Figure 1
Sustainability declaration of Bonnier News, 2024
| Freedom of expression and protecting free speech are at the heart of Bonnier News’ operations and the single most important focus area in the company’s sustainability strategy. The war in Ukraine these past years has set the agenda for a large proportion of newspaper reporting, along with the ever-more-important climate coverage. |
| Bonnier News’ sustainability strategy is based on four focus areas, each connected to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Within the framework of these focus areas, a number of initiatives are underway in many different parts of the business. |
| Bonnier News’ core values and identity are built around freedom of expression and empowering free speech. They act as defenders of independent journalism and their businesses contribute to an inclusive society where more people can participate. |
| Business ethics – sustainability integrated into the business. Bonnier News strives for sustainable profitability that over the long term ensures the publication of independent journalism. |
| Equality and inclusion – the responsibility of the entire organization. Focus on creating an open atmosphere at the workplace, with equality, diversity and inclusion as key factors for success. |
| Environment – to gradually reduce the carbon footprint. Bonnier News’ direct climate impact is limited and varies, considering the breadth of operations. Based on what is relevant to each business, efforts should be made to reduce the direct impact in the value chain. (Bonnier, n.d.: Bonnier News) |
Existing alternatives to sustainable journalism
| Concept | Basic definition/understanding | Relevant for SD and SDGs |
|---|---|---|
| Constructive journalism | To avoid only negative news and instead contribute to more constructive understandings of society (Bro, 2019: 506) | Journalism that emphasises how SDGs could be constructively handled and solved (in contrast to negative news) |
| Solutions journalism | Journalism that focuses on solutions rather than problems and negative information (thereby avoiding media fatigue) | Journalism might help to clarify ongoing or future solutions to the SDGs |
| Peace journalism | Journalism that seeks to prevent further war/conflicts between parties and even contribute to solutions (Lynch & McGoldrick, 2014) | Journalism which is primarily connected to SDG16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) but might also be deemed fundamental for all SDGs (no peace, no sustainability) |
| Development journalism | Journalism that both constructively and critically covers governments’ development and actions in countries (often connected to developing countries) (Banda, 2007) | Journalism that highlights and covers governments’ efforts to handle and “solve” SDGs in domestic contexts |
Three levels of sustainable journalism practice
| Incomplete level | Basic level | Advanced level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of frames | Single frame | Two frames combined | All three frames combined |
| Business model factor | Mainstream | Mainstream-elite | Specialised/niche |
Three frames of sustainable journalism
| Frame | Practice | Background | Empirical questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three-pillar | Interrelating economic, environmental, and social sustainability | Brundtland report (1987/2022), “donut-boundary perspective” (Raworth, 2012, 2017), and planetary boundaries thinking (Randers et al., 2019) | To what extent and in what ways does journalism interlink economic, environmental, and social dimensions when covering an event or problem? |
| Time-reflexive | Oscillating between past, present, and future perspectives | Brundtland report (1987/2022) | To what extent and in what ways does journalism oscillate between the past, present, and future when covering an event or problem? |
| Cross-border | Highlighting global–national–local relations | Brundtland report (1987/2022) | To what extent and in what ways does journalism include relations between the global, national, and the local when covering an event or problem? |