»Often, the media will focus mostly on the negative and superficial. The consequences are many and severe. Firstly, people get a false picture of reality, and secondly, media-democracies do not produce leaders, but populists. There is certainly a need for more constructive news.«
Helmut Schmidt 2012 im Vorwort von Ulrike Haagerups Constructive News

Why should journalists aspire to be more like Peter Parker, aka Spiderman (reporter and photographer), and Clark Kent, aka Superman (journalist)? Because journalism ought to serve as a "superpower" for democracy: it should hold the powerful to account, confront societal challenges, and assist people—whether citizens, policymakers, or civil society—in finding effective solutions. This, in our view, is what user-centered journalism should look like in 2024.

Despite the old adage, "Only bad news is good news," nearly 75% of respondents in the Digital News Report 2023 now actively avoid the news, whether partially or entirely ("news avoidance"). The predominant focus on negativity is cited as the most common reason, with many also expressing feelings of helplessness after consuming the news. But what if journalism could do more than merely report on the crises, catastrophes, and conflicts of the world? What if it could also inspire—or even offer solutions?

A fundamental element of future-proof journalism, one that addresses the diverse information needs of the public, is Constructive Journalism. In countries like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden—where constructive news is more widespread than it is here—recent studies reveal that trust in the media is consistently higher. The goal is not to present global events with a more positive bias, but to deliver a more realistic portrayal. Media should reflect reality as it is, not through a distorted lens. This requires a more holistic and systemic approach to societal phenomena, allowing for a deeper understanding of the broader societal context behind individual events.

Scandinavia has produced many pioneering formats, such as Solved or Squeezed (Denmark) and Agreed? (Norway). In Germany, early initiatives include the #mittendrin segment on The Daily Topics, the business magazine brand eins, and the online publication Perspective Daily. In the United States, The New York Times' Fixes column is a standout example of Constructive Journalism. In 2014, we launched Kater Demos, Germany’s first constructive political magazine.

At futur eins, we support editorial teams in experimenting with this approach, integrating it into their daily workflows, and creating their own formats. Through one- to multi-day workshops, we introduce the methods of Constructive Journalism and apply them collaboratively—using Design Thinking and Gamification to ensure our workshops leave a lasting impact. Interested in a workshop for your editorial team? Feel free to reach out to us at info@futureins.org.

Projects

Panels, Workshops, Keynotes & Media

Mehr erfahren

Kater Demos – Das utopische Politikmagazin

Mehr erfahren

Contact

Alex Sängerlaub

Learn more

Prof. Dr. Tong-Jin Smith

Learn more