REFLECTIVE JOURNALISM
through innovative perspectives
I’m Shirish Kulkarni, an award-winning journalist, researcher and community organiser. I develop new ways to build more effective, engaging and inclusive journalism.
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About
Award-winning journalist, researcher & community organiser
I have more than 25 years experience working in all the UK’s major broadcast newsrooms, and at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. I am currently News Innovation Research Fellow at Media Cymru and JOMEC – Cardiff University’s Journalism School. My expertise spans innovation, storytelling, AI, inclusion, mental health and engaged journalism.
My research on “Reflective” and “Modular” Journalism has had global impact in newsrooms, and I’ve presented my work at the Reuters Institute, the World Association of News Publishers, for the European Journalism Centre and many others.
As well as being a Member of BAFTA and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, I’m a member of the Welsh Government’s Working Group on Public Interest Journalism and Expert Panel on the Devolution of Broadcasting & Communications. I am also the founder of Inclusive Journalism Cymru, a network aimed at fostering and supporting a more inclusive journalism sector.
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The 7 Building Blocks
Creating a new, reflective, journalism
New approaches to Storytelling
For too long, journalism has relied on tired narrative habits. Human beings are hard-wired for stories, because they help us navigate the world. However, the structures journalists use are often confusing and opaque. By looking beyond the “inverted pyramid” we can find new forms of narrative that help us understand the world better.
The information citizens need
Journalists need to reflect on whether the content we prioritise is the information citizens really need to help them understand the world. By thinking more creatively, and remembering journalism is a service, we can help citizens engage with our work and participate more deeply in society.
Learn moreEncouraging deeper understanding
Journalism’s focus on breaking – or at least “moving” – news is often to the detriment of broader context and understanding. By providing citizens with a wider lens – looking at the big picture – we can help people engage with and understand stories better.
Learn moreReflecting the whole of society
Innovation in storytelling isn’t just about telling stories differently, it’s about telling different stories. By listening to different perspectives and genuinely hearing them, we can better reflect society and start to rebuild trust.
Learn moreWe all have power
We’re not just “victims of the news”, we are all citizens of our communities and have our own power. By offering people a way to feel involved in the world, and showing they can make a difference, we give citizens agency in our storytelling.
Learn moreMaking sense of the world
The tone of voice we use to communicate is often horribly old-fashioned and formulaic. It largely relies on habits from the newspaper age, and our presentation of news rarely takes advantage of all the digital tools that are available to us. By writing more clearly and accessibly we can better communicate with all our citizens.
Learn moreWinning back trust
The collapse of trust in journalism is the single biggest problem facing the industry. If we don’t win back trust, journalism won’t have a future. We can start that process through radical transparency at all stages of the journalistic process.
Learn moreinsights
Latest Insights
Read more about my work on storytelling, innovation, research & development, mental health and inclusion.
Find out how to build better journalism
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