Guidance for Teaching Solutions Journalism Research

by Kyser Lough, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism at the University of Georgia, one of five Solutions Journalism Network University Hubs

There are plenty of pathways for graduate (and undergraduate) students interested in researching solutions journalism. By now, we have a solid foundation in the literature, and it has begun branching off into various subtopics/specialties. But there is lots of room for new research.

I suggest two main structures for guiding students through this. First, the research-related project can help them become more familiar with solutions journalism from a theoretical and methodological perspective. This can be especially useful for students early in their academic careers. Second is the standard research project or proposal, where students can apply what they’ve learned about the research process to a topic relating to solutions journalism.

Research-related projects

1. Concept explication of solutions journalism
   Having a student work through the formal definition of solutions journalism can be a good introduction into deeper research possibilities. Steve Reese has a good guide on writing conceptual articles that includes concept explications. A more in-depth assignment could ask students to compare solutions journalism with another type of journalism, such as peace journalism or constructive journalism, or explore how it can be used in specific journalistic forms such as education reporting, war coverage or anything else they are interested in.

    

2. Annotated bibliography
   Having students create an annotated bibliography can also be a good entry point. Here, it’s useful to have some sense of direction beyond just solutions journalism so that students can explore studies relating to what they might be interested in. For example, a student interested in climate coverage and solutions journalism will likely include some of the early general studies on solutions journalism as well as some of the more recent studies that specifically look at climate. Ask students to provide each reference, along with a brief assessment. I like to have them break this into two paragraphs: The first covers the basics of the paper, like key findings, methods, etc.; the second asks them to describe their own thoughts on the study and its potential relevance to their interests.

    

Research projects
Full research studies can be tricky to fit into a semester model, so sometimes just the practice of building a study proposal can be useful. Here are some common methods that have been used in solutions journalism research, along with some advice for guiding students through this.

Content analysis
A very common type of solutions journalism study involves using content analysis to examine solutions journalism reporting from a particular topic/newsroom/etc., often comparing it with problem-based stories. It’s relatively feasible to design and complete within a semester.
How to teach this: The four qualities of solutions journalism are a good variable to code for in addition to the typical variables we see in news content analysis. Have students define and defend how they think they should code the pillars: Just “presence/absence,” or in a more specific way, like where it appears in the story, how much of the story includes that quality, etc.

Also, have students define what “coverage” means and consider what aspects need to be coded. A content analysis of the story’s text tells us only what the story said, versus a study on the headline, story, images, captions, layout design, etc.

Qualitative content analysis can also be a useful way for students to develop new knowledge on how solutions journalism is used in reporting. This sometimes gets overlooked as a method, but also it requires additional reflexivity and analysis development from the students.

Tip: The Solutions Story Tracker is a fantastic resource for finding reporting to analyze. Show students how to use “advanced search” to locate reporting on a specific topic or from a particular newsroom.

Experimental studies
While often hard to pull off in one semester, experimental studies on solutions journalism have offered a lot of interesting and important knowledge about the practice. 

Tip: A feasible course expectation for students would be to design the study proposal, which I often frame as “fully prepared to submit for Institutional Review Board/Ethics approval.” This way, they have gone through all the steps in designing the experiment versus a surface-level proposal that doesn’t have stimuli material, recruitment information, etc. Time permitting, a pre-test of the stimuli can also be useful.

Surveys and interviews
Survey and interview-based research on solutions journalism can be another way to understand the audience, but also can be useful for learning more about how journalists think and what they do. For these proposals, ask students to run a pilot or two before the end of the semester. For surveys, this helps them see if they are asking the right questions in the right ways (and if it’s too long, which it usually is). For interviews, it also helps refine the way they are asking questions and whether it is getting them the answers they are looking for.

Broader advice
Tip: When I have students design a research proposal for their class requirements, I aim for them to have something “ready to launch.” It must include the specific methods and related information needed to run the study, and not be just a general idea or incomplete design. This way, they can take it to a research group, work on it in their next course, pitch it as independent study, or just work on it on their own.

For either a full paper or proposal, have students start with either an annotated bibliography of solutions journalism and their topic, or the fully formed literature review section. Exploring and understanding existing solutions journalism scholarship can help inform their study design and ensure they are on the right track.

Tip: Solutions journalism can be the main topic of the research, but it doesn’t have to be. The research could be a study on a broader topic that includes a sub-question about solutions journalism.

Tip: Students will likely start by searching Google Scholar and other academic resources for “solutions journalism,” but encourage them to pair that with other keywords (photojournalism, environmental reporting, etc.) to see how it’s being applied to their interests.

Tip: I keep a public bibliography of all the solutions journalism and constructive journalism research I can find, which can also be a good start for students looking to see what’s out there. If you or your students find (or publish) anything I’m missing, send it my way!