Category: Paper

Edition 1/2026, Paper

The role of constructive journalism in the diffusion of social innovations The example of community-supported agriculture

By Inken Thiel and Uwe Krüger | The alternative reporting approach of constructive journalism has been extensively researched in recent years in terms of its effects, albeit primarily in the form of individual psychological experimental research. Its effects on the emotional state and behavioural intentions of recipients are well documented. But to what extent can constructive journalism promote social progress, for example by contributing to the spread of ecological or social innovations? In this study, we expand the impact research on constructive journalism by applying the theoretical approach of ›diffusion of social innovations‹ to the question and retrospectively asking the adopters of a specific social innovation, namely community-supported agriculture (CSA), about the influences on their decision. The quantitative online survey of 431 members and operators of CSA farms in Germany shows that constructive media or media formats did not play a role in the diffusion. Instead, interpersonal communication with CSA farm members was decisive for the initial contact, followed by local print and TV journalism, as well as advertising materials and events organized by CSA farms. This is also in line with diffusion theory for later stages of innovation diffusion. It cannot be ruled out that constructive media coverage of other social innovations (especially those more recent than CSA) plays a greater role in the respective early stages of the diffusion process.

Edition 1/2026, Paper

Journalism in Finland amid changing geopolitical and digital conditions How humiliating deepfakes are interfering with political communication

By Marcus Bölz | Since Finland joined NATO in 2023, Finnish journalism has been operating under new geopolitical conditions. The realignment of security policy has not only changed political reporting, but also increased demands on journalistic diligence and source verification. A particular focus is on Russia’s disinformation policies, which deliberately attempt to undermine trust in Finnish media and institutions. Digital campaigns, manipulated content, and emotional rhetoric are used to influence public opinion. Finnish editorial offices are responding with increased transparency, more rigorous fact-checking, and international cooperation. This article analyses the quality of journalism in Finland in the context of these developments and the structural challenges Finnish journalists are facing, including media concentration, staff cuts, and the rise of right-wing populist platforms.

Edition 3-4/2025, Paper

Policies of deterrence The impact of anti-Semitism resolutions on journalism in Germany

By Mandy Tröger | Since the German Bundestag passed the so-called »BDS resolution« in May 2019, the issue of anti-Semitism in Germany has not only been a subject of political and legal debates, but increasingly also of media discourse. The resolution, which condemned the BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) campaign against Israel and its settlement policy as anti-Semitic (German Bundestag 2019), is not legally binding. Still, according to the Bundestag cross-party initiative, it is intended to have a normative effect. The resolution has had a direct impact on public debates, for example through restricting public spaces to discuss the BDS campaign (cf. German Bundestag 2020: 4ff., Tröger 2019). Since then, similar resolutions at the federal level have reinforced this development.

Edition 3-4/2025, Paper

The flâneur and his ›cannibal interviews‹ On the death of Georg Stefan Troller

By Siegfried Weischenberg | He discovered that he was ›born‹ to be a journalist only late in life, after an adventurous youth which had been forced upon the Viennese Jew by the vicissitudes of time. He became a ›media legend‹ primarily through his portraits of people he discovered on the streets of Paris. Georg Stefan Troller, who developed his own style of radio and later television interviewing, died there at the age of 103.

Edition 2/2025, Paper

Cooperation despite competition Working processes and potentials for conflict in an investigative research network

By Jessica Kunert, Luka Simon and Volker Lilienthal | The journalistic cooperation in the investigative research network of the German public broadcasters NDR and WDR and the national daily Süddeutsche Zeitung has not yet been scientifically examined with regard to internal working processes (workflows and standards) and possible problems and conflicts (journalistic research, objectives and financing). In this article, we analyze the form of cooperation of the research network on the basis of its structures and degree of organization. We interviewed nine journalists in the network, using qualitative, guided interviews. The results of the internal working processes show that research teams within the network come together to work on specific topics and benefit from each other’s qualifications and approaches. In-depth discussions and firm agreements are essential. Problems and conflicts arise mainly from the different levels of human and financial resources required by the newsrooms, as well as from the high organizational effort involved. It is clear that the journalists value the network above all for the variety of topics and the high quality and quantity of the research results. As a form of cooperation, the investigative research network we examined is a success that is supported by a large number of implicit rules. In addition to the internal structures, the accusation of distortion of competition – raised due to the cooperation between two public and one private media – needs to be discussed.

Edition 2/2025, Paper

Non-profit journalism in Germany A survey on funding, safeguarding independence and working methods

By Sebastian Gall and Uwe Krüger | In the wake of digitalization and the economic media crisis, a new field of journalism has emerged aiming to compensate for the weaknesses of traditional news media: non-profit journalism. Instead of being financed by sales and advertising revenue (or broadcasting fees), it is primarily funded by small donations, membership fees or foundation money. However, the attempt to operate independent of market logics and to work solely in the public interest raises new questions, especially with regard to maintaining independence from donors. It also poses challenges for media organizations with regard to fundraising. This article uses ten guided interviews with employees of non-profit editorial offices to examine how their work differs from that of editorial offices financed by the private or public sector and what strategies they use to meet the above listed challenges. The results show 1) that the work differs positively from that of a traditional editorial office, especially relating to the choice of topics, research time and organizational structure; 2) that most of the organizations studied use only one type of funding; and 3) that the feared influence of large donors on content apparently does not take place, but that on the contrary, foundations supporting journalism are sometimes even more concerned about maintaining distance to the editorial offices than the other way around. At the same time, it should be noted that only few media organizations employ fundraisers, which means that this work falls onto the shoulders of management, editorial or layout staff.

Edition 2/2025, Paper

Publicity and transformation through the thematization of non-thematization The German project Initiative Nachrichtenaufklärung and its contribution to transformative communication studies

By Jörg-Uwe Nieland and Hektor Haarkötter | Anyone who might be wondering why the discipline of communication studies receives little attention in media in the form of »public scholarship« must critically question the media’s function to set thematic agendas, by applying theories and methods inherent in science. For almost 30 years, the Initiative Nachrichtenaufklärung (INA) e.V. has been taking on the task to question the media’s function to set themes by confronting the influence of AI and disinformation as well as the power of platforms and the powerlessness of recipients and scholarship. In the spirit of transformative public scholarship, the initiative publishes an annual list of severely neglected news topics after joint research and discussion by scientists, journalists and experts. Educating the public about news is here understood and practiced by providing criticism of the lack of thematization and suppression of news and discourse. In this sense, neglected news is also a category of disinformation. This article presents the research findings on »negative news value theory«, »agenda cutting« and »junk news«.

Edition 2/2025, Paper

Memorializing women journalists Obituaries on women journalists’ role performance

By Ella Hackett, Teodora Tavares and Gregory Perreault | Obituaries, though seemingly straightforward, hold deep reflections for the role of women journalists. Through the lens of metajournalistic discourse, this study explores obituaries of women journalists (n=1064) from the United States. The analysis finds that the memorialization of women journalists reflect on their role as advocates in and outside of the newsroom. In doing so, they not only redefine their profession, but work to champion societal advancement and gender equality.