Solutions Journalism Impact Tracker

Purpose

SJN collects and supports a range of activities to spur sustained changes in reporting so that solutions journalism becomes the norm. Our impact tracking seeks to identify the effects of these activities and of the journalism network partners go on to produce. This information helps SJN determine how to allocate resources internally, show journalism practitioners and entrepreneurs how SJ can make a difference, and show funders how SJN and solutions journalism facilitates societal and industry change. Here is documentation of the impact tracking process as practiced at SJN.

Do you want more information on solutions journalism's key areas of impact?

For examples of impact, see our reports here.

Impact of solutions journalism

Accountability: Solutions coverage contributes to a change in personnel, policy, law or practice within a government institution, private business, or nonprofit organization.
Audience engagement: Solutions journalism contributes to increase in key newsroom metrics numbers.
Builds Trust: Solutions journalism helps a newsroom or journalist enhance trust from a community or audience.
Career development: Producers of journalism experience and express a renewed enthusiasm and sense of purpose in their work thanks for their focus on solutions journalism.
Community engagement & action: Through meaningful engagement connected to solutions journalism, entrepreneurs and newsrooms help catalyze civic action, and/or notable community response.
Organic Spread: Without any direct interaction with SJN staff, its activities or resources, a journalism entrepreneur creates new products, projects, editorial workflows aimed at increasing the production and visibility of solutions journalism.
Revenue: News organizations receive income from funders, readers and/or businesses related to solutions journalism projects such as series, web sections, events, community engagement products etc

SJN’s impact

SJN catalyzes SoJo: Through its training, coaching, resources, grants, and other public facing activities, in addition to consultations and networking, SJN inspires entrepreneurial actors in the journalism ecosystem to create new products, projects, editorial workflows aimed at increasing the production and visibility of solutions journalism.