Revisioning the journalism industry through a ‘solutions’ lens: delivering and measuring social, editorial and business model impact

As more newsrooms and journalists engage in solutions and constructive journalism, there is a growing body of data on the impacts these journalistic approaches can have. There are social impacts, such as increased community involvement in efforts to tackle challenges from youth mental health to plastic pollution. But there are also important editorial and business model impacts. Solutions stories and verticals can attract funding from donors and funders. They receive increased time on page, potentially increasing the appeal of an outlet to advertisers. And they can help drive subscriptions, due to increased audience trust and willingness to pay.

This session will provide three case studies of the social, editorial and business impact of solutions journalism. It will also make an argument that a ‘solutions lens’ should be applied to the journalism industry’s business model problem. Moderated by Corinne Podger.