Lyspunkt: shining a light on positive news
Every year we read in the World Happiness Report that Scandinavian countries rank high in the results. You would think that it is this sugary place where everybody is happy all the time, but research has shown that about 10% of Norwegians avoid the general news. Why? Because they think it is too negative. Ingrid Tinmannsvik was born and raised in Norway and is 30 years old. She started as an intern in 2016 at the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. Today, she is the woman behind Lyspunkt (Bright Spot in Norwegian) and sought out to tip the scales and shine a light on positive news. Perhaps it is something that everyone needs all over the world these days?
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, young adults avoided the news even more. Every day, the only thing talked about was the number of infections, the number of hospital admissions and the number of people passing away. This made a big dent in the mental health of these young people. Ingrid also noticed this in her close surroundings which motivated her even more: “It was great to give people a bright pink colored website with lots of news during the pandemic, but it was always meant to be so much more than that.”
Seeing the light: the birth of Lyspunkt
When Ingrid first had the idea for Lyspunkt, she was supposed to be just working on the news about the Covid-19 pandemic at NRK. That period was accompanied, as we have all experienced, by a lot of negative feelings and dread. Many people tried to start new things in life during the pandemic. Ingrid also felt this opportunity and wanted to do something to help those around her get through these dark days. It is at this point in time she saw an early bright spot rising.
Ingrid Tinmannsvik from NRK
With this vision and visual context of the website in her head, she went to her boss. She pitched her idea about some kind of website and “for some reason”, her boss was crazy about the idea when he loudly said: “let's go for it!” And that's how the ball got rolling. According to Ingrid’s vision, the main goal was to simply give her target group a lot of reasons to have a good day.
It is all about positivity
With a young audience in mind as the target group, it is not always easy to determine what their needs are. Although, during the Corona pandemic, young people all had a few things in common they were looking for: things that give hope, peace, positivity and inspiration.
The main topics that can be found on Lyspunkt are positive news and articles, called “constructive news”.
It is about giving a more nuanced image of the world and certain issues and events that are happening in it. With that “constructive news” they can make sure that the debate is more democratic. “Yes, it is harder than regular investigative journalism, because to actually try and present something as a possible solution to a big problem, it takes a big job. You have to come up with strong and very credible arguments. So, I think we just need to change the way we talk about it and clear up any misunderstandings.” according to Ingrid.
SOS first aid for depressed mood
Besides positive news, people also needed other things. Like food recipes, workout tips, interesting articles for nature lovers, things to boost your mental health or just activities to keep you entertained. People need all the help they can get, hence this array of topics can be found on the platform! The coolest thing about this kind of content is that it remains popular with young adults even now when the pandemic is coming to an end. When people browse the Lyspunkt website, they can simply choose what they need at that time: maybe some are only interested in news, others are interested in cooking recipes.
Conflict between Ukraine and Russia
According to Ingrid, the current war between Ukraine and Russia can bring some change for the platform. The project initially focussed on constructive news, but has the potential of becoming something much broader. They are trying to develop ways of expanding their use of solution-based journalism. “I did a big story about a guy who was sexually abused by his step-grandmother when he was a child. He wanted to share his story, because he wants to reduce the social stigma and taboo in our society about that topic.” says Ingrid. “He wants more men to open up about sexual abuse and get people to understand that this can happen to men as well. To offer readers with a possible solution, experts are included in these stories where they offer insights in what readers could do in such situations.”
By using solution-based journalism, they try to bring dark subjects in a manner that gives people hope, solutions and perspective. Perhaps they can also report on the war in Ukraine using this method: “Maybe this war can help us figure out new bases for telling constructive stories as well, like in the previous example.”
Use of insights and instincts
You may wonder how they decide on what fits or doesn’t fit the Lyspunkt website? Young adults define “positive news” in different ways, for example, some find it important to read something hopeful about the climate, others about politics,
racism or other issues they think are important. How is this determined then?
Well, it is a mix of two things. First of all at NRK they did a lot of research internally about the target group: What interests them?
What are they doing in their daily lives?
What questions do they want answers to?
Secondly, she simply uses her instincts. Ingrid is now 30 years old, so she can still place herself in the shoes of young adults. She used to be one of the youngest people in the newsroom and also has some years of experience. Sometimes she just relies on her gut feeling. She knows what young people are talking about, what they engage in and what interests them.
In conclusion
“I think there will always be a need for this kind of content. Yes, it got worse during the pandemic, but it still was a big problem before. It would be great if we didn’t really need to have our own website. I think the most important thing is that we as a news organisation have to aspire to show a full picture of the world. If we become better at showing that good things happen as well and provide the public with a healthy balance between good and bad.” Ingrid told us.
We can c onclude that there will always be bad and good news in the world. What we should take away from this is that when we find a good balance between bringing bad and good news, we do not push people away. In addition, “negative” news must change into “constructive” news. Not just addressing the problem and leaving it as it is, but actually finding a solution and communicating it to the public. If t hese things are achieved, we are already taking a good step in the right direction to get young adults interested in what is happening in the world instead of leaving them alienated and in the dark.
Visit the Lyspunkt website.
