Anticipate and Head Off Misconceptions

For many journalists, the idea of solutions journalism resonates immediately. But some are confused by the approach, or don’t feel that it is a good fit for their beat, or are worried that it sounds like advocacy, PR puffery, or “good news.” Some may need some convincing to try a different way of telling stories.

At the beginning, there are likely to be a lot of questions. What is this kind of reporting? How is it different from what we've been doing? Familiarizing yourself with the principles of solutions journalism will enable you to dispel misconceptions about solutions journalism to make the strongest possible case for the practice.

To help you talk about the concept, we’ve prepared a handy cheat sheet at the end of this Guide that addresses the most frequently asked questions and myths about solutions journalism (we also recommend checking out the solutions journalism imposters if you haven’t yet). Use these talking points to persuade a skeptical reporter, give the full picture to a new colleague, or orient readers and other community stakeholders who have never heard of solutions journalism before.