Solutions Journalism as a Tool to Erode Polarisation in the Media and Society

ABSTRACT

In many African countries where people are brutally divided along ethnic, political and religious lines, a polarised media is likely to worsen the status quo. In this reflective essay, we explore what solutions journalism is and make a case for its application in journalism practice. We argue that the application of the six approaches to reporting on issues that polarise society has the potential to offer relevant solutions to societal problems, erode polarisation in the media and make journalism more relevant to society.

KEYWORDS:

• African media
• solutions journalism
• empathetic listening
• complicating narratives
• media and polarisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work is based on the research supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa [grant number: 118583].