The Case for Solutions Journalism

Journalists often believe their job is to be the watchdogs who uncover problems, and that this will lead others to implement reforms. Practitioners of solutions journalism hold that this approach is incomplete,  because it allows people in positions of power to claim that problems are intractable and can’t be solved. It also limits the ability, imagination and motivation of organizations and individuals by failing to provide them with credible examples of ways to solve problems.

Here are six reasons solutions journalism should be a part of any journalism curriculum:

1. Solutions journalism tells the whole story. Journalists endeavor to hold an accurate mirror up to society — to write the first draft of history. The standard focus on problems distorts that mirror; we’re not seeing a true picture of how the world actually is. We need to cover how people are solving problems to remove this distortion and provide a more accurate picture of the world.
2. Solutions journalism is good for the future of journalism. Over the past 25 years, journalism has been struggling to retain audiences and remain financially viable. The causes of these challenges are numerous, and they’ve made it imperative that the news business re-examine many of its historical practices. Solutions journalism addresses several contemporary challenges at once: It reinvigorates journalists who are worn down by covering mostly bad news; it reconnects journalists with communities that believe news organizations highlight only their failures and overlook their achievements; and it re-engages audiences that are put off by the relentless negativity they perceive in the news. As a result, it can also lead to increased revenue in the form of subscriptions and donations. For these reasons, a growing number of newsrooms are publishing more solutions stories.
3. Solutions journalism enhances the accountability function of journalism. Sometimes solutions journalism is described as being “guide dog” journalism instead of “watchdog” journalism. This shift can make an investigation stronger. By showing that other places are doing a better job of tackling a problem, solutions journalism removes the excuses of officials who might say, “It’s just the way things are.” When a story shows that people are responding to a problem elsewhere — and seeing good results — solutions journalism can shift that problem from intractable to unacceptable.
4. Solutions journalism is good for democracy. A relentless focus on dysfunction, failure and corruption has led to a steady erosion in trust in our institutions, and worse, in one another. That erosion of trust depresses civic participation, leaving news consumers passive, fatalistic and disheartened. By showing how change can and does happen, solutions journalism reanimates civic participation. It promotes agency instead of resignation by providing the information people need to take on problems in their communities and beyond.
5. Solutions journalism engages audiences. Various studies have found that solutions stories get more shares, more time on page, and more page views than comparable problem-focused stories.
6. Solutions journalism restores trust in journalism. One reason many people distrust journalists and journalism is their perception that reporters look only for the negative, and often cover communities through the lens of stereotypes. Rigorous coverage of what communities are doing to solve their problems can build a relationship of trust between community and news organizations.

How to teach this: Students lack historical context, so it’s helpful to tell them about the 20th-century history of investigative journalism, and how and why journalists have more recently adopted contemporary theories of change to address audiences not just as information consumers but as civic actors. Then engage them in a discussion of how solutions journalism fits into this theory. Include real-world examples, such as The Fire Next Time: A solutions journalism rapid response kit.

Tip: Divide your students into six small groups, assign each group one of these six reasons, and ask each group to create one slide with side-by-side comparison of two stories they think have opposite effects on their reason (for example, erode trust and restore trust; tell part of the story and tell the whole story). You can base this on the format of the impostors slide deck. Then have the class present the entire deck, with one person from each group explaining their slide and how it illustrates the reason.