Impact Stories

The Green Grove farm near the Ukrainian city of Dnipro provided shelter for animals during the early stages of Russia’s invasion. Rubryka, a Ukrainian digital publication, reported the story with a solutions focus, describing the work volunteers did to save animals from bombardments as people fled the area. Readers responded by sending donations, which provided vital support to the farm. According to Anastasia Rudenko, Rubryka’s editor-in-chief, “This story illustrates how solutions-focused journalism can directly benefit communities and contribute to social initiatives.” Similarly, in 2022, Rubryka published a solutions article about Ukrainian knitters produced clothing for soldiers on the battlefield, which led readers in America to knit a range of garments that they shipped to Ukraine as a donation in solidarity with the war torn country.

In California’s capital, The Sacramento Bee, the largest local legacy newspaper, has been pursuing coverage of local climate solutions since the spring of 2023. In December of that year, the publication initiated a highly original community engagement approach by giving three $5,000 grants to local groups eager to develop an array of initiatives across the region. Fast-forward six months, and The Bee’s reporters produced stories on pollinator gardens developed in schools by students, a school compost program that could nurture a garden and a new agricultural program based on the principles of regenerative agriculture. Emilie Stigliani, The Bee’s assistant managing editor, said the “goal was to engage [supporters of the project]” and “explore how climate intersects with beats across the newsroom.”

The Day, a daily publication based in New London, Connecticut, covering the eastern part of the state, raised $100,000 in support of its Housing Solutions Lab. The editorial project has led to the production of solutions-oriented stories such as “Branford Manor residents make a difference with mold complaints.” The revenue generated came from the local community foundation The Day had received financial support from previously, an organization referred by the first foundation, and an audience-focused fundraising campaign. The Day participated in the Lab for Journalism Funding organized by the Local Media Foundation, which also acts as fiscal sponsor for the news organization.

When Diana Alba Soular began reporting for her solutions article titled “NM endowment offers perpetual funding source for rural libraries,” no money had been allocated in the state budget to support this network of essential community institutions in Southern New Mexico. While pressure from rural library advocacy groups had limited traction, Alba Soular’s sustained questions around state lawmakers’ positions on the matter contributed to their decision to add $2.5 million in funding. After unsuccessfully reaching out to state Rep. Nathan Small, D-Las Cruces, the chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, for an interview about funding rural libraries, she was able to get other representatives on the record. However, this allocation of money was only a fraction of the $27 million goal needed to fully fund the endowment initiative rural libraries are calling for.

Since launching in 2022, The Green Line (TGL), a hyperlocal news outlet that serves young Torontonians and those living in underserved areas, has blended financial sustainability with deep community engagement, all while offering coverage of tangible solutions. At the heart of its operating model is the Action Journey strategy, which involves explaining and investigating the root of problems people face, convening community-focused events with discussions around those issues, and developing reporting as well as resources that can help address them. An example of its solutions coverage and engagement is the project “Living With Covid in Toronto.” TGL has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the audiences and communities it serves, as well as from local institutions with which it has partnered on various projects. Its revenue has grown by 125% from 2022 to 2023, with a mix coming from partnerships; foundation and government grants; and readers. Anita Li, founder and publisher of The Green Line, has said solutions journalism plays a crucial role in attracting support from grantmakers and audiences alike.

Reporter Gabriela Barzallo wrote a solutions story titled “¿Puede la bioeconomía tomar el relevo al petróleo en la Amazonia ecuatoriana?” (“Can the bioeconomy replace oil extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon?”) for the Americas section of El País, one of the most extensive and trustworthy Spanish-language outlets, in June 2023. Shortly after, Ecuador’s minister of tourism, Niels Olsen, reached out to discuss some of the nonextractive economic practices she explored in her article, including ecotourism. In a plan for the country’s tourism industry outlined at the beginning of 2024, the minister specifically mentioned his intention to promote sustainable and entrepreneurial forms of tourism that would benefit rural and indigenous communities.