Jean Friedman-Rudovsky introduced the class to some of the basic tools and common pitfalls of reporting on solutions. She reminded us that reporting on solutions is simply good reporting. The problems of the world are reported continuously but the solutions are often neglected. This tendency to point out a problem and abandon the story leaves the picture only half finished. There is more story there. A problem can sometimes be easy to point out, sometimes it is painfully obvious. But solutions take time. Stories develop slowly. There is a lot of research and collecting of evidence. She encouraged us to always ask, “Is there a solutions angle to this?” There is not always a solution angle, but keeping an eye out for those stories significantly broadens the potential stories available to reporters. Because for most problems in the world there is someone somewhere working on a solution to that problem and that deserves some coverage.

It was nice to hear about her work and how she personally applied a solutions approach to journalism. It is comforting to hear from journalists with a less cynical view of the world. I know I am guilty of falling into that trap. We spend so much time learning about all the problems around us, and forget that there are still some earnest and passionate people working out a way to help. I would love to have learned more about her work with the reentry project, especially considering how concerning the growth of the prison population and the rates of recidivism are.