13(25)#11 2024 |
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DOI 10.46640/imr.13.25.1 |
Amela Delić Aščić, Zarfa Hrnjić Kuduzović i Amira Banjić
Filozofski fakultet Univerziteta u Tuzli, Tihomila Markovića 1, 75 000 Tuzla, BiH
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Solution-oriented Journalism:
Attitudes of Journalism Students and
the Representation of solutions in the reporting of Web Portals on Young People
Puni tekst: pdf (437 KB), English, Str. 4135 - 4158
Abstract
In the interpretative framing of media reporting on youth, two approaches prevail: the first, problem-oriented and the second, positive or “soft” news oriented. There is a lack of a solution-oriented approach in which the problem would be presented within the same format, but also a solution that could be effective in a specific case, with young people, and not political and public office holders, as key actors in the story. The aim of this paper is to determine how students of journalism/communication in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) perceive solutions journalism (short SoJo) and how media portals represent solutions in youth reporting. Two qualitative research methods were applied: a focus group survey among students of the Universities of Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla and Mostar (N=24) and a method of analysis of media texts on young people on five media portals in B&H (N=98). The results of the students’ surveys showed that they consider solutions journalism more purposeful than problematic ones, but also a threat to journalistic objectivity. As necessary conditions for engaging in this type of journalism, they identified training, editorial support, social sensitivity of journalists and financial stability of the media. The results of the qualitative analysis of articles on young people showed that the formats in which solutions are mentioned do not meet the criteria of SoJo stories. Although the stories on young people are mostly positively framed, they are told from the perspective of the management of institutions/organizations, not young people.
Key words: solutions journalism, journalism students, reporting on youth.
Introduction
Solutions journalism (SoJo) can be an alternative to the dominant approaches to media reporting on young people in which the focus is either on a specific problem, without pointing to an effective solution or on the so-called “soft” news, without researching the relevant aspects of the topic. This innovative approach implies a different, more positive and pragmatic perspective on the interpretation of events. SoJo advocates an interpretive framework of events dominated by problem solving with a focus on the “thematic, rather than episodic” framework of reporting (Their, 2021, p. 49). The approach caught the attention of journalists and communication specialists in 2013 when the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) was founded.
So far, not many scientific studies have been published on solution-oriented journalism, which is understandable given the novelty of the approach. Nevertheless, empirical studies conducted around the world, primarily in the United States (U.S.) and Western Europe, have indicated a predominantly positive attitude of audiences towards solutions journalism in terms of interest in it (McIntyre & Lough 2018), then greater trust in news (Thier et al., 2021), as well as the development of positive emotions such as greater connection with the local community (Thier & Whalt, 2019). On the other hand, the attitude of journalists as news producers about solutions journalism is also generally positive (McIntyre & Lough, 2018). However, this approach is still unknown to most journalists in B&H (Delić Aščić, 2024). Other studies from Bosnia and Herzegovina that have dealt with media habits and preferences of young people have indicated that there is a certain interest of young people in solutions stories (Sokol & Alibegović, 2021). Therefore, journalists who now work in the media in B&H do not know enough about the concept of SoJo, while at the same time there is a certain interest and need of young people for such an approach to reporting.
If we take into account the political apathy of citizens, as well as the mass emigration, especially of the younger population from B&H, it is expedient to analyze how news portals in this country report on topics relevant to young people from 18 to 35 years of age. In particular, do they lament problems or report on concrete solutions? On the other hand, the role that current journalism students as future journalists will play in reporting on young people deserves to be examined and their views on solution-oriented journalism.
The theoretical framework of the paper contains four sections. The first explains the concept of solutions journalism, and the second explains its specific features as indicators for recognizing solutions in relation to other types of journalistic stories. In the third section, the results of empirical studies on media reporting on young people are presented, and in the fourth section, those on the effects of solutions stories. The methodological framework of the paper explains the research goals, hypotheses, methods and samples. In the part on the results, the results of the qualitative analysis of the content of web articles were first presented and produced, and then the results of the discussion in focus groups with students of journalism/communication in B&H. In the last part of the paper, conclusions are drawn.
Solutions journalism
In the broadest context, solution-oriented journalism (Solutions Journalism, abbreviatedas SoJo), SoJo is a type of constructive journalism that “involves the application of positive psychology techniques in the news production process, with the aim of creating productive and engaging journalistic reporting” (McIntyre & Gyldensted, 2017, p. 23). Since 2010, both forms have been represented in scientific and professional articles (Lough & McIntyre, 2023). Solutions journalism is defined as contextual, “rigorous reporting on responses to social problems that includes the following elements: answers, insights, evidence, limitations.” Therefore, solutions journalism is as relevant “as problem reporting” (Their, 2021, p. 47). SoJo “does not involve hypothetical solutions to problems or telling the story of good people doing good things; it primarily reports answers to problems that have evidence of success” (Ibid). “A solutions story is newsworthy because of the solution’s uniqueness or the solution’s efficacy, whereas problem-based stories are often newsworthy due to the scope or severity of the problem” (Thier, Abdenour, Dahmen & Walth, 2019, p. 2513). In 2010, theNew York Times launched a column called Fixes in which it reported on responses to social problems, and in 2013 the Solutions Journalism Network was launched in the United States, in which 47,000 journalists have participated in trainings so far, and they also have a dtabase of about 1,900 organizations that publish solutions stories (Solutions Journalism Network).
Often, journalists and researchers equate constructive and solutions journalism. “The difference seems to be largely a geographical preference, and those in Europe tend to favor the words ‘constructive’ and those in the U.S. prefer ‘solutions,’ presumably because these were the terms chosen by the respective organizations leading efforts to promote these approaches” (Lough & McIntyre, 2021, p. 3). Researchers of both approaches suggest that “constructive journalism is viewed as an umbrella term encompassing several ways of practicing socially responsible journalism, and that solutions journalism is described as one form of constructive journalism” (Lough & Mcintyre, 2021, p. 15).
SoJois theoretically most often considered from the normative perspective of the so-called journalistic compass founded by Peter Bro or the theory offraming by Robert Entman. “Solutions journalism is one example of the type of journalism where the reporter takes a more active role” (McIntyre, 2019, p. 20). Two sets of journalistic principles are presented in the compass (Figure 1). The first refers to the purpose of the journalistic profession, and according to this principle, journalists can take a passive role that involves reporting on existing problems, or an active role that involves monitoring the resolution of problems. In the second set of principles, we distinguish between the deliberative and representational models. In the representative, journalists focus on reporting on public and influential figures, representatives of authorities, organizations. In the deliberative model, journalists are focused on reporting on citizens. SoJois an active problem reporting service with argumentative examples of functional solutions offered, focused on both citizens and decision-makers. Youth reporting can also be positioned in one of the above ways – passive or active, focusing on official sources (representative) or on (young) citizens (deliberative).
Figure 1. The journalistic compass (source: Peter, 2019: 514)
After situating solutions journalism in the upper right corner, its effects can be theoretically understood by applying the theory of framing. According to Entman, to frame a media event means: “To select some aspects of perceived reality and make them more salient in a communicating text, in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation” (Entman 1993, p. 52, according to McIntyre, 2019, p. 20). Deirdre (2006) sees the explanation for the media’s focus on negative events in the media’s following of the “if story bleeds, it leads” version.
Characteristics of SolutionsJournalism Stories
Solutions journalism is oriented towards the journalistic value of “social action” (Aitamurto & Varma 2018, p. 704), and “longer presentation forms such as features are more conducive to constructive journalism” (Meier, 2018, p. 777). This means that the lead of the story will be narrative and that a possible solution will be mentioned already in the lead, possibly at the beginning of the story, and that the focus in the story will be, in addition to the basic journalistic ones, on the question “What next?”. Unlike investigative journalism, which is mainly focused on past events, and conventional journalism, which emphasizes the present moment, solutions journalism is “focused on the future” (Dodd, 2021, p. 17).
According to the instructions of the SJN, in order to recognize a solutionsstory, one should look for answers to the following questions:
- Does the story explain the causes of a social problem;
- Does the story present an associated response to that problem;
- Does the story get into the problem solving and how-to details of implementation;
- Is the problem-solving process central to the narrative;
- Does the story present evidence of results linked to the response;
- Does the story explain the limitations of the response;
- Does the story convey an insight or teachable lesson;
- Does the story avoid reading like a puff piece;
- Does the story draw on sources who have a ground-level understanding;
- Does the story give greater attention to the response than to a leader/innovator/do-gooder (Bansal & Rosenberg, 2014, p. 6).
To put it simply, the story should be written according to the principle of WHOLE: „W - What response does it address? H - How it works, the “howdunnit?“ O - Offers insight; L - Includes limitations; E - Most important, provides evidence of impact“ (SJN, 2017).
Media reporting on young people
There is a lack of scientific studies on how the media treat young people in B&H, especially on the ways in which they report on their problems and possible solutions. The few studies on the relationship between young people and the media in B&H have dealt mainly with the preferences of young people towards the media and their content (Hodžić 2020; Turčilo et al., 2018/19; Hodžić & Sokol, 2019; Turčilo et al., 2017; Žiga et al., 2015). A survey by Mediacenter Sarajevo showed that young people in B&H are not very interested in politics, but they are interested in “topics that are concrete and useful, such as, for example, data on studies and internships, and positive stories about successful young people” (Sokol & Alibegović, 2021, p. 14). This examination provides significant inputs for researchers of the SoJo approach as young people expressed the need for a “good news” rubric in the media, for a TV news “that will offer positive stories in prime time”, “give space to young people, stories about ordinary people and positive stories” (Ibid., p. 21).
A 2022 study by the Krovna organizacija mladih (Umbrella Youth Organization of Serbia KOMS) showed that the SoJO approach is not significantly represented in Serbian media reporting on young people. “Overall, almost half of the content does not offer any solution, while the number of content with a concrete and declarative solution is equal” (Stjepić and Subotić, 2022, p. 28).
Studies from Anglo-Saxon countries show several key interpretative frameworks in youth reporting. The focus on negative events, i.e. portraying young people as problematic, dominates the media in Canada (Kelly 2006), the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (MalvWyn, 2005 according to Levinsen & Wien, 2011; Malven 2018). Young people rarely talk about young people, and most often officials and adults (Kelly, 2006; Al-Baldawi et al., 2021; Stjepić & Subotić 2022; Notley et al., 2019). Studies from Mediterranean countries have shown different results. Positive discourse on youth is also dominant in center-left and center-right newspapers in Greece, Italy, and Spain (Bosi et al., 2019). A longitudinal study from Denmark that analyzed youth reporting in Danish newspapers from 1953 to 2003 showed that they were mostly written about in the context of crime and sports. However, there are evident changes in both the choice of topics and the representation of sources, so in recent decades “culture is reported quite frequently”, and “young people are now quoted more frequently than before” (Levinsen & Wien, 2011, p. 849). In the media in the US, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, two competitive frames about young people have been spotted. “On the one hand, youth is described as a threat to society, and on the other side as the ‘hope for the future’” (Wyn 2005, according to Levinsen & Wien, 2011, p. 841). Based on the aforementioned studies, we can see that reporting on young people is mainly focused on passively recording the situations in which they find themselves, as well as relying on official sources of information about young people. The interpretive frameworks in which young people appear categorize stories about them into two types of journalistic reporting:
- classic problem-oriented approach (troubled youth, victims, perpetrators, passive bystanders) and
- positive “soft” news (young people as hope, heroes or geniuses).
There is a lack of solutions to stories that will represent problems, but also solutions that could be effective in specific cases, with young people and ideas, and not officials, as the bearers of the main message of the story. Solutions interpretive frameworks, according to research by Dodd (2021), can be understood from the perspective of two main frameworks:
- hope that is not an abstract concept, but is operationalized by concrete goals and ways of solving and
- the presence of a leader (individual, organization), where he is not a formal leader, but becomes a leader through his merits, work, focus on the solution. It is the answer to the journalist’s question – Who shows the way to a solution? The story should not be focused on that individual, but on the way he came to the solution of the problem.
Results of previous studies on the effects of solutions journalism
The first peer-reviewed article on solutionsjournalism appeared in 2016 (Lough & McIntyre, 2021). Of the 73 articles on constructive and solutions journalism found up to 2020, Lough and McIntyre found that the topic was researched in 23 countries around the world, of which one-third of the articles were from the U.S. (34.8%), and less than one-third were from Europe (29.3%). A 2023 study found that out of 22 studies on SoJo, 17 investigated the impactof solutionsand constructive journalism on audience emotions and confirmed that these stories “increase positive feelings and emotions while decreasing negative ones among readers” (Lough & McIntyre, 2023, p. 15).
Studies show that journalists’ attitude towards SoJois positive (McIntyre & Lough, 2018), although they often fear for the objectivity of this approach, this was especially emphasized by journalists from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Kovač & Perišin, 2018; Delić Aščić, 2024). Journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina “mistake the term constructive journalism with feature or narrative journalism, stories, thematic journalism, or explanatory journalism” (Delić Aščić, 2024, p. 40). They are aware that, even if they use constructive frame in their stories, “that they don’t do it systematically” (Ibid.). On the other hand, there is an interest of the audience in solutions or constructive stories in the world and in B&H (Venzel, Gerson & Moreno, 2016; Curry, Stroud & McGregor, 2016; Delić, 2021). Also, citizens who read stories with an offered effective solution show more trust in the news, its accuracy, comprehensiveness and objectivity than those who read classic problem-focused news, express a more positive attitude towards the journalistic story and the presented solution, have a stronger and better connection with the media (Thier et al., 2019; McIntyre, 2019; Curry & Hammonds, 2014). Statistically, there is a higher level of self-efficacy, energy and connection to one’s own community among citizens who read solutions stories or solutions photo stories compared to those who read negatively oriented stories (Gielan, Furl & Jackson 2017; Dahmen, Thier & Whalt, 2019).
Young people from B&H expect more solutions stories from the media focused on topics related to their personal interests (such as studying or internships), i.e., successful young people (Sokol & Alibegović, 2021).
Methodological framework of the research
Research goals and hypotheses
There are two main goals of this research: 1) to determine how solutions journalism is perceived by students of journalism, i.e. communication in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 2) to establish how topics are presented in reporting on young people on Internet portals in B&H - according to the criteriaofsolutionsor problem journalism. The general hypothesis is that students of journalism and communication studies in B&H are not sufficiently familiar with the concept of solution-oriented journalism, nor its possibilities for reporting on young people, and that Internet portals are dominated by a problem-based approach to reporting on young people.
Research methods and samples
Two qualitative methods were used to collect empirical data: focus group testing and analysis of the content of the media text. Qualitative methods were chosen because the focus of the research is the question of how students perceive solutions journalism, i.e. how internet portals report on young people. The reason is that these phenomena have not been sufficiently researched in B&H, so the goal is to understand them in depth, which will serve to identify motives and patterns as a starting point for future research.
A focus group involves gathering people in one place for a discussion led by the moderator of the group in order to gather information and opinions according to a predetermined course of discussion (Lunt and Livingstone 1996). The survey in focus groups will provide insight into the views of journalism students on the possibilities of applying solutionsapproach in reporting on young people in B&H. A total of 24 students of journalism and communication from the Universities of Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla and Mostar participated in four focus groups held in December 2023. Of these, 19 are female and five are male. The average age of the discussants is 22 years. All discussions were realized according to a prepared protocol that included individual reading of two web stories, one in which a problem-oriented approach was applied and the other in which a solution-oriented approach was applied. Without the moderator’s remark on the applied approaches, the discussants had to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the story. Further discussion was developed on the role of journalism in society and ways to engage young people to think about their perspective in B&H. The shortest discussion lasted 95 minutes and the longest 120 minutes. All of them were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subsequently analyzed.
Content analysis implies a set of techniques for the systematic analysis of texts within the context of communication that follow analytical rules and take into account quantifications wherever available (Mayring according to Kurtić 2017). It is suitable for deeper analyses of texts because it is “based on the assumption that each text (verbal-symbolic material) signifies something more than what is visible at first glance and that it can be deduced from it about the social structure in whose environment (context) it was created” (Ibid). In this research, the unit of analysis is a journalistic article published on one of five portals: klix.ba, nezavisne.com, bljesak.info, dw.com/bosna-i-hercegovina and balkans.aljazeera.net. When choosing a portal, the following criteria were taken into account: readership, registered office and ownership structure. The analysis includes all texts on topics that directly concern young people 15-35 years of age published on the mentioned portals from from December first to December 31st 2023.2023. Here we have applied the upper age limit for young people due to the socio-economic and cultural environment in B&H, which is characterized by later housing and financial independence compared to peers in the European Union. A total of 98 articles on young people were identified during the analysed period.
The results with discussion
The results of qualitative content analysis of online articles
In the analyzed period, a total of 98 articles about young people were identified on five portals, most of which were on Klix (40) and Bljesak (38), less on Nezavisne novine (14), and very few on AJB (5) and DW B&H (1). When they report on young people, it is most often about events from education (25), followed by sports (15). All other areas of life are much less represented. Youth content was mainly presented in the format of news (34) and reports (29). The proportion of press releases is also significant (13), while other formats are very few. Only three interviews were published.
Among the analyzed articles, we did not find a single solutions story. Even when solutions to problems are mentioned, the story mostly remains on an abstract level (declarative solutions). The disadvantage of reporting on young people is also a distinct underrepresentation of material data sources, especially those that would enable post-secondary and temporal comparisons of the subject of reporting. An illustrative example is the article on the fight against violence in schools “The Ministry is ready to “increase funds”[1], in which a solution (“holistic approach”, “coordination of all actors”, “manual for early recognition of violence”) is mentioned, but without concrete data. Both the problem and the proposed solution could have been more thoroughly presented with information on how other countries deal with violence, as well as expert opinions on the announced measures, obstacles and possibilities for their implementation. In an interview with the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton[2], the solutions were mostly presented declaratively. Such is the minister’s answer to the question about how he will improve the sports infrastructure in the HNK:
Creating the best possible conditions for sports teams, individuals, but also our students is one of our goals and I sincerely hope that in coordination with partners we will work together to improve the sports infrastructure. The HNK Government or the Ministry cannot implement such extensive projects on their own. In order to improve sports infrastructure, it is necessary to involve our partners, international organizations, local self-government units, i.e. different levels of government, because only through cooperation and coordination can we achieve the best possible results.
In the article “Enabling Persons with Disabilities to Participate Equally in All Segments of Life”[3], games are mentioned as one of the solutions for inclusion, but without data on the effectiveness of this solution or on the experiences of other countries. The article “ASA Bank and the Municipality of Novi Grad signed an agreement on the subsidy of housing loans for young people” [4] is based on only one source (the mayor), while young people are not represented in the story. There is no information about the year since which this program of subsidizing interest rates for young people has been implemented, nor about its outcomes.
Other articles focused on the solutions do not report on it according to the criteria implied by the solutions approach, as in the following stories: “Vedad Ibišević invests in BH start-up industry, chose the Privee platform”[5], “Mostar plans to allocate 800 thousand BAM to help young people buy their first real estate”[6] and “Voice of Youth for Peace: Sarajevo Round Table on Media and Public Policies”.[7] The solution model is not thoroughly explained to the readers, and mostly these solutions are based on claims. Although some stories are informative to be presented as a model of solutions, this potential has not been used. Such is the case with the blog “Generation United through Sports”[8], which has some elements of aSoJo story. The focus is on how the Special Olympics contribute to the inclusion of young people with disabilities in society, and this practice is written very positively: “... ssan extraordinary platform is coming to life throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, which provides definite best practice and positions one of the most marginalized subcategories of the population as the authors of a key innovation that brings inclusion where it is most needed...” It is mentioned below that this solution works, i.e. that there is evidence in the world of the effectiveness of this model. The downside is that this isn’t specified. The story is written in the form of a blog and the author is the President and Managing Director of Special Olympics for Europe and Eurasia.
It is similar with the stories: “These are promising microbusinesses from Mostar”[9] or “Subsidies to young people for buying an apartment in Sarajevo: Hollow criteria, a question of morality and an influencer on the list”.[10] The article “These are microbusinesses...” It can serve as a good example of thorough reporting on young people with human examples - opinions and experiences of program users, an encouraging narrative that encourages young people to start a microbusiness and partially answers the question of how. The same applies to the report “The tourism sector offers countless opportunities to build a successful career”.[11] The focus is on the solution, and the report is inspiring – it encourages young people to become businessmen, contains information on where they can be trained and concrete examples of young businessmen in this sector. Statistical data, opinions of young people, as well as examples of three successful young businessmen are included. Still, this is reporting on “good people doing good things”, and there is a lack of evidence of effectiveness characteristic for SoJo.
After noting the absence of solutions approaches in youth reporting, we analyzed the representation of other approaches in youth articles: active vs. passive and deliberative vs. representative, as well as interpretive frameworks in youth portrayal.
The distinct dominance of factual formats explains why half of the articles could not be classified into any interpretive framework - neither those known from earlier research, nor some new ones. Although we conducted free coding to identify new patterns of youth portrayal, we did not spot them. All interpretive articles could be subsumed under one of the already known ones, while, on the other hand, due to the distinct dominance of short, highly factual forms, a large number of articles (49) remained unclassified in terms of value. Among the value-framed contents, positive portrayals of young people dominate (32). They are most often presented as hope for the future (18), which is illustrated by the articles: “Let’s Make the World a Better Place: Philanthropy for a Better Tomorrow”[12], “Academy for Future Leaders Successfully Held in Mostar”[13], “Young People from B&H Brilliant in the Finals of the Student League in Madrid”.[14]Very close to this presentation is the portrayal of young people as heroes (14): “Rijad Sedić from Tuzla is a young pilot who lives his dream in the heavenly heights”[15] and “Since the beginning of the year, Bosnian-Herzegovinian students spent 100,000 hours in volunteer activities”.[16]
There are significantly fewer articles in which young people are negatively presented than positive ones. As problematic or potentially dangerous for the social system of values, i.e. as violators of legal and/or ethical norms, young people are portrayed in the article “New case of massacre threats in schools in B&H, is there any reason for concern”.[17] A total of nine articles were identified in which the behavior of young people was placed in the same framework. There are slightly fewer articles in which young people are presented as victims (eight in total). It is important to point out that none of these cases refers to individual targets of possible abusers, murderers, rapists or other criminals, but to “collective” victims of a low-quality or unjust social system, which is illustrated by the following examples: “B&H is the only country in the region that did not participate in PISA testing”[18] and “Will young people in Sarajevo receive less than 12,000 BAM for the purchase of an apartment or will the majority remain “below the line”?[19] In the articles in which journalists critically report on the phenomena, the actors responsible for the described problems are mainly public institutions at the cantonal, entity or state level. Young people are almost never mentioned in a negative context among the actors (co)responsible for a particular problem.
Although a positive framework dominates in youth reporting, this should be seen in the context of the finding that most of the articles are the result of press releases, promotional and protocol events through which various institutions and organizations plan to communicate positive information about themselves. This means that these media stories are told from the perspective of organizations, not young people. The dominant sources in the content about young people are representatives of local government institutions, most often at the entity and municipal/city levels. In the article “The keys to the social building were handed over in Stari grad”[20], extensive statements of the mayor of this municipality are listed, and not a single statement of a pupil or student. In the article “Mostar plans to allocate 800 thousand BAM to help young people buy their first real estate”,[21] only the mayor of Mostar speaks. Not a single young participant was included in the story “Young Entrepreneurs at the Faculty of Economics in Zenica Presented Business Ideas,”[22] although the event is dedicated to young entrepreneurs. Instead, the Cantonal Minister of Economy, the President of the Foundation of Entrepreneurs of B&H and the Dean of the Faculty of Economics in Zenica speak about the event. The ideas are not really presented. The entire text is for minutes. Even in the report “A new convocation of the Student Parliament in Banja Luka has been elected”[23], the entity minister and the rector are in the foreground, and not the student representative or the students. It was stated how much money the entity ministry will allocate for financing student projects, then the Rector’s statement that the students have thus shown their democratic capacity in the successful implementation of the elections. It seems that the report is more in the function of promoting the ministry than reporting on topics relevant to students. In the news “Work on the construction of the University Library has begun on the UNSA Campus,”[24] the cantonal prime minister’s announcement from the social network Facebook was uncritically transmitted without journalistic questioning about the extent to which education is really at the top of social priorities.
In addition to ministers, mayors and prime ministers, representatives of the management of educational institutions often talk about young people. Although the news “Student Drago Šmitran wrote history at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Banja Luka”[25] could have been used for an interview or a profile about a successful student, the third in the history of this Faculty who completed his studies with an average of 10, this was not done. There is not even a statement from the student. Instead, a statement was quoted in the foreground, which reads “they said from the FEE”. The fact that the statement was attributed to the Faculty points to the conclusion that the source of the news is probably a press release, i.e. PR information of this institution. In the report “Dean’s Awards Awarded in Mostar”[26], the statement of the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Mostar was first stated, and only then the statement of the student. The paragraph on the Faculty management’s congratulations to students is also redundant, which has no informative value, while the information on which extracurricular activities and improving the reputation of the Faculty students were rewarded for, which would be more relevant and inspiring for young people, was omitted.
Among the interlocutors on topics concerning young people are often experts. This is also the case in the story “Do Young People Become Addicted to Social Networks”,[27] in which no young person is quoted or paraphrased. A psychologist who is a relevant interlocutor talks about them, but we do not have the opportunity to read about this problem from the perspective of young people: how they feel in the “trap” of social networks, whether they have personally experienced the anxiety, insomnia and disruption of everyday life mentioned in the article.
Compared to public officials and experts, international and domestic NGOs, sports clubs and citizens’ associations are significantly less represented as sources of information about young people. Young people are extremely underrepresented.
Even when young people are quoted or paraphrased, most often they are individuals who are participants in competitive music programs, followed by football players, a swimmer, a gamer, an investor who is also a famous football player, and young volunteers and entrepreneurs: “A handsome doctor from Mostar picked up sympathy after his appearance in “The Voice”: You can’t fool the audience”[28], “Nemanja “huNter” Kovač: I’m happy to have Nika, we share unforgettable moments”[29], “Almost 10,000 volunteers implemented 579 projects and supported 60 new businesses in 2023”.[30]
The structure of the source clearly shows that youth reporting is dominated by representatives of public institutions, i.e. they speak about or on behalf of young people in relation to the representation of articles in which young people in the role of volunteers, students, athletes, entrepreneurs are in the foreground (50 vs. 23). The other 15 articles remained unclassified because they either lack sources or represent public officials and young people as individuals.
Reporting on young people, due to the prevailing passive role of journalists towards the status quo, without questioning and monitoring declarative solutions/measures/policies on the horizontal axis of the journalistic compass, gravitates to the left. At the same time, the distinct dominance of official sources, primarily representatives of the government and management of institutions, on the vertical axis positions youth reporting in a representative model. This way of reporting is far from solutions journalism.
The results of the discussion in focus groups
The Role and Significance of Journalism in Society
“Aging is more beautiful with creative work: The Zenica Association Naš most Helps Healthy Aging Through Art”[31], is thestory of the author Lidija Pisker. This article was produced in collaboration with Transitions and Mediacenter as part of a program to support solutions journalism. The students read the text, not knowing that it was a solutions story. Then we talked to them about the journalistic profession – its tasks, obligations, current situation; and about solutions journalism, its possibilities, advantages and disadvantages.
The students said that they liked the story they read, but that they would not have read it if they “didn’t have to” because it was “too extensive”. They believe that the theme of the story is interesting, that it is well written, but that it is more suitable for TV reporting. Most students assessed the story as objective, but there were also different opinions. Three students from different focus groups assessed that the story was “advocacy”, that is, that it was not “completely” objective. They relate their assessment to the length of the text, that is, they believe that the text was written extensively in order to “convince” readers of a certain idea.
Sarajevo (student 7): „The text would be better if it were purely factual“.
The truth as the ultimate goal and purpose of journalism was stated by almost all the participants of the focus groups. Today’s media has been criticized for its bias. The informative media function and serving the public interest were mentioned by the majority of students as key tasks of journalism. Several students mentioned the elements of the story that are key to the solutionsstories, so they said that journalism should “awaken humanity in people” or “create a better environment”.
Banja Luka (student 7): I think the purpose of journalists should be to fight to create a better environment in the world we live in, because I think that the media and journalists in general have a much more important role in life today.
Students’ opinions on the role of journalism in saturation of citizens with bad news were divided. Many believe that journalistic stories are a priori negative, and that journalists cannot influence it, that is, they see responsibility in citizens who, in the opinion of some students, do not accept reality as it is – negative. Others believe that citizens are not responsible because they choose from the offer that is available.
Banja Luka (student 7): I think that negative things should definitely be presented as they are. For example, when a colleague mentioned what happened in Israel and Palestine, the murder of children, and of course it will be presented as something most terrible, I don’t think there is any euphemism that could alleviate that situation. And as far as our space is concerned – our mentality is like that, we belong more to some negative things, to some negative spirituality, than to some more beautiful things. Maybe the focus could be redirected to some small lives of ordinary people, to some everyday life, so that a beautiful story can be made out of it.
Focus group participants have different opinions on whether the media can influence young people’s thinking about the future of their country. The most pessimism was shown by students from Banja Luka, followed by students from Mostar, Sarajevo and Tuzla.
Banja Luka (student 1): Through newspapers, portals, you can write about what is provided to young people within the RS or B&H, it doesn’t matter. But if it can have a strong impact on young people, I don’t think it can. If someone intends to leave the country, there is no portal that could dissuade them from doing so, but some other aspects: the organization of the state, the government... And then the newspapers are there to present what this government provides.
Sarajevo (student 6): The problem is in society, not in the media.
A small number of respondents believe that focusing on positive stories of successful young people can motivate young people to think more positively about their country.
Tuzla (student 1): If they didn’t present the picture so negatively; talk about young people who stay and work, work on positive stories.
Mostar (student 2): I think that at the moment they are really demotivating, all some difficult topics, national topics, incitement by war. I think that young people would like to stay so that these more positive stories are spread, especially about young people.
Students from Mostar had ideas from solutions journalism on how to overcome the problem of saturation with negative news.
Mostar (student 4): Maybe we should somehow try to twist the news that is being placed. Not only to be negative, to present what essentially happened, that is, that negative thing, but to look to the future, what could happen in the future, what is positive in all this, how to solve that problem, etc.
Journalism, in the opinion of most of the discussants, should be a “mirror of society”, or at the same time a “mirror of society” and a “driver of change”. However, students who said that the role of journalism should be in initiating change, often emphasized the importance of objectivity. It is as if students are afraid that by taking on the role of initiators of social change, journalism would lose its objective approach to reality.
Tuzla (student 2): They should be 100 percent initiators, now they are just a mirror of society. But they must not slip into positive reporting. Journalism would then lose its consistency.
Sarajevo (student 2): The media should not “pull young people by the sleeve”. It is enough for them to publish information.
Students generally recognize the influence of classical journalism education, in which a bias towards negative news prevails, and stereotypically understand different approaches to reporting as “light” or “soft” approaches. Although they said that they liked the solutions story because it brings a different perspective on people of mature age, through their answers to other questions, they showed that they are more interested in problem reporting, which they consider more objective. In accordance with the prevailing attitude about the importance of objectivity in reporting, the discussants show resistance to understanding journalism as a potential “driver of social change”, and generally believe that journalism is and should be only a “mirror of society”. Most of them believe that the media’s reporting cannot contribute much to a more positive view of the future in B&H among young people. This attitude is most pronounced among students from Banja Luka, then from Mostar, while among students from Sarajevo and Tuzla, the idea prevailed that positive stories about successful young people can motivate them to build their future in B&H. Given that in Banja Luka the public space is dominated by the media that deny the state of B&H, and that ethnic divisions are pronounced in Mostar, this result seems to be expected. It is encouraging that young people themselves stated elements of solutions journalism as desirable, even though they did not know that they were talking about a solutions approach.
Solutions vs Problem Approach in Reporting
Most students from Tuzla and Sarajevo have heard about solutions journalism, and students from Tuzla had the opportunity to hear about this concept at lectures and workshops. None of the students from Banja Luka has heard of the solutions concept in reporting, and the situation is similar with the students from Mostar. After the students read the second – problem-oriented story, they began to notice the differences.
However, opinions on the quality of the stories are different. Students from Mostar and Banja Luka mostly prefer a problem-oriented story, describing it as “concise”, “clear”, “fierce”, as a “story that makes a point”, while they consider the other one “beautiful” but too long, “warmer”, “more emotional”, but not focused enough. They believe that the second story is more purposeful and convincing, while the first is better supported by data and examples. They recognized that the first (solutions) story is about solutions and acts as a “driving force”, while the second story presents negative facts and serves as a “mirror of society”, but, in the opinion of the students, it is also more objective.
Banja Luka (student 2): The second one is more useful to me because it’s shorter, it’s to the point. The first text was nicer to read, because it has more examples, it’s warmer, and the second one is more depressing because it shows exactly what the problem is and it’s kind of rigid. The downside is that it’s too long and doesn’t hold as much attention. In the first text, I didn’t get the impression that they were asking for some help, but they were giving some information that they had some workshops for the elderly. In the first story, I didn’t see what the point was.
Only one student from Tuzla and Sarajevo believe that a problem-oriented story is more purposeful, while the others believe that a solutions story is more purposeful.
Students lack the “other side” in the stories, that is, they believe that comments from government representatives should be included in the stories in order to be “objective”.
Mostar (student 2): There is nothing unsaid in this first story, only maybe someone from the government addressed and gave his statement. And there are things in the short story that are unfinished, perhaps because it is one-sided, bad, there are no associations of these pensioners or centres for the elderly, which I think should actually have like any journalistic story, to be objective, to have a side of government.
Almost the same number of students think that citizens want problem-oriented stories and that they would react badly to solutions stories, while the other half believe that citizens would eventually get used to the solutions approach and that they would gladly accept it. The students emphasized that middle-aged people would rather read the solutions stories than young people who “would not have time for it”.
Mostar (student 5): There’s a big difference between the ages of how they react. For example, some older people would like to read some news related to them, while some young people, high school students, college students, will read the latter story sooner because it is shorter, and they know what the situation is, and that’s just to get informed.
Students from Tuzla and Banja Luka mostly agree that solutions journalism is more demanding, but they would definitely try this approach of reporting. The opinions of students from Sarajevo are divided, while students from Mostar mostly want to engage in problem-oriented journalism.
Tuzla (student 4): I definitely want to be an example of change, and solutions journalism is more difficult because it requires more effort.
Sarajevo (student 6): I wouldn’t do solutions journalism because I see myself more in creative journalism. Solutions journalism is more of a call to action.
Mostar (student 3): I wouldn’t deal with that. Because I don’t see myself in that journalism because there are a lot of risks in this business today.
In the event that they were writing a solutions story and that the envisaged solution was contrary to the prevailing opinion of the public, the students said that they would mostly publish the story, and they emphasized that in that case they would further argue it and support it with evidence.
In case they did not find an adequate solution to the problem from the story, the students would still publish the story, and many would ask for solutions, i.e. advice for solutions, from citizens or institutions, which is not the principle of solutions journalism since it does not ask for opinions on solutions.
There are various elements that students would add to solutions stories to check and argue the effectiveness of the solution:
- examples
- official information
- statistics
- surveys and people’s reactions.
It is interesting that none of the discussants mentioned the opinions of experts, professional and scientific studies, the results of the application of the solution in some other environments. From their answers, it is evident that they believe that solutions should be offered by journalists with the help of officials or citizens, which is why they are afraid that they will be characterized as biased.
A few key conditions for dealing with solutions journalism crystallized in conversations with students:
- specialization and education of journalists for reporting according to the solutions approach
- editors’ willingness to support solutions stories
- dedication and empathy of journalists
- financial support of the media for which the journalist works.
They see obstacles to dealing with solutions journalism in the following:
- lack of time
- editorial policy
- the public’s reaction
- availability of data sources
- lack of interest in the solutions stories because of their length.
Students believe that solutions stories are more suitable for television journalism. They also listed several ways to make solutions stories more interesting:
- shorten the length of the text
- add good titles and intertitles
- add visual elements.
- combine visual and textual content.
From the perspective of students, solutions journalism is not convincing or completely objective, although it is more purposeful than problem journalism. They also misunderstood the way in which solutions are presented in the story. Students think that solutions are proposed by journalists and/or officials. They see the absence of political representatives in the stories as a sign of their bias, which shows that they are deeply immersed in a culture of negative news. Although they have repeatedly emphasized that citizens are fed up with negative stories, in the second part, some said that citizens prefer negative stories, and others that they would react well to solutions stories. They believe that solutions journalism is more demanding, especially in terms of education, time and editorial support, but many would still deal with this approach in reporting. Ignorance of the concept of solutions journalism, the risk of being declared biased and the fear of not being liked by the audience are some of the key reasons that, as the focus groups showed, made it difficult for students to understand the solutions approach more clearly.
Conclusion
In this paper, we analyzed: 1. how much the solutions journalism approach is represented in reporting on young people on five Bosnian-Herzegovinian portals and 2. how journalism students from B&H think about SoJo. By applying qualitative methods of focus groups and analysis of media content, we came to results that showed: that in reporting on young people in B&H, a problem-based approach prevails, or a “positive” or “soft” approach, while there is no solutions approach at all; As well as that the opinions of students on the objectivity of solutions stories are divided, and that a large number of them would deal with solutions reporting, although they have different opinions about the possible reactions of the audience to this approach.
Solutions journalism is a type of constructive journalism that objectively reports, respecting all standards of the profession, problems in society with an emphasis on potential solutions, evidence that they work, as well as their shortcomings. In theoretical terms, solutions journalism is considered from the perspective of the “Journalistic Compass” or “Framing Theory”. SoJo is active and focused on citizen reporting, and in an interpretative sense, SoJo reporting is dominated by solutions and perspectives. The Solutions Journalism Network has also developed a detailed methodological instrument on the basis of which it is possible to write and recognize solutions stories, which we have followed in this paper.
Based on studies on media reporting on young people in the world, two interpretive frameworks in which young people most often appear are recognized: the classic or problem-based approach and positive news. Studies show that the attitudes of journalists and citizens towards the solutions approach in the world are positive. Most journalists in B&H have not had the opportunity to report in this way, and the reasons are mostly ignorance of the approach or editorial policy (Delić Aščić, 2024).
In the period of one month of monitoring of five news portals in B&H, 98 articles on young people were published. Thematically, education is the most represented in these articles, followed by sports. If the articles mention solutions, which rarely happens, they are presented in the abstract and without concrete evidence that they work, advantages and disadvantages, possibilities of application in B&H. Almost half of the articles cannot be placed in any explanatory framework because they are mostly factual and therefore value-neutral, while the other half portrays young people mostly positively, through two frameworks: 1. as hope for the future, 2. as heroes. Stories on young people are mostly told by officials, holders of political and public offices, organizations, while young people as sources are neglected. According to the “Journalistic Compass”, reporting on young people is passive and with a focus on official sources, i.e. it is not solutions journalism.
Journalism students in B&H prefer problem-oriented stories, although they said they like the solutions story because it is more purposeful, “warmer”, different. They consider problem journalism to be more objective compared to solutions. Journalism, in their opinion, should be a “mirror of society”. Students from Banja Luka and Mostar generally believe that journalism cannot contribute to a more positive perception of young people about their prospects in B&H, while the majority of students from Tuzla and Sarajevo think that it can. Students from these two cities are also familiar with the concept of SoJo, while this is not the case with students from Banja Luka and Mostar. Students’ opinions on the reactions to the solutions stories are divided, half of them believe that citizens would react well, and half that the audience would show resistance. Many students would still be engaged in solutions journalism, except for students from Mostar who prefer a problem-based approach. They see the key obstacles in the application of the solutions approach in newsrooms in the lack of knowledge of the concept, editorial, spatial and time limitations, lack of interest of the audience and unavailability of sources.
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Novinarstvo usmjereno na rješenja:
stavovi studenata novinarstva i
predstavljanje rješenja u izvještavanju web portala o mladima
Sažetak
U interpretativnom uokvirivanju medijskog izvještavanja o mladima prevladavaju dva pristupa: prvi usmjeren na probleme i drugi usmjeren na pozitivne „meke“ vijesti. Nedostaje pristup usmjeren na rješenja u kojem bi u okviru istog formata bio predstavljen problem, ali i rješenje koje bi moglo biti učinkovito u konkretnom slučaju, s mladima, a ne nositeljima političkih i javnih funkcija, kao ključnim akterima priče. Cilj rada je utvrditi kako studenti novinarstva/komunikologije u Bosni i Hercegovini (B& H) percipiraju novinarstvo rješenja (solutions journalism, skr. SoJo) i kako u izvještavanju o mladima medijski portali predstavljaju rješenja. Primjenjene su dvije kvalitativne istraživačke metode: ispitivanje u fokus grupama među studentima Univerziteta u Sarajevu, Banjoj Luci, Tuzli i Mostaru (N=24) i metoda analize medijskog teksta o mladima na pet medijskih portala u BiH (N=98). Rezultati ispitivanja studenata pokazali su da novinarstvo rješenja smatraju svrsishodnijim od problemskog, ali i prijetnjom za novinarsku objektivnost. Kao nužne uvjete za bavljenje ovom vrstom novinarstva identificirali su obuku o njemu, podršku uredništva, društvenu senzibilnost novinara i financijsku stabilnost medija. Rezultati kvalitativne analize članaka o mladima pokazali su da formati u kojima su spomenuta rješenja ne ispunjavaju kriterije SoJo priča. Iako su priče o mladima uglavnom pozitivno uokvirene, ispričane su iz perspektive menadžmenta institucija/organizacija, a ne mladih.
Ključne riječi: novinarstvo rješenja, studenti novinarstva, izvještavanje o mladima.