Chapter 109.

Everything

is going to be new

in journalism and media

"To be honest... I am quite fed up with the way many fellow journalists write," Jeroen told his colleagues during their brief daily meeting. "I notice so much blindly writing down or telling in interviews what governments and their cronies want to be told. That was not our desire when we decided to become journalists. We wanted to tell citizens what was happening, we wanted to investigate what was really true. And I do know, a lot was hidden from us back then. I know that our soul could not pick up a lot of things. But now that we can, I long to bring that truth forward too, actually even more strongly than I had indicated recently. I want to pierce the balloon of lies, I want to destroy it!"

Unexpectedly, a cheer went up and he received a round of applause. Slightly confused, he looked around the little circle and continued, "The only question is, how can we do that, how can we do that even sharper, how can we choose our words even better, so that that balloon of lies gets destroyed!"

"You are actually already pointing in the right direction with your words: sharper, choosing words better. And how can we do that better than by continuing to listen to our inner self? We moved to Soul Journalism from mainstream media because we wanted real journalism, while most of us were not really consciously working from our souls. Now that we are aware of that, we can be even better guided by it. I think that's the basis of the sharpening anyway, choosing the best words," Patrick thought.

"Right," Jeroen said, "that is the basis. That's been the basis for the last few weeks, and it really needs to stay that way. And frankly, I don't think we're even capable of working otherwise. But I'm also thinking about a practical solution, in which way we can come out even more clearly, even more powerfully. Would you give your thoughts on that?"

"May I pick up on that for a moment? I have noticed on social media, that cartoons and pictures with short texts in them work very well. These are like arrows being shot. I am no hero with drawing myself, but I could use existing images, and put quotes in them that relate to the information we come across. If you come across any follies, you may forward them to me, and I can see if I can do something with them that way," Christian suggested.

"Something like that," Jeroen responded, "I think you're right Christian, that something like that might work well! That means a new page on the website, I think, a 'Quotes' page or something, just make up a name and create that page. And immediately put every Quote on the socials too, with a reference to that Quotes page, like 'more quotes on...' and then the link. Would you like that?"

Christian nodded enthusiastically, taking short notes. "I can totally see it! This feels like something that's really my thing!"

Jeroen smiled, "All the more powerful your works of art will be then! Have more little ideas bubbled up in the meantime?"

"You mentioned the word sharper. I had to think of more pointy, pokes a little easier at once. And then Christian came up with quotes... that's such an example of sharper. But that's not something that really suits me. For me personally, I then think more of briefly reproducing a nonsense piece from the mainstream media, and giving a sharp, pointed response to it in as few words as possible. Like 'he says this, I say that.' And if necessary, include a link to an article or interview that explains more." Patrick put his hands behind his head and leaned back a little as he pitched his idea. Waiting expectantly, he looked around the circle.

"And then what you call that article or interview with more explanation is more what suits me. Providing evidence, proving and refuting twists of thought. And then you, Patrick could use my articles and interviews again to unleash your shrewdness on that," Jeroen said. "It seems like a nice way of working, what Christian and Patrick want to do can tie in nicely with the work of people like me, who like to do more comprehensive work. Collaboration of souls, collaboration of soulmates, in this case soulmates in work, soulmates all doing what suits them best, that empowers, has greater power to each other and to the outside world."

They talked it over for a while and then went back to work. Both Christian and Patrick bent over social media, picking out things they knew or felt were wrong. Christian made his quotes into images and Patrick wrote his reactions about them in Word, to present to their colleagues at the next meeting, at lunch.

At that meeting, it turned out that Christian was able to refute things with a best dose of humour in silly pictures with just a few words in them. He was unceremoniously given the green light to post them on his Quotes page.

Between those two breaks, which simultaneously served as discussions, Anneloes came up with an idea, which she immediately set to work with. In a drawing programme, she designed a few simple dolls, male, female, boys and girls and started experimenting with them in the same programme. She designed the same dolls in all kinds of positions: standing, sitting, lying, walking, running, with an open mouth so it looked like they were talking. She also made speaking and thinking balloons. She saved her complete series in a folder of 'standard characters' and went to work with them in a photo editing programme, turning them into various cartoons and small drawing strips in response to information she came across on social media.

During the lunch break, she showed the first results. This came as a big and especially fun surprise to the others. Jeroen enjoyed how everyone reacted to it and gave Anneloes a nod.

"Dear folks, may I have a moment? I am extremely happy with how you are finding your own way. Anneloes, is it true that for you this feels like something that suits you wonderfully?"

"Oh yes, definitely! Christian mentioned it this morning, and it just stuck with me. So I first made a big collection of characters, just a set of standard figures that I can fall back on. And then I started experimenting with it based on what I came across on Twitter. That short, pointed thing... I find that suits me a lot more than complete articles. So I'm happy to leave that one to you. Maybe I will write articles someday, it could happen, but I think I have found my thing in cartoons and small drawing strips. I have deliberately kept the characters very basic, so they can be used for anything. I think one day I could make a whole collection. My cartoons, along with those quotes from Christian and those short comments from Patrick, can shoot out to readers a lot of times in a day, radiating our soul power. On the other hand, we also need your surveys, articles and interviews. It actually feels to me like this just makes our website even more complete. It was already wonderful, now it becomes... double wonderful or something like that."

"Guys, I feel completely at home with you," Tineke responded. "The way you work, encouraging each other. And also this practical thing, going through things together during a break. If only a break lasts a little longer, it saves a lot of boring meeting work! And the great thing is, after the break you can go on immediately, post things, and no longer have to wait for that afternoon meeting you always had when I just came to work here. I'm enjoying it!"

"Glad to hear it, Tineke," Eric said, "you have a very different task from us, but you belong all the way. Nice that you feel the same way! How has the correspondence been going the last few days?"

"Fine, apart from a single negative reaction, we only get positive comments. Readers are happy with what you produce. Some do wonder what they can do with it practically. I felt the same way some time ago. People wanted to stand up against the government, against everything that was going wrong, but most people felt unable to do so in practice. When I get questions like this now, I mainly point out to listen to their inner voice, if it indicates something, go for it. And beyond that, do what suits you, what feels right for you."

"That's exactly what's best," Jeroen responded happily," Everyone will have to find their own way anyway, like Patrick, Christian and Anneloes discovered something today that suits them even better than what was already so like molded to them. That's the best thing for yourself, and the most powerful to those around you. I think this is how we can do the most, and in this way we can come out most powerfully. Thank you Tineke, you have a beautiful way of responding!"

.

The new pages attracted a lot of attention from readers. People reacted to it, wrote to Tineke about it. And most strikingly, after just a few days they noticed that colleagues within the mainstream media also started to react, not negatively, but longing for more. Their new way of presenting information touched readers as well as colleagues. However, the problem those colleagues ran into was that they would also like to do this kind of thing, but it was not possible within their working environment in that way.

Their desire grew, the desire to bring out authenticity and truth in a positive, and sometimes comical way. They were in regular contact with Tineke, with Tineke being supported by Jeroen.

A key issue they all faced was that they were stuck in a system where there was hardly any room for movement or thinking of their own. This was how they had been taught in training, and during their work, all those strings had been pulled even tighter, so that it now began to feel like a corset.

The first time they had a consultation with a group of journalists via Zoom, Jeroen mentioned it and added that that corset had to come off now, really come off and they should throw it away. Their colleagues chuckled at first, but then reached for their ribs and their sides. It was clear from their faces that something was happening.

One of them described the result: "I feel like I can finally breathe freely! Not so strange, when that system has been around me like a corset. This feels good!"

His colleagues agreed. Another asked, "But how to proceed? If we stay with our current employer, do we risk ending up in that kind of corset again?"

"They will try that," Jeroen said, "but they won't succeed. The only annoying thing will be that it won't help the atmosphere. The chances are pretty high that they will give you a hard time. On the other side, it could be that you can be of significance among your colleagues by automatically passing on what you have now received to them. I cannot tell you what to do, I can only advise you, each personally but also together, to listen to your inner self. If you feel you should stay there, then stay. Do you feel you should get out, do it. But keep in touch with your colleagues who are here around you right now. You need each other!"

They later heard from this group, that they had got out together, resigned, and set up a website for regional news. They had hesitated about national news, but wanted to leave that to the Soul Journalism group.

Tineke and Jeroen kept following them for a bit, and noticed after a short while that they were working in the same style as they were doing. They discussed with the others whether it would be wise to include them in their own group, make it one organisation. They decided not to propose that in any case, at most to wait and see if the new group itself would come up with such an idea and how they imagined it then.

They received no questions along these lines, but they did receive questions from journalists and other media workers from other organisations. In fact, the same thing happened with each group. The corset idea applied to each group and each of them experienced breaking it off as direct liberation.

As a result, more and more colleagues resigned and new organisations emerged. They were occasionally in touch with each other through their websites, but kept their own organisation, their own target group. And that target group was usually a particular region, or, completely different, a new broadcaster for a kind of radio and television over the internet, on its own website.

Financially, there were sometimes some short periods when things were more difficult, but each group soon turned out to have quite a few citizens behind them who were willing to support them financially.

The media scene underwent a major metamorphosis in a few months. Media Park Hilversum was rearranged, old groups disappeared, new ones took their place. The type of work within the Media Park remained the same, but the basis, the intention of the employees was completely different. Most of them refused to live like a soldier under command any longer. They followed their inner voice, started doing more and more what suited them.

Jeroen, who knew the dark power of the Media Park all too well from before, watched them closely. Sometimes, reports would come out that the diminished old guard who were still there were picking fights with the colleagues who were working in the way that was new to them, but they had to lose out every time, as their colleagues-new-style stood by their way of working and mostly replied their colleagues-old-style with humour or ignored them.

Jeroen watched the scales turn slowly at first, but eventually more and more visibly. The old-style disappeared, old-style colleagues who absolutely did not want to work in the soul way stopped their jobs. Some moved abroad, where they got equally tangled up, because a lot was changing there too.

News, reflections, theories and everyday practice... they were really only represented by people who lived and did their work from within. People who were happier than ever in that and worked powerfully towards society.

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