An “integral journalism” would expose people to more complex information, healthier discourse, and inspiration for transformation
We are always interested in questions of human development, so we keep tabs on various developmental approaches (Human Givens, integral thinking). We’re also abidingly interested in questions of a reformed/alternative media system, that brings a different and more motivating take on our demanding world.
So to hear about “integral journalism” as a whole new approach to the fields of news and reporting, combining a developmental psychology with media reform, is exciting! It’s being pioneered by Stefan Schultz, who works for the leading news magazine Der Spiegel in Germany.
This isn’t the place or time to go deeply into integral theory. Suffice to say that it’s a framework for reality which makes our inner lives as equal a partner in the shaping of reality as our cultural, behavioural or social-structural realms (or subjective, intersubjective, objective, inter-objective). Integral theory also believes that each of these domains can develop in complexity and richness, as they arise out of earlier (and simpler) stages. The truly “developed” can see the path of development that leads to their current, mature position.
How is journalism practised as each of these stages of development, on the way to a “mature” journalism? We invite you to dive into Stefan’s work for more on this (for example, see this presentation from last year (beginning from 4.00). But we’ll distribute some tables and diagrams below (taken from blogs, here and here, on Integral Life), which make clear (and thus engagable) Stefan’s targets and goals for integral journalism.
The first graphic proceeds from the integral distinction between “conventional” and “post-conventional” understanding - the first trapped in its anger, binaries and standard accounts of reality; the second aware that it’s been in the grip of these mental structures, seeking a richer version of “the news”. This second is often known as second tier, thus the phraseology below, in a table of “news selectors” relevant to each tier:
Below is a vision for journalism as it might flourish in each of the integral domains - top right being the interior-individual, top left being the interior-individual (inner life), bottom left being the exterior-collective (structure/society), bottom right being the interior-collective (culture), top right being the exterior-individual (practice and method).
individual-interior individual-exterior
collective-interior collective-exterior
As Stefan concludes here:
Ultimately, integral journalism aims to facilitate development by exposing people to more complex information, healthier discourse, and inspiration for transformation. While the infosphere has become decentralized and overwhelming, journalists can still act as “beacons” to promote greater wisdom and maturity in public dialogue. The integral model provides a roadmap for how journalism can evolve to better meet the needs of a complex world.