Identifying Major Components of Solutions-Oriented Journalism: A Review to Guide Future Research

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article reviews the peer-reviewed literature about solutions journalism and constructive journalism to unpack their components, as such emerging solutions-oriented approaches gain steam in journalistic practice and scholarly examination. We find that solutions-oriented journalism differs from problem-oriented journalism in its qualities, frames, scope, purpose, orientation, boundaries, and journalists’ reporting processes. While solutions-oriented journalism prioritizes coverage of credible responses to social problems as a method for enhancing journalists’ social responsibility, tensions exist over the nature of those responsibilities, especially in different national contexts. Using the components we identified, we suggest future research clarify the individual-societal levels of solutions-oriented journalism effects, explore how it differs in various media contexts and political systems, and investigate how diverse audiences perceive and are served by solutions-oriented approaches.