The 10 Most Read Solutions Stories
We like to say solutions journalism is "hope with teeth" — not naive assumptions everything will resolve perfectly, but awareness of the scope of the problem and potential solutions, along with a belief in the possibility of better outcomes rooted in action. So that's how our newsletter The Response wrapped up the year: 10 examples of hope with teeth.
Below are the 10 most clicked stories from The Response newsletter for 2024, described by Allen Arthur, SJN's engagement director. Here's to a 2025 filled with many more creative, effective, encouraging responses.
Preaching to polarized congregations: A responsibility and a challenge, clergy say — by Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service
This thoughtful story explores the difficulties of leading churches during politically polarized times. Facing fractures among churchgoers and their communities, clergy illustrate how they walk the tightrope of conflict and unity.
Taiwan Learned You Can’t Fight Fake News by Making It Illegal — by Nick Aspinwall, Foreign Policy
As social media enables falsehoods to spread quickly, people naturally debate the best way to combat the practice. Yet one of the most common demands — outlawing or otherwise censoring false information — doesn't seem to work well. Taiwan tried another, more effective approach.
How to Start (and Run) a Bank That Puts People and Planet Over Profits — by Oscar Perry Abello, Next City
"I would say to people, your money doesn’t sleep at night, you sleep at night. But your money is spending the night doing something somewhere. If you looked at a dollar bill as a magic carpet and you could get on that bill and ride around the world to see what your money is doing, would you be proud?”
In Spain, a movement is fighting the mental illness stigma — El Salto and Sphera
This mini-documentary follows Mad Pride, a movement of people living with mental illness who are also trying to reframe social attitudes to it and ensure equal rights around the world.
What Wichita could learn from Oklahoma City’s unified push on homelessness — by Amy Geiszler-Jones, The Journal
The approach to homelessness in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, hasn't been perfect. But it has been a solid example of multiple sectors uniting around a common goal to get results. What lessons does it have for other cities?
Giving Women Power: Elevating Self-Esteem to Advance Gender Equality — by Chinonso Kenneth, Nigeria Health Watch
Through online modules and handheld booklets, The Youngstars Foundation teaches young women in Nigeria the stories of successful woman to build self-esteem and help them imagine their own successful careers. With these resources, they've reached tens of thousands of women in just a few years.
Peace Through Mediation: Iseyin's Journey to Overcoming Religious Strife — by Muritala Abdullahi, The SolutionsPaper
In a region of Nigeria in which religious violence is all too common, a truce both strict and fragile has been reached, saving potentially hundreds of lives. The democratic and respectful nature of the arrangement is a potential model for conflict resolution, religious or otherwise.
India's Waste Warriors
On her podcast "Behind the Solutions," journalist Carla Rosch talks with journalists about their solutions stories to learn more about the solution itself and how the story was crafted. On this episode, she spoke with Vivek Gupta about his story covering the unique (and women-led) waste management system in Ambikapur, India.
A new solution for flood-prone cities? Concrete made from shellfish waste. — by Ayurella Horn-Muller, Grist
Can you make concrete out of crushed seashells? It's being attempted, and the initial results are promising. It appears this recipe, unlike regular concrete, absorbs water, thereby reducing flood potential and nourishing nearby plants.
The results of the biggest study on guaranteed income programs are finally in - by Chabeli Carrazana, The 19th
A three-year study on basic income had some incredible results. But they were also complex. This story explores not just this study but the broader information covering what we know and don't know about basic income strategies as a strategy for fighting poverty.
