Constructive journalism in the context of positive social agenda: An analysis of national news portals

The research was conducted based on a qualitative content analysis and applied to various news portals in Turkey, including Aydınlık, Habertürk, Sözcü, Yeni Şafak, and Milliyet. Constructive journalism is a form of reporting that seeks to enhance societal benefits by emphasizing solutions and positive developments alongside negative events. This study evaluates media practices in Turkey from the perspective of constructive journalism and examines how this journalistic approach is represented in national news portals. The research was carried out using qualitative content analysis applied to Turkish news portals across categories such as sports, economy, society, technology, and politics. As part of the research sample, examples of constructive journalism from selected news portals were analyzed to assess the potential of this approach to foster social awareness. The findings revealed that constructive journalism holds the potential to drive positive societal changes in national media outlets in Turkey. Furthermore, it was observed that these journalistic practices reduce the likelihood of news consumers developing negative emotions, thus providing a more hopeful media experience. The analysis of 25 news articles collected from various news portals demonstrated the extent to which constructive journalism has been adopted. These results indicate that constructive journalism could gain wider acceptance in Turkish media and lead to significant transformations in media practices. Key findings suggest that while the principles of constructive journalism are only partially adopted by media organizations in Turkey, this approach holds substantial potential for delivering societal benefits. Therefore, it is recommended that media organizations increasingly adopt constructive journalism methods.