Award-winning Paraguayan journalist Jazmín Acuña has again been garnering attention within the global journalism fraternity following her tenure as a Reuters Fellow – and the Change framework she designed to meet the existential crisis facing the industry.

Renowned as a pioneering researcher, digital human rights advocate – co-initiator of policy-changing organisation Tedic – and media entrepreneur, Acuña is also an Ashoka Fellow who co-founded and heads up award-winning digital media outlet El Surtidor.

El Surti, now a decade old, is synonymous with innovation: from its approach to investigative reporting, evocative graphic visuals, creative audience engagement and multiplatform distribution. 

See also: Thriving on Change: El Surtidor’s Groundbreaking Multi-Platform, Visual Journalism

A collage of screenshots from El Surti’s website illustrates samples of the outlet’s evocative visuals

Acuña drew on more than the practical lessons she gained as El Surti’s Editorial Director to draw up a Change framework for journalism.

“Change Journalism is, first and foremost, a large aspiration,” she notes in her newsletter. “The groundwork is there, but the content-centric model remains the default mindset that governs our practice. There’s much to be done before we can have solid answers, but it’s definitely worth exploring the possibilities.”  

She shares more in an interview with World Editors Forum.

What is Change-centric journalism – and how different is it from Solutions Journalism?

Change-centric Journalism adds a layer of intentionality to our work.

It is rooted in the pursuit of impact that improves the lives of people through care-based reporting, purposeful engagement and collective experiences that enable a democratic public life.

While Solutions Journalism focuses on content – on the stories we tell, how we tell them and the more constructive angles we can incorporate in reporting – Change-centric Journalism looks beyond storytelling.

‘Publication is just the beginning, not the end goal. Journalists don’t “hope for the best” after findings are released. More efforts are deployed to ensure our journalism facilitates the changes people need.’ 

In Change-centric Journalism, we envision the potential of our reporting to yield positive outcomes: shifts in knowledge and perceptions, community mobilisation, and policy changes.

We identify target audiences: the groups that could do something with information.

We distribute accordingly and provide opportunities for meaningful connections among people that can lead to action.  

What motivated your model – and what surprised you when constructing it?

I came up with the framework during the six months that I spent in Oxford as a journalist fellow of the Reuters Institute. But the idea is the result of a decade of co-leading El Surtidor and, of course, countless conversations with colleagues from around the world.

When I arrived in Oxford in January, I had one main concern: How to increase trust in journalism.

But throughout those six months, a deeper question was lingering: what is the purpose of journalism in this era?
Or even, why should journalism be saved?

One thing that surprised me while exploring these questions is how much of the pre-internet era mindset still sticks, when journalism had gatekeeping power over information.

I blame this mindset for the most commonly given answer to the existential risks we face today: That we deserve to exist because what we do is inherently valuable. 

Another thing I found interesting is that I had expected to find more outlets that are adopting a change-centric approach. But in reality, the work is being done in bits and pieces, without a coherent or consistent strategy and, most importantly, without the language to name what they are trying to do.

With Change-centric Journalism, I’ve tried to come up with language that can orient them. 

For instance, some outlets are starting to measure qualitative impact. 

But that doesn’t mean they align all efforts to increase the prospects of this type of impact. Others are applying inspiring engagement activities with their audiences, such as hosting live performances or community conversations. 

But in general, when you ask them about the purpose of their work, they’d tell you something along the lines of providing people with quality information.

To me, this is the automated mode in full display. Craft is confused with mission.

However, outlets are doing so much more than just the craft.

‘Some are rebuilding the social fabric of communities damaged by xenophobia.
Others are defying civic apathy while also providing people with the joy of connecting with others.’

I want journalists and newsrooms to work and articulate these contributions with a lot more clarity and without constraints. There’s value potential in them. 

Has the model evolved since its launch?

The launch is quite recent, so I have not evolved it yet. But I’ve started to collaborate with organisations like the Pulitzer Center that want to step up their impact efforts with their supported journalism around the globe.

This is allowing me to test the framework, customise it and see how it is applied in very different contexts, with journalists covering very diverse beats. It is really exciting; I see so much potential. 

Your framework draws heavily on Global South practices, with a nod to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism; what other examples from Western and Northern counterparts?

In my project, I mentioned Mensagem de Lisboa from Portugal and Lighthouse Reports. In the US, there’s a vibrant movement of journalism from the bottom-up, hyper local and deeply embedded in the territory which I’ve always admired. One example is Documented from NY, which serves immigrant communities there.

Among bigger outlets, ProPublica stands out. As far as I know, it was among the first outlets to build an impact tracker which also registered qualitative forms of impact. 

Acuma is collaborating with Pulitzer Centre in its new Impact Initiative, and will be leading a masterclass module for The Impact Lab, Syli’s new 12-month fellowship program.

She will also be speaking at our 77th World News Media Congress in Marseille in June. 

Subscribe to her newsletter for updates on the Change Journalism framework or follow her on LinkedIn.