Solutions journalism as a tool for renewing setting agenda and improve audience engagement
Abstract
The high levels of information and disinformation as well as the poor quality of the news published by the media instigate media rejection in the audience, who prefer to be informed through alternative information channels such as social networks. Solutions journalism, who is derived from slow journalism and proposes responses to social problems, represents a good option to regain the public´s confidence in media and improve audience engagement. This essay introduces the state of the art of solutions journalism from the perspective of audience reception studies and analyzes, by means of the bibliographic review technique, the academic works published by international experts over the last decade. The results show the existence of a strong amount of support regarding solutions journalism, whose news, according to the audience, are more credible and interesting than traditional ones. However, this situation does not necessarily result into a greater consumption of solutions journalism news; on the contrary, the results indicate that global audiences keep on reading bad news in a much higher rate.
Downloads
References
Albalad, J. M., & Rodríguez, J. M. (2015). Retro Report, un modelo de periodismo lento audiovisual. En F. Sabes & J. J. Verón (Coords.), Innovación y cambio en la comunicación postindustrial (pp. 102-116). Asociación de Periodistas de Aragón.
Arce, L., Cabello, R., Socas, R., & Yuste, N. (2019). Slow Journalism: el bálsamo para una sociedad demasiado acelerada. Generaciondospuntocero.com. http://generaciondospuntocero.com/slow-journalism-periodismo-calidad/
Associated Press (2008). A New Model for News: Studying the Deep Structure of Young-Adult News Consumption. Studying the Deep Structure of Young-Adult News Consumption (A Research Report from The Associated Press and the Context-Based. Research Group). The Associated Press and The Context-Based Research Group. https://apo.org.au/node/15035
Ball, B. (2016). Multimedia, Slow Journalism as Process, and the Possibility of Proper Time. Digital Journalism 4(4),1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2015.1114895
Barr, J. (2015). The state of the ombudsman in 2015. Politico. https://www.politico.com/media/story/2015/01/the-state-of-the-ombudsman-in-2015-003382
Bro, P. (2019). Constructive journalism: Proponents, precedents, and principles. Journalism, 20(4), 504-519. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918770523
Casares, A. (2021). El periodismo de soluciones como narrativa transformadora. Instituto de Periodismo Constructivo. https://medium.com/instituto-de-periodismo-constructivo/el-periodismo-de-soluciones-como-narrativa-transformadora-86b555f9fa87
Casares, A. (2022). El periodismo constructivo no es nuevo, pero hay que hacerlo más habitualmente. Heraldo de Aragón. https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/2022/12/01/el-periodismo-constructivo-no-es-nuevo-pero-hay-que-hacerlo-mas-habitualmente-1616139.html
Casares, A. (2022). El periodismo de soluciones es periodismo de investigación al servicio de lo que funciona. Todo Comunica. Blog de los Estudios de Ciencias de la Información y de la Comunicación. https://blogs.uoc.edu/comunicacio/es/alfredo-casares-el-periodismo-de-soluciones-es-periodismo-de-investigacion-al-servicio-de-lo-que-funciona/
Corral, G. A., Peñafiel, C., & Gurrutxaga, G. (2022). Apuntes para una revisión sistemática sobre el concepto Slow journalism. Estudio internacional 2017-2020 en Argentina, Colombia, España y México. Signo y Pensamiento, 41, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.11144/Javeriana.syp41.arsc
Craig, G. (2016). Reclaiming Slowness in Journalism. Critique, complexity and difference. Journalism Practice, 10(4), 461-475. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1100521
Curry, A. L., & Hammonds, K. H. (2014). The power of solutions journalism. Center for Media Engagement. http://engagingnewsproject.org/enp_prod/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ENP_SJN-report.pdf
Curry, A., Stroud, N. J., & McGregor, S. (2016). Solutions journalism and news engagement [Informe Engaging News Project, 2016]. Center for Media Engagement. mediaengagement.org
Drok, N., & Hermans, L. (2016). Is there a future for slow journalism? The perspective of younger users. Journalism Practice, 10(4), 539-554. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1102604
Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x
Ferrer-Conill, R., & Tandoc, E. C. Jr. (2018). The audience-oriented editor: Making sense of the audience in the newsroom. Digital Journalism, 6(4), 436-453. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2018.1440972
Fink, K. (2019). The biggest challenge facing journalism: A lack of trust. Journalism, 20(1), 40-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918807069
Fink, K., & Schudson, M. (2014). The rise of contextual journalism, 1950s-2000s. Journalism, 15(1), 3-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884913479015
Fulton, J., & Scott, P. (2021). Time Well Spent: ABC Journalists Reflect on Slow Journalism and the Remote Communities Project. Journalism Practice, 16(8), 1597-1613. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1874485
Fundación Gabo (2019). Así definen el Periodismo Constructivo los creadores de este concepto. Fundación Gabo. https://fundaciongabo.org/es/etica-periodistica/recursos/asi-definen-el-periodismo-constructivo-los-creadores-de-este-concepto
Fundación Gabo (2021). Periodismo de soluciones. Cuatro claves para complicar las narrativas. Fundación Gabo. https://fundaciongabo.org/es/blog/periodismosoluciones/4-claves-para-complicar-las-narrativas
Fundación Luca de Tena (2022). Cinco ejemplos de buen periodismo de soluciones, uno de ellos en español. Fundación Luca de Tena. Laboratorio de Periodismo. https://laboratoriodeperiodismo.org/ejemplos-de-periodismo-de-soluciones/
Gil de Zúñiga, H., & Hinsley, A. (2013). The Press Versus the Public. What is “good journalism?” Journalism Studies, 14(6), 926-942. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2012.744551
Gillmor, D. (2015). Is Solutions Journalism the Solution? New media ventures are focusing on what’s going right in the world rather than what’s going wrong. Nieman Reports. https://niemanreports.org/articles/is-solutions-journalism-the-solution/
Greenberg, S. (2007). Slow journalism. Prospect Magazine. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/slowjournalism
Greenberg, S. (2012). Slow journalism in the digital fast lane. En K. R. Lance, y J. Tulloch (Eds.), Global Literary Journalism: Exploring the Journalistic Imagination (pp. 381-393). Peter Lang.
Greenberg, S. (2015): Editing, Fast and Slow. Journalism Practice, 10(4), 555-567. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1114898
Gurrutxaga, G., Álvarez, A., & Agirre, A. (2021). Slow journalism en Colombia: un estudio sobre las demandas de su audiencia y sus retos. Palabra Clave, 24(2), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.5294/pacla.2021.24.2.3
Gyldensted, C. (2011). Innovating news journalism through positive psychology [Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP), University of Pennsylvania]. CORE. http://repository.upenn.edu/mapp_capstone/20
Gyldensted, C. (2015a). From mirrors to movers: Five ele¬ments of positive psychology in constructive journalism. KY: GGroup Publishing.
Hallerberg, W. (2016). Chance for investigative journalism in a digitalized world? Center for Politics and Communication. https://www.polcomm.org/slow-journalism-only-a-fad-or-a-chance-for-investigative-journalism-in-a-digitalized-world/
Hermans, L., & Gyldensted, C. (2019). Elements of constructive journalism: Characteristics, practical application and audience valuation. Journalism, 20(4), 535-551. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918770537
Iggers, J. (2018). Good News, Bad News: Journalism Ethics And The Public Interest. Routledge.
Instituto de Periodismo Constructivo (2023). Los rasgos del periodismo constructivo. Instituto de Periodismo Constructivo. https://periodismoconstructivo.com/
Kleemans, M., de Leeuw, R. N. H., Gerritsen, J., & Buijzen, M. (2017). Children’s Responses to Negative News: The Effects of Constructive Reporting in Newspaper Stories for Children. Journal of Communication, 67(5), 781-802. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12324
Le Masurier, M. (2014). What is Slow Journalism? Journalism Practice, 9(2), 138-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2014.916471
Li, Y. (2023). Assessing the Role Performance of Solutions Journalism in a Global Pandemic. Journalism Practice, 17(7), 1445-1464. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1990787
Li, K., Shen, F., & Tan, T. (2023). Slow Journalism Synthesises Emerging and Traditional Journalistic Practices. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 7(3), 520-524. http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2023.03.008
Lichtenberg, J., & MacLean, D. (1992). Is Good News No News? The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance. Issues and Practice, 17(64), 362-365. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41952113
Lough, K., & McIntyre, K. (2018). Journalists’ perceptions of solutions journalism and its place in the field. ISOJ, 8(1), 33-51. https://isoj.org/research/journalists-perceptions-of-solutions-journalism-and-its-place-in-the-field/
Lough, K., & McIntyre, K. (2021). Transitioning to Solutions Journalism: One Newsroom's Shift to Solutions-focused Reporting. Journalism Studies 22(2), 193-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2020.1843065
Lough, K., & McIntyre, K. (2023). A systematic review of constructive and solutions journalism research. Journalism, 24(5), 1069–1088. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849211044559
Manias-Muñoz, I., Manias-Muñoz, M., & Corral-Velázquez, G. (2023) Delineating the concept of (digital) slow journalism and its future through an international Delphi study. The Communication Review, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714421.2023.2223500
McIntyre, K. (2015). Constructive journalism: The effects of positive emotions and solution information in news stories [Doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]. Carolina Digital Repository. https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/dissertations/rn3012085
McIntyre, K. (2017). Solutions journalism: The effects of including solution information in news stories about social problems. Journalism Practice, 13(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2017.1409647
McIntyre, K., & Gyldensted, C. (2017). Constructive Journalism: Applying Positive Psychology Techniques to News Production. The Journal of Media Innovations, 4(2), 20-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.5617/jomi.v4i2.2403
McIntyre, K. E., & Lough, K. (2021). Toward a clearer conceptualization and operationalization of solutions journalism. Journalism, 22(6), 1558–1573. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918820756
McIntyre, K., Lough, K., & Manzanares, K. (2018). Solutions in the Shadows: The Effects of Photo and Text Congruency in Solutions Journalism News Stories. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 95(4), 971–989. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699018767643
McIntyre, K., & Sobel, M. (2017a). Motivating news audiences: Shock them or provide them with solutions? Communication & Society, 30(1), 39-56. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.30.35794
Mendes, I., & Marinho, S. (2022). Slow Journalism: A Systematic Literature Review. Journalism Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2022.2075783
Midberry, J., Brown, D. K., Potter, R. F., & Comfort, R. N. (2022). The Influence of Visual Frame Combinations in Solutions Journalism Stories. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990221109235
Midberry, J., & Smith Dahmen, N. (2020). Visual Solutions Journalism: A Theoretical Framework. Journalism Practice, 14(10), 1159-1178. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2019.1689371
Nelson, J. L., & Dahmen, N. S. (2023). Appealing to News Audiences or News Funders? An Empirical Analysis of the Solutions Journalism Network’s Revenue Project. Journalism Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2023.2209779
Neveu, E. (2016). On not going too Fast with Slow Journalism. Journalism Practice 10(4),448-460. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2015.1114897
Newman, N., Fletcher, R., Eddy, K., Robertson, C. T., & Nielsen, R. (2023). Digital News Report 2023. Reuters Institute. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2023-06/Digital_News_Report_2023.pdf
Nielsen, R. (2023). Is journalism inherently pessimistic? Why is there so much ‘bad news’? Univerity of Oxford. https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/research-in-conversation/our-place-world/rasmus-nielsen
Orchard, R. (2016). Can ‘slow journalism’ work? Delayed Gratification is finding out. Digiday. https://digiday.com/media/delayed-gratification-gets-people-pay-news-three-months-event/
Palmer, R. (2017). Becoming the News. How Ordinary People Respond to the Media Spotlight. Columbia University Press.
Parks, P. (2019). Naturalizing negativity: how journalism textbooks justify crime, conflict, and “bad” news. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 36(1),75-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295036.2018.1533990
Pellegrini, S., & Múgica, M. C. (2006). Valor agregado periodístico (VAP): La calidad periodística como un factor productivo en un entorno medial complejo. Palabra Clave, 9(1), 11-28. http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=64900101
Reig, R. (2023). Periodismo de soluciones, otra quimera que nada soluciona. El Correo de Andalucía. https://elcorreoweb.es/espana/periodismo-de-soluciones-otra-quimera-que-nada-soluciona-CE8503949
Rosenberg, H., & Feldman, C. S. (2008). No time to think. The menace of media speed and the 24-hour news cycle. Continuum.
Thier, K., Abdenour, J., Walth, B., & Smith Dahmen, N. (2019). A narrative solution: The relationship between solutions journalism, narrative transportation, and news trust. Journalism, 22(10), 2511–2530. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884919876369
Thier, K., & Lin, T. (2022). How Solutions Journalism Shapes Support for Collective Climate Change Adaptation. Environmental Communication, 16(8), 1027-1045. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2022.2143842
Trussler, M., & Soroka, S. (2014). Consumer demand for cynical and negative news frames. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 19(3), 360-379. https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161214524832
Usery, A. G. (2022). Solutions Journalism: How Its Evolving Definition, Practice and Perceived Impact Affects Underrepresented Communities. Journalism Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2022.2142836
Waisbord, S. (2018). Truth is what happens to news. Journalism Studies, 19(13), 1866-1878. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2018.1492881
Walth, B., Smith Dahmen, N., & Thier, K. (2019). A new reporting approach for journalistic impact: Bringing together investigative reporting and solutions journalism. Newspaper Research Journal, 40(2), 177–189. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739532919834989
