Journalists are trained to follow the problems. Most of the time, we find out where something went wrong, talk to the right people and share our findings with the public — I’d say we’re pretty good at that.
But what reporting usually misses is the “Okay, what now?” That’s the question we’re hoping to answer with the launch of The Daily’s Solutions desk.
Solutions journalism uses traditional journalism as a foundation and goes further. It asks a multitude of follow-up questions: Who’s actually trying to fix this? Is it working? If not, why not? What can we learn from it? Could it work somewhere else?
We focus on responses to the most pressing social problems, not just the problems themselves. It isn’t about sugarcoating or pretending things can be magically fixed. It isn’t an “end all be all” approach — real solutions journalism recognizes that things actually aren’t okay, but simultaneously looks into what is working to solve it.
The Solutions Journalism Network calls it “hope with teeth,” — journalism that’s not just hopeful, but actionable. Since 2022, SJN has worked with college newsrooms across the country through its Student Media Challenge, offering grants and support for student-led solutions journalism projects.
This year, The Daily was lucky enough to be one of just eight student newsrooms selected to receive a grant. This quarter, we will report on responses to youth mental health challenges, both at Northwestern and in local communities.
You don’t need a journalist to tell you there’s a youth mental health crisis in this country. Schools like NU are at the forefront of responding to that crisis, and our newsroom has the potential to be leaders in telling these types of stories and show, for the first time in this newspaper’s history, what can be done about these challenges.
If solutions journalism sounds foreign, don’t worry — it was for me too. I came to know solutions in a Medill course last school year, where I had the chance to connect with Chicago communities and ask questions about the day-to-day issues facing their neighborhoods.
Our class spent the quarter just getting to know these people and discovering what was being done to combat problems they faced — from biking as a solution to traffic congestion to local artists creating murals to commemorate victims of gun violence.
I got to see firsthand the issues that existed in these neighborhoods. But also, I saw what was working to fight them. That balance is one that solutions journalism is uniquely equipped to provide. Solutions can be more powerful than problems, and my hope is that you see what this looks like as part of The Daily’s newest addition.
Whether you’re a vet or are just getting started with The Daily, I hope you’ll consider bringing your skills to the solutions journalism desk.
Janelle Mella is a Medill junior. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
Email: [email protected]
