How do I know it’s Solutions Journalism?

Here are five criteria to apply when writing/producing a solutions-oriented story. Not every story will meet all of these criteria, and that’s okay—but we hope this will inspire your thinking:

1 A SOLUTIONS STORY FOCUSES ON A RESPONSE TO A SOCIAL PROBLEM — AND HOW THAT RESPONSE HAS WORKED OR WHY IT HASN’T.

If the story doesn’t describe a response, it’s not solutions journalism. That response should be explained in the context of the problem it’s trying to address, and the story should delve into how it works. The narrative is driven by the problem-solving and the tension is located in the inherent difficulty in solving a problem. Documenting the causes of that problem will clarify the opportunity for a solution to create leverage and impact.

2 THE BEST SOLUTIONS REPORTING DISTILLS THE LESSONS THAT MAKES THE RESPONSE RELEVANT AND ACCESSIBLE TO OTHERS. IN OTHER WORDS, IT OFFERS INSIGHT.

What makes solutions journalism compelling is the discovery—the journey that brings the reader or viewer to an insight about how the world works and, perhaps, how it could be made to work better.

3 SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM LOOKS FOR EVIDENCE — DATA OR QUALITATIVE RESULTS THAT SHOW EFFECTIVENESS (OR LACK THEREOF).

Solutions stories are up front with audiences about that evidence — what it tells us and what it doesn’t. A particularly innovative response can be a good story even without much evidence — but the reporter has to be transparent about the lack, and about why the response is newsworthy anyway.

4 REPORTING ON LIMITATIONS IS ESSENTIAL.

Solutions stories reveal a response’s shortcomings. No response is perfect, and some work well for one community but may fail in others. A responsible reporter covers what doesn’t work about it, and places the response in context.