The power and pitfalls of constructive journalism: The effects of hopeful narratives in the news on attitudes, engagement and knowledge

Oren Livio, Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster, Liran Peretz, Yael Ella-Hay, Yariv Tsfati, Nurit Tal-Or, Department of Communication, University of Haifa, Chapman University, Department of Communication, University of Massachusetts

Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism

Published online on June 12, 2026

Abstract

Journalism, Ahead of Print.
Recent research has argued that constructive journalism, which presents negative news by focusing on positive values and solutions, may reduce audiences’ tendency to avoid news without sacrificing perceived news credibility. This study uses a between-...