Nepal Investigative Multimedia Journalism Network (NIMJN) organized a NIMJN Talk titled ‘What is Solutions Journalism?’ on January 5, 2024, Friday virtually via Zoom. The session was organized as a part of an effort to introduce the concept of Solutions Journalism among the journalists in Nepal. 28 participants joined the event from different media outlets and provinces. Rajneesh Bhandari, NIMJN’s CEO, Chief-editor, and recent participant of the Solutions Journalism Train-the-Trainers November 2023, was the main speaker and facilitator for the event. 

Here are the key points discussed during the session :

• Introduction to Solutions Journalism
• What is Solutions Journalism? Overview of the concept and reporting approach.
• The Framework of Solutions Journalism
• How to identify problems and spotlight solutions in reporting.
• Elements of the Solutions Journalism method.
• Importance of Solutions Journalism
• Why solution-focused stories matter.
• How Solutions Journalism can engage audiences and bring about change.
• Real-world examples and impact of Solutions Journalism.

There was also a discussion on the difference between advocacy and Solutions Journalism and how to avoid the pitfalls of hero-worship stories disguised as solution-adjacent stories.

During the session, the participants were divided into breakout rooms where they had engaging group discussions about potential Solutions Journalism story ideas relevant to their local context, and the kind of stories from their communities that could be reported through a solution-oriented lens. At the end of the discussion, participants also looked at real-world examples of Solutions Journalism from the Solution Story Tracker and discussed the details of the story according to the four pillars of Solutions Journalism- response, insights, evidence, and limitations.

 Overall, this NIMJN Talk introduced the concept of Solutions Journalism for the participants, many of whom were engaging with this topic for the first time. It also provided a comprehensive way forward for those wishing to learn more on this issue by introducing them to the Solution Story Tracker and starting the dialogue on how Nepali journalists can engage more in this mode