Forero, Lina (2026) Constructive Journalism as Decolonial Storytelling: Ethical Narratives in Indigenous-Led Climate Action. Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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Abstract
This research-creation thesis explores constructive journalism (CJ) as a decolonial approach to storytelling, particularly in the context of Indigenous-led climate action. It proposes examining CJ as a framework that prioritizes meaningful relationship- and trust-building to ensure that Indigenous stories are shared ethically and impactfully.
This research-creation thesis is composed of three parts: (1) A literature review examining CJ and its relevance to journalism education, as well as its conceptual and practical implications for reporting in Indigenous contexts. The review includes discussion on Reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA), which is the qualitative methodological framework guiding this research. (2) A collaborative multimedia project focused on Indigenous‑led climate action in the Inuit village of Inukjuak, located in the Arctic region of Quebec. This project—featuring a written article, a curated photo gallery, and five short videos—explores how CJ principles might be applied within a Canadian context. (3) A Reflexive TA of the application of CJ principles throughout the project, offering an examination of how these principles shaped meaningful relationship‑building and trust‑building during the co‑creation of Indigenous stories.
To facilitate the project, in October 2024, I traveled to Inukjuak with a research team led by Professor Aphrodite Salas for the initial production phase of this multimedia journalism project, which is focused on a clean energy initiative in the village (Salas, 2022). Using observations and audiovisual materials collected during our visit, this project features key figures involved in the initiative and showcases CJ principles in storytelling as shaped by community relationships. While the creation of our journalism project has been collaborative, this thesis involves an original photo gallery and short video profiles that highlight key participants in the Innavik clean energy project. All will be published as part of a wide-ranging, interactive multimedia website on CTV Montreal in early May 2026.
Through theory and practice, this thesis explores how CJ can be a strong approach to rebuilding trust, boosting credibility, and engaging audiences in meaningful narratives on Indigenous-led climate action.
| Divisions: | Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > Journalism |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
| Authors: | Forero, Lina |
| Institution: | Concordia University |
| Degree Name: | M.A. |
| Program: | Digital Innovation in Journalism Studies |
| Date: | 1 April 2026 |
| Thesis Supervisor(s): | Salas, Aphrodite |
| Keywords: | clean energy, journalism, constructive journalism, decolonizing reporting, climate reporting, Indigenous reporting |
| ID Code: | 997054 |
| Deposited By: | Lina Forero |
| Deposited On: | 29 Jun 2026 14:14 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Jun 2026 14:14 |
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