Which elements make a good constructive story? Are there some pitfalls to constructive journalism? And can all stories be told constructively? These are just some of the questions that fellows will be discussing during the Constructive Journalism Fellowship that got underway in late September.
This is DW Akademie's first Constructive Journalism Fellowship and is designed for video journalists, photographers and documentary filmmakers from the MENA region and Africa. Fellows take part in an extensive, several-month online training program and will be supported in producing a constructive TV report, documentary or photo series that deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The group of fellows is diverse. The 15 women and men come from ten different countries, have different faiths, and work in a variety of journalistic fields. But they all share one big passion: telling stories constructively. Some have experienced first-hand how media can exacerbate social tensions or conflicts, while others are simply tired of the mantra 'if it bleeds it leads'. Particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic they've seen the need for more nuanced, contextualized, and solutions-oriented reporting. During the fellowship they'll be supporting each other's work and will start creating a network of constructive thinkers in Africa and the Middle East.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Seyram Abla De-Souza, TV-journalist, Ghana
In the past, Seyram Abla De-Souza has found herself telling stories that underlined the adage 'if it bleeds, it leads.' She hopes this fellowship will be a turning point. "I no longer want to tell such stories that depress people. Instead, I want my audience to find hope in them," she said. One day, she wants to run her own journalism training school and pass her knowledge on to others.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Aminata Drynie Bockarie, filmmaker, Sierra Leone
Aminata Drynie Bockarie wants to be a voice for the voiceless in her home country Sierra Leone. "I have the means to show the world that my country is not just shaped by the bad stories but also by the good ones," she said. For the fellowship, she will produce such a story, reporting about a nurse in rural Sierra Leone who dedicates her spare time to stopping misinformation about COVID vaccines.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Hanan Youssef, filmmaker, Egypt
Hanan Youssef has filmed with rebels and crocodile hunters, so she won't be stopped easily. Raised in Egypt, the media landscape kept bombarding Hanan with negative news. So she decided to be the change she wants to see. "As an optimistic person, I work hard to catch the opportunity in each challenge," she said. And this is exactly what she does in her films.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Gordwin Odhiambo, photographer, Kenya
Gordwin Odhiambo was born and raised in Nairobi. He recently won the East Africa Photojournalism award and founded a collective of photographers in Kibera, Nairobi's biggest slum. "I'd like to see more local people getting the desired platforms to show how important their work is," he said. Gordwin is dedicated to passing on everything he learns in the fellowship to his colleagues in Kibera.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
MJ Daoud, multimedia journalist, Lebanon
MJ Daoud founded 'Labneh and facts', an online platform for Lebanese youth that provides constructive news and facts. "I want to contribute to changing the narrative, from a doomed-based one to a solution-oriented one," she said. During the fellowship, she wants to get in touch with like-minded people and help build a community of constructive journalists.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Ras Moses Mutabaruka, Director, Editor, Kenya
Ras Mutabaruka is the founder of the constructive online platform 'TAP magazine', which tells positive, engaging stories from the African continent. "Constructive journalism matters because stories dictate how we view the world and how the world views us," he said. And with the help of his magazine, he hopes to change the way the world perceives Africa.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Miriam Watsemba, photojournalist, Uganda
Miriam Watsemba views constructive journalism as a powerful tool: "It creates a seat at the decision-making table by allowing representation of what is working in Africa through storytelling," she said. Her goals for the fellowship are high. "I don't want this fellowship to be just yet another program, I want this fellowship to be a true game changer for my storytelling journey."
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Faith Sudi Wamalwa, journalist, Kenya
Faith's job as a reporter is neither easy nor safe. During one reporting trip, she was held hostage for hours and used as a ransom. But she still loves her job. Constructive journalism aligns Faith with her deep passion for making the world a better place. "My biggest goal is seeing lives transformed through storytelling, however small the impact might be," she said.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Kefilwe Monosi, photojournalist, Botswana
Kefilwe Monosi was ready to pay a high price in order to pursue constructive journalism. She had a secure job in a newsroom but decided to quit and go into freelancing in order to produce stories with more constructive angles. "Constructive journalism matters to me because it aims to provide audiences with a fair, accurate and contextualized picture of the world," she said.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Femi Amogunla, photographer, Nigeria
Femi Amogunla is intrigued by constructive journalism because it forces him to ask: "After reporting the story, then what?" Much more than the desire to get a story out to the people, he wonders, in what ways will this story impact the reader? As part of the fellowship, he will report on how disabled people overcome obstacles to get access to COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Isaac Kaledzi, journalist, Ghana
Isaac Kaledzi works as a freelance journalist for DW and other media outlets and has produced numerous stories using a constructive journalism approach. He believes that journalism is not only about exposing the ills of society but also requires the projection of how those challenges and problems can be solved. "My biggest goal in journalism is to see the stories I tell impacting lives," he said.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Lourdes Walusala, journalist, Kenya
A few years ago, Lourdes Walusala couldn’t stand sad and sob news stories anymore. "Hence, I decided to add a sparkle to the gloom," she said. She now focuses on solutions-oriented storytelling and stories around maternal health. For the fellowship, she will report on an initiative that was started during the pandemic to respond to pregnancy-related emergencies during curfew hours.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Sumeya Gasa, multimedia journalist, South Africa
According to Sumeya Gasa, media is not separate from society. In South Africa, media sometimes exacerbate existing social problems, she said. She thinks it's time to change that. Sumeya wants to create her own media platform that focuses on constructive journalism and she hopes that this fellowship will provide her with the tools to do so.
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Constructive Journalism Lab – Meet the fellows
Toka Omar Amer Qassem, multimedia journalist, Egypt
Since she started following a constructive approach, Toka's work as a multimedia journalist has become way more exciting and personally rewarding. "When I publish a story and get asked by strangers about how to help with the portrayed solution or join in, I feel like I've succeeded in delivering the message," she said.
This project is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of the global initiative 'Transparency and Media Freedom – Crisis Resilience in the Pandemic'.
