An opinion piece by Yasmina Madafi, director and co-founder of La Nouvelle Agence.
This summer, Paris was buzzing with excitement as the Olympic Games took place – a global event that embodies the spirit of pushing one’s limits, fraternity and the celebration of human excellence. Yet what we will also take away from these Games is not just the quest for medals, but the moments of shared joy and a sense of togetherness around a victory or a performance. Media figures – whether journalists, presenters or content creators – play a key role in spreading this joy by capturing and conveying these moments of collective emotion.
The Paris 2024 Games are not taking place in isolation. They follow years marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the turmoil in the Middle East… Times during which isolation, fear and uncertainty have been ever-present. Throughout these successive crises, the media have had to navigate between their responsibility to inform and the need to sustain hope. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, often quoted for his aphorism “What does not kill me makes me stronger”, reminds us that joy can emerge from adversity. By reporting on the stories of resilience and solidarity that flourished during this period, the media contributed to this collective resilience, thereby becoming architects of joy.
This idea of joy as a response to suffering also resonates with the thinking of Spinoza, who sees joy as an increase in our capacity for action. By amplifying stories of success, reinvention and mutual support, media outlets do more than simply entertain or inform; they strengthen the public’s capacity for action. They transform moments of crisis into opportunities to rediscover what unites us, reminding us that joy is not merely the absence of pain, but an active force that drives us forward.
The Olympic Games, as a global spectacle, have offered the media a new opportunity to fulfil this role. By reporting on the athletes’ achievements, they do more than simply present us with stories of individual victories. They also show us the beauty of sport as a universal language, capable of transcending cultural differences and political tensions. In this sense, the media become mediators of joy, crafting narratives that unite people, just as Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Games, had envisaged.
However, this role as artisans of joy is not without its challenges. The media must strike a balance between the raw truth of the world and the escapism necessary for our mental wellbeing. Their mission is to reflect the complexity of the human condition, where joy and sorrow coexist, and where one cannot be fully understood without the other. It is no simple task, but it is a necessary one.
The media, as creators of joy, have the power to shape our perception of the world. By showing us not only what is going wrong, but also what inspires, what brings us together, and what makes us smile, they remind us that, even in the darkest moments, joy remains a possibility – and a choice. Media professionals have transformed these Games into a celebration of human joy, a light after the darkness, a reminder that life, in all its complexity, is always worth living with enthusiasm.
