SESSION

Constructive journalism as a catalyst: new narratives for science

Journalism, including the science beat, often leans heavily on narratives of crisis and despair, particularly in the Global South. At the same time, audiences are avoiding news like never before, partly because of the “doom” narrative and the helplessness it leaves audiences feeling. But hope is a story too. From communities and individuals, to scientists and citizens, people are constantly working to make their world a better place.

This session will explore how constructive and solutions journalism can reframe coverage of public health, the climate crisis, and innovation in ways that highlight resilience, agency, and progress in the Global South. Drawing on examples from Africa, Asia, and beyond, we’ll discuss how such narratives can foster trust, engagement, and action. This session aligns with two WCSJ 2025’s themes: social justice and role of science journalism, and the art of communication.

By grounding science reporting in local realities and linking it to shared global challenges, constructive journalism can help restore public trust, deepen understanding, and reimagine what meaningful engagement looks like in today’s complex media landscape.

  • Mahima Jain
    Session proposer, producer and moderator | Freelance Journalist | India
    Mahima Jain is an award-winning journalist covering science and society, particularly focusing on environment, health and gender. She is an inaugural fellow (2025-2026), of the residency programme at the Asian College of Journalism’s Climate Media Hub. Her work has appeared in over two dozen publications, and is supported by several prestigious grants. In 2024, she co-created the Constructive Climate Lens project as a fellow at Denmark’s Constructive Institute.
  • Tatenda Prosper Chitagu
    Speaker | Harare Polytechnic | Zimbabwe
    Tatenda Prosper Chitagu is a multi award-winning environment, climate and science investigative journalist from Zimbabwe, working in multimedia and with 20 years’ experience. He has been a fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and holds a Master’s in media and society studies from the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. He is a fellow of Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism. He likes to focus on solutions-based humanitarian stories that make use of data, especially for media deprived people in marginalised remote areas.
  • Daniel Otunge
    Speaker | Science Africa | Kenya
    Daniel Otunge is a Kenyan lawyer and journalist. As Science Africa‘s editor and project lead, he oversees projects and strategy. He is a certified solutions journalism trainer and champions solutions-oriented media reporting in Africa.
  • Hadeel Arja
    Speaker | Frontline | Turkey
    Hadeel Arja is the lead editor of Frontline in Focus, the winner of the Google News Initiative 2021, and a journalist with more than 17 years of experience. Arja is known for her innovative use of VR and AR technologies in covering stories from the frontlines.
 

The World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) will take place at the CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa from 1 – 5 December 2025, with the theme “Science journalism and social justice: journalism that builds understanding and resilience”.

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