Constructive journalism and the perceived wellbeing of journalists

Constructive journalism (CJ), an innovative interdisciplinary approach to news reporting grounded in psychology, has been lauded as a potential solution to the crisis of trust and avoidance in journalism. The approach has been taken up by global news organisations in Australia, the UK, and Denmark. Despite its potential and uptake, research on this emerging form of journalism is still developing, often at a slower pace than its implementation. Simultaneously, the wellbeing of journalists has come to the fore, with mounting evidence of a mental health crisis brought upon the industry, in part caused by the types of stories that journalists report on, their work conditions, and at times the conflict between their values and the requests of editors. As CJ has a core principle of responsible reporting and focuses on producing a different style of stories, we asked journalists trained at the Constructive Institute at Aarhus University in Denmark (n = 33) if CJ had had a perceived value or efficacy in improving their wellbeing. This work contributes to the broader field of journalistic knowledge as there is little research on the impact of the use of CJ on journalists themselves, and none published on CJ and journalists’ wellbeing. More broadly, the work aligns with calls to better understand what factors retain journalists and bolster their workplace wellbeing. Our findings suggest constructive journalism cannot overcome all workplace factors that impact wellbeing, but we can show a perceived benefit for those who are supported by their employer in implementing CJ.