Stony Brook launches master’s program centered on solutions journalism

Stony Brook University launched a Master’s in Journalism program with a strong emphasis on solutions and community-driven journalism in the fall of 2022. Solutions journalism is a required course as part of the program, during which students learn the practice’s framework, analyze story examples, review existing toolkits and produce a long-form piece of reporting. Course conveners added multimedia stories and iterated on the curriculum based on students’ requests and needs. Students have also contributed to developing materials to teach SoJo modules in the undergraduate journalism program. Within a year of graduating, three of the program’s graduates were hired in newsrooms to aid in solutions-focused reporting. Educators from journalism schools across the country came to learn about adopting solutions journalism curricula during the 2024 Solutions Journalism Educators Academy hosted by Stony Brook.