“What effect does the current news cycle have on your mood?” asked Jeremy Druker, from Transitions. He was not surprised by the overall negative response from the audience, many who are journalists.

“Journalists should not just be the watch dog, but also be a guide dog by guiding people to solutions, he said. “Solutions Journalism is rigorous, evidence-based reporting on existing responses to social problems.”

He expanded further on the characteristics of solutions journalism, known as SoJo:

• Features not just a person, but a response to a problem and how it happened.
• Provides evidence of impact, looking at effectiveness – not just intentions
• Seeks to provide insights (replicable models) that can help others respond too – not just inspiration
• Discusses limitations, caveats and the response, to show there is no perfect solution.

“Evidence shows that SoJo increases audience engagement, and that can increase revenue,” said Drucker.

Using SoJo has the following impact according to research:

• Increased engagement because readers of solutions stories spend 25% more time on page.
• Increased positive affect towards news source, story and issue.
• Increased self-efficacy and stronger belief that they can contribute to solutions themselves.
• Increased intent to learn more than individuals exposed to traditional reporting.
• Increased intent to share solutions-orientated reporting (tweeted 27.9% more) than traditional reporting

When you engage with funders to monetise SoJo: 

• Inquire about their goals and show how they align.
• Develop project ideas swiftly and test low cost prototypes with the target audience.

When you engage with communities, use SoJo to define the problem they face:

• Ask your audience
• Let them define the problem
• Discuss the solutions 

When asked, “How do think this approach works for short news cycles?” 

Drucker replied, “Not for breaking news, but perhaps a day later a program with a longer story format could show a solution that has made positive change in another community. For example, a school shooting story with a program that has worked to change attitudes.”