When journalism is fun

Journalism has something in common with art. Well, it has a bunch of things in common with art, but let's focus on this one: the tendency to romanticize grittier, bleaker experiences and perspectives as more "real" and important, while sometimes dismissing qualities like joy, hope, and fun.

We do this at our peril. Those qualities we categorize as "less serious" are essential to life. Humans weather despair to reach joy; we sit through boredom because we get to fun; and hope drives it all, willing us through all manner of difficulties to reach the next level.

Purely by coincidence, over our past couple newsletters, fun has been in abundance. Because ... prepare yourself for a hot take ... journalism can be fun. It's true! When you're doing work you love on a path with people who enrich your life, it can really, actually be fun.

And though it seems small, that might be quietly nestled in some criticisms of the journalism industry right now. In the quest for clicks, in the newsrooms slashed to fractions of their former size, facing intense conflict and distrust, ideas like fun and joy can seem frivolous if they're even considered at all. And yet how in the world can we continue to invite people to our world — to say, "Please value our work" — when it lacks those things? Is there anything we devote serious free time to that doesn't possess those qualities? And can we expect people to stay in an industry so lacking in them?

This week we hope you'll find a little fun in your work. Consider the below a small offering at the altar of bringing fun, joy, hope, celebration, curiosity, and heart to your journalism.

In the latest Above the Fold, Ambika Samarthya starts by talking about ... fun she had! It involved talking to Helina Selemon and Peter Yeung , which is obviously fun if you know them. And she got to do some filming (which she loves) and reflect with them on the first Solutions Journalism Network Awards, which as far as we saw brought some joy. Then, Andrea Wenzel and Andre Simms taught a solutions journalism workshop to Philly residents who are skeptical of journalism. Their reflection on the session envisions a world where journalism is practiced in harmony with the community.

Hugo Balta and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas are teaming up for a climate solutions journalism training. It's a Massive Open Online Course, so even though it's technically underway, you can still join in. In a bit of not fun news, we joined a lot of folks in saying goodbye to RED/ACCIóN, with a farewell note from Chani Guyot . Then there's the beautiful and thoughtful "Ethical Charter for Constructive Journalism" from Constructive Network , a fellowship from the National Press Foundation , a job with Fara Warner at the Metcalf Institute, an incredible book from Jamil Zaki , and major impact from Rubryka in Ukraine.

Get all of that right here.

In the most recent Response newsletter, we shared a few stories that were, well, pretty happy! Not every SoJo story is happy (remember, it's not "good news,"), and these wrestle with serious issues. But they do so in a way that might leave a smile on your face. You can read stories about gay rodeos from Orion Rummler , success boosting caribou populations from Stefan Labbé , and a massive initiative putting young people to work keeping the seas healthy from Carla Parks .

You'll want to read that here.

Last but not least, dive into Solutions Worth Sharing to learn about the growing seaweed farms that are battling acidic water by Alexandra Talty and, over on the democracy side, Stefania Lugli explores what Wichita can learn from San Antonio about tackling unsheltered homelessness.

That's it for this edition. Writing it was ... well, you know.