“It’s more of a mindset”: Journalism professionals’ perceptions and experiences of constructive journalism

Abstract

Constructive journalism is an approach of increasing interest in journalism scholarship and practice. The approach draws on positive and cognitive psychology to underpin choices when reporting, such as including possible solutions, developments, context, and stories of hope in news reports. While it has gained momentum, ongoing work is needed to align practice and research when defining and implementing constructive journalism. We report on a thematic analysis of interviews with journalism professionals ( N = 16) to clarify how professionals understand and use constructive journalism and the opportunities, concerns, and barriers they experience in doing so. While, across our sample, themes encapsulated a range of techniques aligning with those discussed in the constructive journalism literature, participants described constructive journalism as a mindset or principled approach, but often found it difficult to describe specific practical techniques. Participants experienced barriers, including traditional standards, fear of activism, and structural barriers such as limited time and resources. Drawing on participant insights, we discuss some suggestions for newsrooms and educators when implementing constructive journalism.

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