Hope, impact, appeal: it turns out that what we're doing on the Daily Alternative... is Solutions Journalism
Nice to find out you’re doing something that has an “official” category. We see the Daily Alternative as providing “tools and tips” for those hoping to build social and community alternatives, to empower us to grapple with massive changes (climate and technological). Turns out that what we’ve been doing is “solutions journalism”.
We were alerted to it by one of our associated networks, Catalyst 2030, and this post (its video embedded, left, begins properly 4.24) about how solutions journalism could help Catalyst members advance on their goal of realising the SDGs (sustainable development goals).
Yet following up the term opens out to us this vibrant movement of journalism reform. It’s been mapping the crisis of news in the US from the early 2010s (before the advent of “fake news” accusations), and seeks to guide journalists to a new, more trustworthy and transparent relationship with communities.
They say solutions journalism:-
Can be character-driven, but focuses in-depth on a response to a problem and how the response works in meaningful detail
Focuses on effectiveness, not good intentions, presenting available evidence of results
Discusses the limitations of the approach
Seeks to provide insight that others can use
Looking for examples of solutions journalism? The Network provides SolutionsU, a news filter for stories it deems to make the grade (here’s its most update feed and its topics).
They talk about the impact of solutions journalism here:
It Enhances Knowledge and Accountability
Solutions journalism facilitates the flow of information crucial to the advancement of society. When incorporated into broader coverage of an issue, it offers a more accurate account of the state of play than does a dystopian ticker tape of corruption and failure. It also strengthens accountability by raising the bar and removing excuses for inaction.
Done well, solutions journalism is as clear-eyed and rigorous as the most hardnosed investigative story. Its goal isn’t to inoculate people from society’s many problems or to blithely make them feel better about the world. It’s to provide society with the information it needs to self-correct.
It Strengthens Audience Engagement
Solutions journalism has the power to attract new audiences and strengthen engagement. A BBC survey found that 64 percent of survey responders under 35 wanted solutions-oriented news, rather than just news that tells them about issues. Focus groups in South Central L.A. found that residents there had a strong desire for solutions-oriented news, suggesting the potential for solutions journalism to engage people from marginalized communities.
Several studies have found that people are more inclined to share “positive content” than “negative content,” and there is early evidence that people linger on the page longer when reading solutions journalism.
It Helps Restore Trust
All over the world, progress is being made against seemingly intractable problems. But if people only hear about the failures, it should come as no surprise that faith in democratic institutions—including the press—is crumbling. Solutions journalism helps restore trust by showing that the system can work to solve society’s most pressing problems.
Some studies have uncovered a kind of “halo effect” in which solutions journalism strengthens the perception of a newsroom’s trustworthiness. In audience surveys, readers of the The Seattle Times’ “Education Lab,” a dedicated solution-oriented series about public education, expressed more trust in the paper than did readers generally.
They recently backed up their impact assessment with a custom nationwide poll, which indicated how much positive preference readers had for this kind of journalism. For example, “88% said a solutions journalism story they viewed left a positive initial impression on them, compared to 74% for a comparable problem-focused story.”
Finally, in this “ten reasons why we need solutions journalism”, here’s a few of them:
It provides a more complete view of society. When we cover problems but not responses, we omit vast areas of human activity and perpetuate misleading beliefs about reality.
It provides a more useful feedback mechanism for society. When people receive feedback that includes positive deviance, it enhances their capacity to solve problems.
It provides information essential to solving problems. Knowing something is broken does not tell you how to fix it.
It strengthens citizenship. It informs readers about how they can apply their talents to better address social problems.
It rounds out journalism’s theory of change. There are two ways journalists improve society: 1) spotlight harmful things or 2) spotlight helpful things. Journalists have the power to do both but focus far more on the first.
It reveals hidden opportunities for social change. Given the media’s bias for negative deviance, much of the world’s problem-solving activity goes unreported and, therefore, possibilities for reform are unrealized.
It improves journalists’ understanding of society. Regular exposure to effective models will improve journalists’ ability to explain what works and critique what doesn’t.
It sharpens traditional journalism. Covering creative problem solving activity will help beat reporters add depth, contrast and variety to their work, and may reveal hidden assumptions or blind spots.
It sharpens investigative journalism, too. Many investigative stories could be bolstered with a discussion of how a similar problem is being successfully addressed elsewhere. When people see how problems can be solved, failure becomes less acceptable. Many good models are being blocked by vested interests. Solutions journalism and investigative journalism can make for a good one-two punch.
It will attract a new audience. News consumers are weary of a steady diet of dismal news, and no longer satisfied to be passive recipients of the day’s crises, flashpoints and scandals. Citizens, especially young citizens, are interested in finding, enlarging and strengthening what works, and many will pay for news that helps them do this. Solutions Journalism meets this market need.
All of this reminds us of our friend Patrick Chalmers’ work. And please explore our category archive on “A Better Media”.