Solutions News Bureau: Contributing to a Healthier Media Climate

Welcome to Solutions Journalism News Bureau. This website will feature stories generated by students in the capstone course in the journalism program at Oakland University. In addition, we’ll also publish “solutions” stories from companion media organizations.

While increasingly negative mainstream news has led to news fatigue and avoidance in the general public, it has also seen the rise of a reporting style that focuses on society’s problems more constructively. Many people and organizations are responding to problems in important ways, and their stories need to be told.

How is Solutions Journalism Different?

Proponents of solutions journalism — and similar forms of news reporting under the “constructive journalism” framework that have recently gained attention — aim to contribute to a healthier media climate. Solutions journalists reframe news stories to focus on growth, progress, and collaboration instead of destruction, corruption, and conflict. 

This approach to journalism has been elevated by major news orgs, including The Guardian, and BBC.

Instructors

Special Lecturer Kate Roff is an award-winning journalist and editor, and has worked for media agencies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Costa Rica. She is the founding editor of Peace News Network, managing editor for Detroit’s Metromode and Model D, and a recognized solutions journalist. 

Adjunct instructor of journalism and public relations, Holly Shreve Gilbert is a freelance writer, public relations consultant, and publication designer. Her expertise includes story-telling for new media and media design. Formerly a feature editor, she has been teaching at Oakland since 1994 and serves as chief academic adviser for the journalism and public relations programs at OU.