News organizations nationwide have embraced solutions journalism: rigorous reporting that covers what’s missing in much of today’s news. Instead of continually reporting on crises and flawed systems, journalists are reporting not just on what’s broken, but on what’s being done to fix it. They dig deeper, rigorously reporting on how people, organizations and institutions around the world are responding to problems.

The results are heartening and also empowering. Solutions journalism increases the impact of reporting by shifting the frame from “watchdog” (detailing what’s wrong) to “guide dog” (showing how it can be done better). Solutions journalism has been shown to increase audience engagement, revenue and trust in the news as well. For these reasons, many newsrooms are looking to hire reporters with knowledge of, and experience in, practicing solutions journalism, and it’s a skill more and more journalism programs are teaching.

If you are a professor interested in teaching solutions journalism, this toolkit provides the materials you need. It includes the essentials, whether you’re developing an entire course or a module to incorporate into an existing class. It also offers specific guidance for stories in various forms and platforms.

• Chapter I covers the key concepts you’ll want to include in any solutions journalism course, as well as a range of options for lectures, discussions, class exercises and homework assignments. 
• Chapter II provides specific advice for teaching students to craft stories in various forms and for various platforms, from audio and video to social media and content creation.
• Chapter III shares resources available to you and your students, and invites you to interact with this Curriculum Builder. You can ask questions, make suggestions or contribute to the next iterations. We’d love to hear from you.

You’ll find links to all the resources mentioned throughout the toolkit, including sample syllabuses, worksheets and rubrics. (We also encourage you to explore the rest of our resources in the Learning Lab, including our Basic Toolkit, a step-by-step guide to solutions journalism reporting.)

This toolkit is an evolving resource that very much depends on the wisdom of solutions journalism educators at every stage along the path of developing and implementing a successful curriculum. As you move ahead with your own approach, please join our growing community and share your experiences. The more we share what we’re learning, the better this resource will become for all those teaching solutions journalism, and for their students.