Solutions Journalism: 11 tough questions on how to do solutions journalism
European Journalism Centre (2023), 30 pp.
"People are well aware that there are many problems in the world. And while knowing that is important, solutions journalism aims to offer a more balanced and hopeful outlook on the world. By focusing on responses to problems, solutions journalism encourages individuals to actively engage with solutions. It is especially relevant as research shows that more and more people avoid the news. This guide, informed by conversations with solutions journalists and Solutions Journalism Network, addresses key questions that arise when practising solutions journalism." (Introduction)
1 Does solutions journalism mean we should not do problem-focused stories? 6
2 By focusing on solutions reporting, are we not advocating that a problem needs to be solved? 8
3 Since these solutions do not fully resolve the whole problem, should we still report on them? 10
4 How do you determine what problems and responses are worth covering? 12
5 Can we include more than one solution in a single story? 15
6 How much evidence does the response have to have? 16
7 Could the story be boring if the focus is solely on the response and not on the people involved? 18
8 If I encounter a situation where there is a tendency towards hero-worshipping, what should I do? 20
9 At what point is a failed solution no longer a solutions story? What is the right balance? 24
10 How do you produce solutions journalism regularly when you already don’t have enough time? 26
11 How can I make people in my newsroom interested and inspired by solutions journalism? 28
2 By focusing on solutions reporting, are we not advocating that a problem needs to be solved? 8
3 Since these solutions do not fully resolve the whole problem, should we still report on them? 10
4 How do you determine what problems and responses are worth covering? 12
5 Can we include more than one solution in a single story? 15
6 How much evidence does the response have to have? 16
7 Could the story be boring if the focus is solely on the response and not on the people involved? 18
8 If I encounter a situation where there is a tendency towards hero-worshipping, what should I do? 20
9 At what point is a failed solution no longer a solutions story? What is the right balance? 24
10 How do you produce solutions journalism regularly when you already don’t have enough time? 26
11 How can I make people in my newsroom interested and inspired by solutions journalism? 28
