Hi Reader,

My silent retreat ended this morning, and what is great about being away from the news for eight days is that you start to see things clearly again, the reality as it is, not as you'd like it to be — as my meditation teacher says. And it's a surprisingly optimistic reality, I have to say.

There seem to be more people than ever calling out injustices and opposing violence. I couldn't even find one opinion in favor of the Iran war in my timeline.

The meditation I practice is also about making conscious decisions to end "suffering" in the world, starting with your own pain and discomfort.

In the context of journalism and media, it means leading in complex times by choosing the angles of stories carefully and taking care of your own media diet to stay sane. Read more about the Leading for Transformation course that starts in April!

Sanne

DEEP DIVE

Deepening the narrative around "Iran"

The attack on Iran and the escalation in West Asia are still very fresh, but the situation has been going on for weeks, months, years, and even decades. Prioritizing these layers instead of just superficially consuming what is the breaking news, is a first important choice.

Other things to look out for in your decision-making:

• Language use: Normalize saying West Asia over Middle East, as explained by the late Egyptian writer and activist Nawal El Saadawi: "The minute I hear Middle East, I become upset because this is colonial language. You have to ask yourself: Middle what? Middle to whom?" In the British Empire, countries in West Asia were called the Middle East because they were positioned relative to London, just like India was called the Far East.
• Actors at play: Western mainstream media headlines easily make Iran the attacker. Dutch news website NU.nl wrote: "Iran drags the Middle East [West Asia] into war violence by counterattacking the US and Israel." It's the other way around, as Democracy Now wrote: "U.S. & Israel Launch Unprovoked Attack on Iran, Risking Broader Regional War." Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda also makes clear on her Instagram that the narrative of "Israel defending itself" should not be repeated by journalists.

These details matter because language shapes how news consumers view the world.

• Historical context: Jeremy Scahill, founder of the independent digital native media platform Drop Site News, points out how certain language around this escalation repeats itself from the Iraq war in the early 2000s.

• Ethics and complexity: Terminology like "freedom" and "democracy" has become loaded, coming from politicians like Trump and Netanyahu, who don't apply them in their own countries. So they should be used carefully by journalists. Opposing truths need to be held: the reason why Western countries start wars is often not humanitarian, but blatant powerplay. At the same time, the people of Iran have been held prisoner by a violent regime for decades. As Iranian writer and filmmaker Naz Riahi says: "Foreign nations could have expelled Iranian diplomats, deported the children of the mullahs, frozen their assets, and armed the Iranian people. None of this happened. Instead, bombs."
• Ideologies: Another interesting perspective — because it makes you think about the consequences of the escalation — is coming from Dr. Nassim Noroozi, whose research focuses on the ethics of resistance in today's colonial context:

• Embrace complexity: Iranian people celebrate the killing of Khameini, and mourn the death of more than 100 school children killed by Israeli attacks. They're facing a dilemma of wanting to throw over a dysfunctional government versus being afraid of what a foreign attack will result in because of the aftermath of such Western interventions in other countries.
• Exile vs non-exile: Iranians aren't one people either; those living in exile often hold different views on what is happening than the ones still living in Iran. And, as my friend and independent media founder Sham Jaff points out, there are more groups of people involved than just "Iranians" and "Israelis".

And, this shouldn't be a radical thing to say. Remember that journalists can be activists for peace and human rights:

Praxis

In chaotic news times, unlearning becomes a super skill. Don't tell stories as you've always done; dare to break with mainstream narratives. Artists show us how to do things radically differently. Like Spanish singer Rosalía, who breaks with popular music conventions in her performance with Björk at the Brit Awards. Sit back, relax, and enjoy with all your senses:

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Problem and solutions mapping

Opportunities

• The Guardian US is hiring a Senior Reporter, Climate Justice. It's a full-time, hybrid position.
• Transitions is hiring a Part-Time Assistant Editor (15–20 hours/week, based in Prague) to help support the newsroom and mentor the next generation of journalists. Send your CV and cover letter to transitions@tol.org
• The Hyundai Artlab Editorial Fellowship (remote) is open for applications from arts writers from anywhere in the world and at any career stage. Fellowship dates: May - December 2026. Deadline March 9. Apply here.

Do you have an opportunity to share? Or do you want to advertise in this newsletter? Reach out by hitting reply.

Lastly, I've announced the Leading for Transformation course for editorial and narrative leaders in last week's newsletter. You'll also learn about deepening the narrative and Solutions Journalism, together with contextualizing topics in a decolonial context and your own positionality. Check out the stellar guest speakers and program details here. We start on April 23.

See you next week!

Sanne