Research project Constructive Elections
The research project 'Constructive Elections: Lessons from Sweden’s P4- Kalmar & Denmark’s TV 2 FYN Coverage of the 2022 General Elections, and how this can inform the coverage of future elections' is led by Joy Kibarabara, Department of Media Studies. Sub-discipline ("subämne"): Contemporary and Historical Developments of Journalism
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This study explores how election news can be reported constructively. The latter is an output of the contemporary constructive journalism movement and practice. Constructive journalism entails a holistic news philosophy that aims to de-emphasize problem-based narratives in the news, in favor problem-solving narratives. This approach to news reporting is especially needed in the highly emotive topic of election news. As it were, in many parts of the world, elections have become synonymous with violence, lack of integrity, voter disenfranchisement, polarization, misinformation and disinformation-just to mention a few. It is therefore imperative that the news media utilizes its framing and agenda setting position in a productive and responsible manner. Through the use of techniques such as the inclusion of solutions discourse in the news, adding more context and background, as well as diversity and inclusivity of perspectives, constructive journalism can serve as a useful framework for elections news coverage.
Project description
To understand how elections can be covered more constructively, this study utilizes a couple of complementary methods. First, the study will interview select journalists who have knowledge and practical experience with constructive journalism. These journalists will be drawn from two news organizations under study; P4 Kalmar-Sweden & TV 2 FYN-Denmark. These stations have been selected given that they have incorporated constructive journalism techniques in their editorial policies, and have employed these techniques within the context of elections news coverage.
Alongside the interviews, the study will examine a sample of news articles, some shared by the journalists under study, and others retrieved from the news organization’s websites, to further explore how constructive journalism techniques can, or have been applied in news coverage. The expected outcome is a deeper knowledge and practical tools about how elections can be covered more constructively. In so doing, the study expands the range of news topics that can be covered constructively, while also legitimizing constructive journalism’s ‘self-corrective’ ethos to problematic news practices.
In addition, the results will create more evidentiary support for its adoption and normalization in newsrooms as standard journalistic practice. Moreover, this will build confidence among practitioners seeking alternative ways of reporting the news. Beyond practice, this study also contributes to theory building- a task that has been deemed as the ‘greatest need’, when it comes to socially responsible journalistic approaches (McIntyre Hopkinson & Dahmen, 2021, p. 178), of which constructive journalism is part.
Project members
Project managers
Joy Muthoni Kibarabara
Timlärare
