As a journalist, my reporting pattern often emphasizes problems: political conflicts, environmental damage, or misguided public policies. All this time, the primary role of the media is to be a watchdog, keeping an eye on those in power and alerting the public to threats. However, during my WPI program, I learned about the concept of solutions journalism.
We attended a workshop by the Solution Journalism Network (SJN), led by Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, a former journalism professor and SJN curriculum manager and Kyuwon Lee, an SJN trainer and curriculum manager. From that workshop, I learned the media’s role is to ring an alarm, but also to show the way forward.
Solutions journalism report a problem, but highlight how communities, governments or individuals are trying to find a way out. This approach rests on four pillars: response, evidence, insight, and limitation.
In other words, coverage must address real responses to the problem, present proof of effectiveness, provide lessons that can be learned and at the same time acknowledge the limitations.
For example, I once interviewed a graduate of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia’s oldest and prestigious universities located in Yogyakarta, who processes plastic waste into wood-substitute materials. This initiative offers an alternative way to prevent it from piling up in landfills. This kind of effort is still relevant in Yogyakarta, where waste management relies on open dumping, piling trash in open areas without further processing.
From the perspective of solutions journalism, the story is interesting because it does not stop at the fact that plastic waste is a major problem. This highlights an initiative to reduce plastic waste.
The product is used in various regions, such as Bali, Padang, dan Klaten, offering insights into the circular economy. The report shows that there are ways to address the mounting waste problem in Yogyakarta. It is possible to solve.
For me, learning about solutions journalism also means shifting my perspective on the profession. Until now, I often thought that a journalist’s duty was simply to report reality as it is. But, reporting only on problems, such as corruption, ongoing disasters, or endless conflicts, can result in incomplete pictures and sometimes to lead to news fatigue.
Solutions journalism emphasizes balance and rigor, showing both the challenges and the responses that emerge to address them. At this point, solutions journalism serves as a watch dog and a guide dog, helping the public see there are efforts, however small, to improve the situation.
Of course, solutions journalism does not mean ignoring problems. On the contrary, critical thinking remains the foundation. The difference is, after the problem is reported the journalist asks: who is trying to address those problems? How do they work? What are the results? And what can be learned? These questions make reporting richer, more balanced, and more useful for readers.
I realize that practicing solutions journalism is not easy. It requires more time for research, courage to challenge newsroom mindsets about sensationalism, and discipline to present data, not just optimistic narratives.
However, this is a direction worth pursuing. In this way, journalism can remain vigilant while also being relevant and beneficial to the public.
Learning solutions journalism has made me more optimistic about this profession. Amid the overwhelming flow of information, we as journalists have a choice: to merely highlight problems, or to also help society see what is or can be done about them. Perhaps, this is where journalism rediscovers its greatest meaning.
