Impact Stories

"Finding Peace During War,” a solutions story by Chris Killian and Ben Lando, won first place in the Local News Media Feature Story category of the Michigan Press Association awards. The story, by NowKalamazoo, a local publication in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was published in partnership with The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom that shines a light on the U.S. gun violence crisis. NowKalamazoo is part of the Mental Wellness Project, a solutions-oriented journalism initiative covering mental health issues in Southwest Michigan, created by the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative, which was launched with support from SJN’s Local Media Project.

Five universities across East Africa, in Kenya (Kibabii University, Rongo University, Maseno University), Rwanda (University of Rwanda) and Uganda (Makerere University), incorporated solutions journalism into their curricula after professors, lecturers and postgraduate students were trained by Science Africa, one of two organizations coordinating the Solutions Journalism Africa Initiative (a project supported by SJN). Courses in health communication, climate change reporting, feature writing, development communication, and investigative reporting now include modules focused on solutions reporting. Other Kenyan higher education institutions are seeking to provide similar classes. In addition, between 2020 and 2023, twenty-five journalism students from Kenyan public and private universities undertook internships at Science Africa, where they were taught solutions journalism and science journalism.

Six months into a membership program launched in September 2022, Reasons to be Cheerful was generating a steady revenue of close to $10,000 a month from approximately 1,000 of its readers. The digital publication’s membership campaign explained that the funds raised would help the outlet “publish stories about solutions to urgent problems.” Will Doig, the executive editor, said the new fundraising program was a very successful way to diversify and increase revenue from a reliable source of ardent supporters. A total of 2,600 readers were members by the end of 2023.

Ojoma Akor, a Nigerian journalist and health editor of the Daily Trust newspapers, won in the print category of the regional Emerging Health Technologies (EHTs) Media Award of Excellence for a solutions story titled “Bridge: The technological innovation reducing delays in breast cancer diagnosis.” The Daily Trust was part of the first cohort of newsrooms trained by Nigeria Health Watch as part of SJN’s Solutions Journalism Africa Initiative.

Readers of solutions stories in the series “OUTlook,” published by QnotesCarolinas, a newsroom focused on LGBTQ+ issues, stayed with these stories, on average, twice as long as they did with traditional problem-focused stories. By July 2023, 380 readers had signed up for a newsletter dedicated to covering topics at the intersection of business and LGBTQ+ matters. In addition, a survey of the solutions coverage focused on the labor market and workplace equity showed readers intent on taking action and being engaged with the subject matter. Of the respondents, 90% said they would read more about LGBTQ+ labor and workplace issues; 80% said they would support LGBTQ+-owned or -operated businesses after reading these stories; 60% said they would support local unions or groups that are fighting for LGBTQ+ protections in the workplace; and 50% of readers said they would contact their senator or representative about the importance of LGBTQ+ protections.

Emma Löfgren produced a seven-part email-based course on solutions journalism for The Fix, a trade publication focused on the European media market. The series, which spans the same number of weeks, was designed to provide “hands-on tips for making your newsroom more solutions-focused, winning over skeptics and keeping your closest allies on the right track.” Löfgren is also the deputy managing editor of The Local, a digital publication covering news in English for foreigners across various European countries, and editor of the The Local Sweden. As a newsroom leader, solutions journalism is a key part of her editorial priorities.