Broadcast Course: Theresa de los Santos, Pepperdine

Guest Commentator

Theresa de los Santos headshot
Theresa de los Santos
Theresa de los Santos at Pepperdine University teaches solutions journalism as part of the school’s intermediate-level television news course.

In this semester-long television news course, following a pitch meeting during week 8, students are assigned to a multimedia journalism team with peers enrolled in a complementary course. Each team researches and develops an original solutions journalism piece. This section is based on her approach. We encourage you to adapt it for your needs and share the results with us so we can include them in updates of this toolkit.

“When a visual reporter has vivid on-camera interviews and b-roll that shows ground-level responders working through a solution, the impact can be quite powerful.”

Theresa de los Santos headshot
Theresa de los Santos
Professor, Pepperdine University

“So often today, reporting can be so negative, focusing on fear and anger, two emotions that our industry wrongfully believes attracts viewers. But solutions journalism does the opposite; it can lead to real change in our communities and appeals to our hope in humanity and our belief in the ability to change things for the better.”

Logan Hall headshot
Logan Hall
Senior Broadcast Journalism Major, Pepperdine University

IN-CLASS LECTURE AND DISCUSSION

  • Going beyond problems
  • Elements of a solutions journalism story
  • Examples of broadcast solutions journalism stories

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

  • Students write and edit a solutions journalism video news package, complete with three to four essential on-camera interviews and b-roll.
  • The full piece is presented to professional guest evaluators at the end of the semester.
Article about solutions journalism
A screengrab from the Pepperdine magazine, featuring solutions journalism work.