IN a world filled with depressing news, solutions journalism (SJ) appears to be gaining ground among forward-looking news organisations.
This stems from several reasons, particularly the shift in the media landscape and responses from news outlets to evolving audience preferences.
SJ is primarily an approach to reporting news that focuses on constructive and effective responses to problems in society.
This can be juxtaposed with traditional journalism, which often emphasises identifying and highlighting issues and challenges.
SJ goes beyond those limits by exploring and showcasing solutions, innovations and success stories.
These plus points can inspire individuals, communities and policymakers to take action.
While traditional news outlets often focus on the immediate and sensational aspects of a story, SJ looks at the long-term impact of initiatives and solutions.
This provides a more comprehensive understanding of how problems are addressed over time.
Take, for example, a story from Bernama, the national news agency, about Singgara Vello, a barber from Penang.
It highlighted his efforts to train youths to become barbers, demonstrating Singgara's endeavour to address the government's ban on foreign barbers.
It showed what can be done to overcome problems when they emerge.
Earlier this year, nearly two dozen local journalists benefited from a SJ course organised by the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), where they learnt new approaches in story-telling, especially in having better audience engagement.
USAGM trainer Inna Dubinsky said breaking news types of stories often focused on problems and challenges, which can often leave audiences feeling disheartened or overwhelmed.
But SJ attempts to provide a more balanced and constructive perspective, thus engaging audiences with stories that highlight positive efforts and solutions to the issues.
Another trainer, Kavitha Chandran, a former journalist with Reuters and now a Singapore-based advocate and trainer in SJ, said journalists doing SJ stories are still investigative reporters.
They're not pandering to public relations fluff but are investigating a solution and holding people who claim to be solution providers accountable for their claims, she said.
Kavitha emphasised employing well-researched data and talking to academics, especially retired ones armed with knowledge, as this will reinforce reporters in their SJ work.
This is because SJ can contribute to rebuilding trust by offering a more nuanced and comprehensive view of complex issues.
It also demonstrates that media organisations are not just reporting problems but are also committed to exploring and sharing potential solutions.
Studies from other SJ advocates show that readers and viewers are interested in news that goes beyond just reporting problems and highlights real-world impacts and solutions.
This is happening because SJ focuses on the practical aspects of addressing issues, thus making the news more relevant to people's lives as journalists employ more innovative and creative approaches to storytelling.
Adopting this approach often leads to more engaging and compelling narratives that capture the audience's attention and encourage them to think critically about the world.
Amid a more competitive landscape, media organisations are looking for ways to differentiate themselves in a crowded field.
SJ can therefore be a unique selling point and set a news outlet apart by offering a more solutions-oriented approach to reporting.
Britain's BBC is a good example of exploring SJ approaches.
Recently, it highlighted how climate change had affected women's physical and mental health in Kenya and how they had taken steps to mitigate the problems.
It also ran an inspiring story on how conservationists in Indonesia had repopulated the Sumatran rhino by minimising wild-life-human conflicts.
In the United States, the New York Times had incorporated SJ into its reporting through initiatives like the Fixes column, which focuses on responses to social problems.
The Seattle Times has a dedicated SJ reporter covering education-related issues, while the Los Angeles Times has integrated SJ into its coverage by having a Solutions Desk, which explores potential answers to social problems.
Meanwhile, The Boston Globe, has also engaged in solutions-oriented reporting in poverty, education and healthcare issues.
These new approaches ought to be explored by Malaysian news outlets to avoid news fatigue among their audiences.
Perhaps, the newly-revamped Malaysian Press Institute can reinvigorate news reporting by running more SJ courses?
The writer is a former Bernama chief executive officer and editor-in-chief