Our collective, or ‘cultural’ values are hugely important; they impact what we collectively see as important in the world, and what we think and do about social and environmental issues. In order to make real progress on social and environmental issues, we need to see different values championed in our cultures; values such as care, equality, creativity and togetherness (intrinsic values), instead of power, wealth and individual success (extrinsic values). 

What are intrinsic and extrinsic values?

Some values are referred to as extrinsic values. These values rely on external approval or rewards – such as wealth, power or public image. Other values are referred to as intrinsic values. These values are more inherently rewarding – such as community, love for friends and family and creativity. There is no such thing as a good or a bad value – to live well-rounded lives we need to be able to draw on a wide range. But it is also important that these values are kept in balance, and right now, they certainly aren’t. Look around you in mainstream culture today and you’ll soon see that extrinsic values are overemphasised. This is one of the sources of the multiple social and environmental crises we are experiencing. 

Our cultural values are shaped by many influences such as our politicians, our civic institutions, our education systems, and places of work; but few have such a significant impact as the media. 

Many people working in the news media today were led to do so by the intrinsic values that are important to them, such as responsibility, honesty, social justice and freedom, and they see the essential work they do as being in service to their fellow humans.  As such, the sector has done some good work in recognising and exploring its influence on how the public think and feel about environmental and social issues, which has led to some reflection on how content is framed, whose voice is represented etc. But no news is values-neutral, and the media has yet to recognise and take responsibility for its ‘cultural values footprint’ – the impact the media has on our collective values and what we see as important in the world, even in content which doesn’t explicitly feature social and environmental issues.

The news media is experiencing significant uncertainty in the face of rising costs and decreasing subscriptions and advertising revenue, changes in audience behaviour, and AI, to name but a few. It’s a pivotal moment for the sector as it tries to redefine itself in a changing world. We believe that working with a better understanding of values will help the media to reassess its role for a world facing multiple social and environmental crises. What does it mean to be a journalist or a news outlet in these times? This work has profound implications for the whole sector; including what news is being covered and how it is being covered, as well as providing both news subjects and audiences opportunities to exercise their intrinsic values.

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s 2023 trends report stated that values-led journalism will be increasingly important in the years to come, with publishers seeking to distinguish their brand by making their ethical and political allegiances clear. If journalists, editors and others working in the media want their work to be in service of creating a just and regenerative world, they need to consider the values they are engaging through their work and understand the importance of working with values for durable and systemic change.

Values in the Media

With a cohort of journalists, academics and others as advisors, we’ve embarked on a project to bring our knowledge and understanding of values to the UK news media. The Values in the Media project is convening conversations between those working in the sector on the role that they play in engaging and influencing cultural values, and, in turn, the impact that this has on what we collectively see as important in the world. Through a mixture of events, resources, training, communication and community building, we will work with others in the sector towards a media landscape where intrinsic values are elevated, contributing to changes in wider culture – greater wellbeing, increased civic participation and a more engaged public in order to respond to global challenges. Find out more here.

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