Solutions Journalism 101 Numberanalytics Com

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 6:55 AM

solutions journalism 101 numberanalytics com

Sarah Lee AI generated Llama-4-Maverick-17B-128E-Instruct-FP8 6 min read · May 26, 2025 Solutions journalism is a reporting approach that focuses on the responses to social problems, rather than just the problems themselves. It aims to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the issues by highlighting the people, organizations, and initiatives working to address them. This approach has its roots in the early 2000s, when a group of journalists and media experts began to explore new ways to cover social issues in a more constructive and impactful way. The Solutions Journalism Network (SJN), a non-profit organization founded in 2013, has been instrumental in promoting and supporting the development of solutions journalism. SJN defines solutions journalism as "rigorous and compelling reporting on the responses to social problems" 1.

The organization provides training, resources, and networking opportunities for journalists and media outlets to help them adopt this approach. Solutions journalism is guided by several key principles, including: The benefits of solutions journalism are numerous. By highlighting the responses to social problems, solutions journalism can: This Solutions Journalism Network webinar will explore the ins and outs of solutions journalism, talk about why it’s important, explain key steps in reporting a solutions story, and share tips and resources for journalists... We will also explore additional resources we have on hand for your reporting, including the Solutions Story Tracker, a database of more than 15,000 stories tagged by beat, publication, author, location, and more, a...

Solutions journalism is an approach to news reporting that focuses on the responses to social issues as well as the problems themselves. Solutions stories, anchored in credible evidence, explain how and why responses are working, or not working. The goal of this journalistic approach is to present people with a truer, more complete view of these issues, helping to drive more effective citizenship. Solutions journalism is rigorous, evidence-based reporting on the responses to social problems. Solutions stories can take many forms, but they share several key characteristics. They identify the root causes of a social problem; prominently highlight a response, or responses, to that problem; present evidence of the impact of that response; and explain how and why the response is...

When possible, solutions stories also present an insight that helps people better understand how complex systems work, and how they can be improved. Proponents of solutions journalism distinguish the approach from so-called "good news" reporting, which can be characterized by a superficial presentation of a response without careful analysis or examination of whether the response is effective. Solutions stories assess responses that are working today, as opposed to untested theories—and they tend to place more emphasis on the innovation than on a person or institution responsible for that innovation. Solutions journalism supporters believe that it provides important feedback that allows society to see credible possibilities and respond more successfully to emerging challenges. Compelling reporting about responses to social problems, they say, can strengthen society by increasing the circulation of knowledge necessary for citizens to engage powerfully with issues in their communities, and for communities, leaders, innovators,... Simply reporting on problems, some research shows, can reduce citizens' sense of efficacy, leading them to disengage from public life.

In a 2008 study, the Associated Press found that young people were tired of news, which they perceived as being negative and lacking resolution.[1] This resulted in "news fatigue", in which people tended to... Solutions Journalism is rigorous reporting about responses to society’s problems. It is complete journalism that not only spotlights the problems but follows an evidence-based presentation of existing solutions. Such reporting enhances knowledge and accountability by providing the whole story to readers and offers constructive content in an age of media apathy. This innovative journalism approach goes beyond simple issue identification and instead focuses on featuring what is already working. It uses the same rigor of investigative reporting to highlight the mechanisms and success factors as well as the limitations of already-existing solutions to well-known problems.

As a result, it activates citizens by functioning as a catalyst for accountability that can lead to meaningful change. A problem that was seen as unavoidable comes to be seen as unacceptable. Solutions Journalism covers a wide variety of topics and its approach ranges from identifying cases of positive deviants to exploring new ideas in action to reporting on experiments in progress. The result is informative, impactful content that strengthens audience engagement re-establishes trust in the media, and increases both readership and revenue. The Four Qualities of Solutions Journalism 1) A solutions story focuses on a RESPONSE to a social problem — and how that response has worked or why it hasn’t.

(“howdunnit”)2) The best solutions reporting distills the lessons that makes the response relevant and accessible to others. In other words, it offers INSIGHT.3) Solutions journalism looks for EVIDENCE — data or qualitative results that show effectiveness (or lack thereof).4) Discusses LIMITATIONS or gaps of the approach (no response is perfect!) Sarah Lee AI generated Llama-4-Maverick-17B-128E-Instruct-FP8 6 min read · May 25, 2025 Solutions Journalism is a rapidly growing field that seeks to reframe the way we consume and interact with news. At its core, Solutions Journalism is about reporting on responses to social problems, rather than just reporting on the problems themselves. Solutions Journalism is built on several key principles, including:

Solutions Journalism has its roots in the 1990s, when a growing number of journalists and media outlets began to focus on reporting on solutions to social problems. However, it wasn't until the launch of the Solutions Journalism Network in 2013 that the field began to gain widespread recognition and momentum. Since then, Solutions Journalism has evolved to become a global movement, with a growing community of practitioners, researchers, and advocates. Solutions Journalism differs from traditional journalism in several key ways. Some of the key characteristics of Solutions Journalism include: Solutions journalism is rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems, which includes these key elements:

Founded in 2013 by the award-winning journalists David Bornstein, Tina Rosenberg and Courtney Martin, the Solutions Journalism Network includes: The Solutions Story Tracker® is the largest collection of solutions journalism: 17,200 stories produced by 9,700 journalists and 2,140 news outlets from 98 countries. The stories cover responses in 199 countries, in 18 languages. This resource is made possible because of a growing movement of journalists who use solutions journalism to illuminate both problems and evidence-based responses to them. The Solutions Journalism Network offers newsletters for journalists, educators and everyone interested in how people are responding to problems. Journalists in our global network use solutions journalism to strengthen community efficacy, challenge false and harmful stereotypes, build trust and civic engagement, depolarize public discourse and build new sources of revenue.

Solutions Journalism is a new approach to reporting news that focuses on solutions rather than problems. This type of journalism aims to provide a more balanced view of the world by highlighting the positive actions that people are taking to solve problems. Solutions Journalism is not about ignoring the problems that exist in the world but rather about providing a more complete picture of the world we live in. Journalism has always been about reporting the news, but in recent years, the focus has shifted to a more negative approach. The news is often filled with stories about crime, disasters, and other negative events. While it’s important to report on these issues, it’s also important to provide a more balanced view of the world.

This is where Solutions Journalism comes in. By highlighting the positive actions that people are taking to solve problems, Solutions Journalism provides a more complete picture of the world we live in. Solutions Journalism is not just about reporting on the good news; it’s about providing a more accurate and complete view of the world. It’s about showing that there are people out there who are working to make a difference and that their efforts are making a real impact. By focusing on solutions, Solutions Journalism can inspire people to take action and make a difference in their own communities. This free Solutions Journalism Network webinar will explore the ins and outs of solutions journalism, talk about why it’s important, explain key steps in reporting a solutions story, and share tips and resources for...

We will also explore additional resources we have on hand for your reporting, including the Solutions Story Tracker, a database of more than 10,000 stories tagged by beat, publication, author, location, and more, a... Sarah Lee AI generated Llama-4-Maverick-17B-128E-Instruct-FP8 6 min read · May 25, 2025 Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash The media landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. As audiences become increasingly disillusioned with the negativity and sensationalism that often characterizes modern journalism, a new approach is gaining traction: Solutions Journalism. This emerging field is redefining the role of journalism in society, focusing on the constructive and impactful stories that drive social change.

The demand for solutions-focused storytelling is on the rise. Audiences are craving more than just the latest news; they want to know how problems are being addressed and what they can do to make a difference. According to a study by the Solutions Journalism Network, 74% of respondents believe that news organizations should focus on solutions to problems, not just the problems themselves 1. Technology has played a crucial role in enabling Solutions Journalism. The rise of digital media has made it easier for journalists to research and tell complex stories in engaging and interactive ways. Social media platforms, in particular, have become essential tools for journalists to disseminate their work and connect with their audiences.

Solutions Journalism 101 Numberanalytics Com

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