Content analysis reveals how empowering journalism modifies positivity in news values, highlighting distinct approaches among three journalism types.
This study extends the understanding of positivity as a news value by exploring how empowering journalism operationalizes this concept. Through content analysis of 273 articles from three representative outlets— World’s Best News (constructive journalism), Christian Science Monitor ’s education section (solutions journalism), and Positive News (positive journalism)—the research identifies four interconnected subcategories of positivity: positive expressions, solutions, future orientation, and empowering voices. Findings reveal hierarchical distribution patterns: positive expressions maintain consistent presence; solutions show reduced presence in leads but development in main texts; and future orientation and empowering voices as depth-dependent elements appear primarily in main texts. This also reflects that despite sharing empowering characteristics, each approach has distinct emphases: constructive journalism’s “optimistic solution-oriented” model, solutions journalism’s “solution-participant empowerment” approach, and positive journalism’s “present-moment positive experience” focus. By reconceptualizing positivity as a composite news value with four functional dimensions, this study provides theoretical insights and practical guidance for journalism that seeks to both inform and empower audiences.
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He et al. (2025) studied this question.
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