant of Covid-19. This was because in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic news emerged related to new variants of the virus. The discussion focused on written news text related to the new variant of Covid-19 on the news portal okezone.com. This research used the concept of constructive journalism to analyze written news texts. The study used Roland Barthes semiotics to analyze the data. The result of this research was that some written news texts obtained some elements of constructive journalism. Keywords: constructive journalism, Covid-19, semiotics

Make Stories That Matter: Innovative Techniques For Teaching Ethical And Inclusive Media-Making

The focus of this research is to explore how a co-creation process and a constructive journalism philosophy can be applied to creating a filmmaking course. By identifying five main principles for effective constructive co-creation and embedding them into a digital education platform, a new educational approach has been created to empower and engage youth in creating stories that matter. Constructive Journalism requires a media-maker to address larger societal, environmental or systemic problems in their story while also showcasing possible solutions, innovations or progress made. This course is designed to allow students to choose a topic they are passionate about and partner with an inspiring individual who is leading change in that area, together they co-create a film using the constructive approach. The student's learning is broken up into five modules where each module begins with a fable that allows them to better understand key topics. Students progress at their own pace through a series of interactive videos which include self-tests, opportunities for reflection, and group online chats to socialize ideas. By the end of the course, students create their own "director's cut" with behind-the-scenes reflections and photographs to show their journey as well as a short film to be featured as part of Worldviews Productions digital platform. The course is designed to be scalable and versatile in nature so it can be offered digitally or in person.

Make Stories That Matter: Innovative Techniques For Teaching Ethical And Inclusive Media-Making

The focus of this research is to explore how a co-creation process and a constructive journalism philosophy can be applied to creating a filmmaking course. By identifying five main principles for effective constructive co-creation and embedding them into a digital education platform, a new educational approach has been created to empower and engage youth in creating stories that matter. Constructive Journalism requires a media-maker to address larger societal, environmental or systemic problems in their story while also showcasing possible solutions, innovations or progress made. This course is designed to allow students to choose a topic they are passionate about and partner with an inspiring individual who is leading change in that area, together they co-create a film using the constructive approach. The student's learning is broken up into five modules where each module begins with a fable that allows them to better understand key topics. Students progress at their own pace through a series of interactive videos which include self-tests, opportunities for reflection, and group online chats to socialize ideas. By the end of the course, students create their own "director's cut" with behind-the-scenes reflections and photographs to show their journey as well as a short film to be featured as part of Worldviews Productions digital platform. The course is designed to be scalable and versatile in nature so it can be offered digitally or in person.