Google Search Engine Results Reveal the Solutions Journalism Approach is Growing
We analyzed articles that mentioned “solutions journalism” in the years 2015 and 2019 based on Google search engine results. The analysis of the selected articles shows how solutions journalism has changed since 2015.
We compared the first year that solutions journalism was prominent on Google to 2019 to gain a better understanding of how people and organizations discuss the solutions journalism approach.
In 2015, the Google search engine showed 1,870 results on the topic of solutions journalism from January 1 to December 31.
In 2019, it clearly showed that solutions journalism gained ground with the search results quadrupling to 8,000 Google results mentioning the term. The 2019 data will likely increase because we don’t have the search results from December 2019.
We analyzed 20 articles, 10 from both years. The 20 articles were selected because they represented the themes found in analyzing the Google results. The themes included defining solutions journalism, how it was being globally applied and examples of articles using the solutions journalism reporting approach. These articles provide a range of examples showcasing how people referred to solutions journalism.
2015 Search Engine Results
Common themes in 2015 solutions journalism articles discussed: 1) global uses of solutions journalism, 2) solutions journalism as a forward way of thinking and 3) the ability for solutions journalism to influence social change.
In 2015, solutions journalism articles appeared to highlight the positive potential of the new style of reporting. Articles included themes such as optimism for the approach and the global practice of it.
In a 2015 article, A farewell to #content: Optimism, worries, and a belief in great work, Caroline O’Donovan discussed media trends. She stated that readers are interested in new ways of telling stories, and she compared solutions journalism to newer technologies such as drones. She explained that readers were craving optimistic content, which led her to believe that readers would want solutions journalism.
In the Propaganda or proper journalism? China’s media expansion in Africa article by James Wan, he also highlighted it as a new way of reporting in China. In China, they referred to it as called constructive journalism. In 2015, Wan argued that reporting on solutions should be adopted in the U.S.
Writers also highlighted examples of solutions stories found in the news in 2015. For example, the Solutions Journalism Network compiled stories in one article that enacted the solutions style to news reporting. These stories included rape survivors finding justice and New Orleans ending veteran homelessness.
The newness of solutions journalism was the primary emphasis in 2015, but little was known about the practice at that time.
2019 Search Engine Results
Today’s reports on solutions journalism look differently than five years ago. The themes include: 1) how solutions journalism could be used as a tool to earn back trust, 2) its focus on communities and 3) the growth of solutions journalism.
In 2019, there are two types of how-to articles, how-to solve a problem with a solution and how-to write better solutions stories.
For example, the how-to component of how to create solutions stories became more prevalent in solutions journalism as the conceptual identity and practice evolved. We found writers sharing much knowledge on how to write solutions stories.
In the People avoid consuming news that bums them out. Here are five elements that help them see a solution article, Christine Schmidt discussed how to see solutions in stories.
The evidence suggests that solutions journalism is growing… and the way it is understood and written about will continue to evolve in the years to come.
