Solutions-oriented journalism is regarded as the practice of producing reports that examine how cities are tackling the most serious problems they face, Laura Puttkammer, a journalist representing the “Urban Solutions Journal,” said during a special session for media representatives held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, APA reports.
According to her, all the issues cities need to solve are covered, but this is not simply a feel-good story. The main goal is to present what has been learned, the real evidence obtained, and even critical perspectives.
“In other words, it is not just about saying, ‘this is great, wonderful, they built a playground.’ This is not merely a story designed to create positive emotions. The key issue is to investigate why that playground was built, how public participation influenced the process, why it is important for the city, and how the project was financed. Only then does it become journalistic research,” Laura Puttkammer noted.
“Another idea behind solutions-oriented journalism is that such materials can inspire change in other cities, among mayors and among people working with cities — for example, architects. We are not promoting any organization, individual or political position here.
As solutions-oriented journalists, our goal is to empower people by presenting constructive yet critical materials. The point is to inform and empower readers, policymakers and the communities that will read these materials,” Laura Puttkammer emphasized.
According to her, the goal is for people to look at what some cities have already accomplished and reimagine what their own cities could become.
Note that Laura Puttkammer has extensive research experience in the field of urban development and has actively covered previous sessions of the World Urban Forum.
