David Bornstein, co-founder and CEO of the Solutions Journalism Network, discusses the urgent need for a shift in journalistic narratives. He critiques traditional reporting's focus on fear and dysfunction, which fosters distrust in institutions. Instead, he advocates for compassionate journalism that uplifts stories of resilience and connection. Bornstein highlights the hidden value of government achievements and emphasizes the importance of curiosity-driven narratives to bridge societal divides and promote hope amidst media disengagement.
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Journalism's Theory of Change
The 20th-century theory of journalism is that exposing what is wrong will mobilize change.
But constant focus on extremes has fueled fear and distrust, overwhelming human capacity.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Positive News Holds Vital Knowledge
David posed two stories: one school declined in graduation, the other improved significantly.
Most journalists prefer the negative story, yet the positive story holds vital knowledge for improvement.
insights INSIGHT
Outdated 'If It Bleeds' Journalism
"If it bleeds, it leads" is an outdated notion from the telegraph era.
Modern media's 24/7 cycle overwhelms human attention and damages the spirit.
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The Price of a Dream tells the remarkable story of the Grameen Bank, a groundbreaking 'village bank' that has revolutionized the way people around the world fight poverty. The Bank's model of providing collateral-free micro-loans for self-employment to millions of women villagers in Bangladesh has inspired and shaped the thinking of economists, policymakers, and social entrepreneurs. The book explores how the Grameen Bank grew from an experiment in one village to an organization lending billions of dollars in small loans.
How to change the world
David Bornstein
David Bornstein's book examines how social entrepreneurs drive systemic change by addressing critical issues like poverty, education, and healthcare. Through case studies and analysis, it reveals the methods of individuals who combine innovation, determination, and practical problem-solving to reshape societal norms. The work serves as both an inspiration and a blueprint for aspiring changemakers, emphasizing the role of tenacity and creativity in social transformation.
A calming and helpful conversation for making sense of the very story of our time, and how that is coming to us and being powerfully shaped through media and journalism. The theory of change of journalism as it came out of the 20th century, David Bornstein says, is that shining a light on what is going wrong — what is dangerous and dysfunctional, catastrophic or corrupt — will mobilize and lead us to correct it. But this emphasis on the terrible and the extreme, from whichever side of our cultural trenches you inhabit, has helped fuel a paralyzing, dehumanizing fear and the collapse of trust in institutions and in each other. Many of us are turning away from the news altogether. Is that the answer? How to live in this world with this media and retain meaningful, reasonable hope and agency? And what are we not seeing and hearing that we can orient towards? There is no one wiser on these questions than David Bornstein.
Krista spoke with David Bornstein before a small group of citizens of Minneapolis in November, 2024.
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Special thanks to Dana Mortenson, who created the event that brought Krista and David together. She is founder of World Savvy, an organization that seeks to reimagine education to build the global competence necessary to navigate a complex and ever-changing world.
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