Good deeds should be talked about: young journalists learned to write about volunteering and charity

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A session for participants in the Young Journalists School project dedicated to social journalism was held at the National Centre RUSSIA. It was led by Brand Director and Head of the Brand Development and Multimedia Projects Directorate at the Arguments and Facts publishing house, Yelena Mullanurova. The participants learned how social journalism differs from "good news" and PR, how to gather facts, present a protagonist without pathos and avoid slipping into "pity as a tool".

Yelena Mullanurova began the session "Social Journalism: How to Cover Volunteering, Heroes and Change the World for the Better" by examining the key concepts. Yelena Mullanurova explained that social journalism is not just "human-interest stories", but systematic work with a problem: data, documents, the voices of participants, context and mandatory fact-checking.

"PR says: 'Support the project, it is good.' Social journalism explains: What is the problem? How many people are affected? What is already working, and what is not? What evidence is there? And only then, what can the reader do? Emotion attracts attention, but data keeps trust," Yelena Mullanurova said.

Special attention during the session was paid to the image of the protagonist. The participants examined how a real hero differs from a "superhero without weaknesses" and why the second model destroys the audience’s trust. Using the example of the Arguments and Facts projects "A World of Caring People", "There Are Many of Us, We Are Together" and "Together We Can Do Anything", the participants saw how motivation, difficulties and real changes can be shown through personal stories, interviews and diaries.

The expert also introduced the young journalists to a map of topics in social journalism, from volunteering and inclusion to ecology, the school environment and assistance in emergencies. They separately examined the ethical minimum: always ask the protagonist for consent, do not publish vulnerable details "for dramatic effect", remove anything that could cause harm, and use a second source in complex topics, whether an expert, a document or an organisation.

"Do not glorify the protagonists of your publications. Show them as real people, with their weaknesses and doubts, but with an inner motive. This is what inspires trust and a desire to join in," the speaker noted.

During the practical part, the participants and the expert examined specific cases and video stories about volunteers. The young journalists learned to answer questions: who is the protagonist of the story, what emotions does the story evoke, why is this an example of social journalism, can the video be translated into the language of text, and what formats can strengthen the story.

At the end of the session, Yelena Mullanurova gave the young journalists several key guidelines: not to be afraid of complex topics, rely on facts, respect their protagonists and remember that their task is not just to inform, but to inspire the audience to act and contribute to positive changes in society.

"This workshop is aimed not only at developing journalistic skills, but also at a humanitarian mission: to teach young people not merely to tell stories, but to change society for the better through their materials. Be inspired by real heroes and remember: each of you can become a voice of change," Yelena Mullanurova added.

The Arguments and Facts publishing house is the intellectual partner of the Young Journalists School of the National Centre RUSSIA. This is a multi-format project by the National Centre RUSSIA. It helps teenagers acquire basic professional skills, get to know leading Russian media outlets and practising journalists, learn to work with information and take their first steps towards a future profession. The project is implemented by the National Centre RUSSIA jointly with the Movement of the First, with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.