Impact Journalism Day: A global search for uplifting news

Irish projects that want to “change the world for the better” have been invited to apply to be considered for an international journalism initiative that highlights solutions to major social, environmental and health problems.

On June 25th some 50 news organisations from around the world are due to participate in Impact Journalism Day.

The initiative, which is organised by Paris-based social enterprise, Sparknews, sees newspapers and other media organisations publish stories about individuals and groups who “propose a solution to global issues” and “work to create positive change”.

Initiatives featured last year included a Belgian NGO that trains rats to sniff out landmines and tuberculosis and a drone lifeguard created by an Iranian robotics engineer.

“The idea is to find projects that are proposing a solution to global issues,” says Agathe Hamel from Sparknews. “We’re looking for local solutions that can be shared with others.

“We’re interested in small project leaders who are trying to launch something, even if they’re not known in their own country.”

Impact Journalism Day is in its fourth year.

The Irish Times took part in the initiative last year along with other publications around the world including The Huffington Post, The Straits Times (Singapore), Politiken (Denmark), Le Soir (Belgium), the Monitor (Uganda), Excelsior (Mexico), Ta Nea (Greece) and the Times of India.

Articles will cover topics such as education, energy, healthcare, agriculture, water, finance and technology.

Christian de Boisredon, the founder of Sparknews said the initiative was inspired by the fact that reading the news “can be a depressing affair.

Readers and audiences repeatedly report that they are put off by how negative the news seems to be.

Yet the media’s role is to bring major issues and problems to the foreground and to keep us alert. Must the headlines conform to the age-old adage that “when it bleeds, it leads”?”

Organisations interested in having their projects considered have been asked to apply before this Friday, February 26th by filling out a questionnaire at

[ Impact Journalism Day ]