Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 2182 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

What voting by mail looks like when it works

Amber Phillips

June 12, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

Vote-by-mail in Colorado makes voting easier. Citizens are automatically registered to vote by the DMV when they get a license. Voter data is updated monthly by the post office to increase voter roll accuracy. Voters get an email or text when their ballot is sent out and unique bar codes allow ballots to be tracked with a Postal Service app. Ballots can be returned by mail, with postage covered if needed, or at an official drop-off location and signatures on the back of the envelope are matched to DMV records. For transparency, voters can watch officials process ballots in person or on a live stream.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Black Technologists Create New Virtual Gathering Spaces for Support & Networks Amid Pandemic

Jewel Wicker

June 12, 2020 |

The Plug |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Spurred by the trend towards digital conferencing during the Covid19 pandemic, Black technologists created virtual gatherings to support communities who are generally underrepresented in the tech industry. “Quarantine Con” and “In Streaming Color,” were aimed at elevating the voices of people of color in the tech industry. Their success led to other events in different industries such as a virtual gym, a culinary showcase, wealth building, and mental health. While the events are open to everyone, the organizers say that they want to normalize the appearance of Black experts.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The Camden Police Department Is Not A Model For Policing In The Post-George Floyd Era

Brendan McQuade

June 12, 2020 |

The Appeal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Camden, New Jersey

Hailed as an example of a successful, radical makeover of a police department, Camden's policing actually represents only a slight shift, from mass incarceration to its close cousin, mass supervision through surveillance and a continued reliance on broken-windows-style over-policing. Much of the city's reform consists of slick rebranding; for example, hot spots policing turns into "guardian zones," but the effect on residents is similar. Policing and conditions have improved, but not for the reasons that police reformers would like to think.

Read More
Go to Original Story
As coronavirus restrictions loosen, congregations grapple with including older adults

Yonat Shimron

June 11, 2020 |

Religion News Service |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Florida

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down large gatherings, some churches in the U.S. began offering outdoor services to safely serve their congregations – such as in one retirement community in Florida where members attended services via golf carts. As the weather turns cooler though, churches are finding creative ways to further engage older members such as encouraging them to join Zoom calls for song and worship.

Read More
Go to Original Story
What Estonia could teach us about internet voting in a post-pandemic world

Chris O'Brien

June 11, 2020 |

VentureBeat |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Estonia

Estonia’s i-Voting system is currently used by 46.7% of voters and allows them to vote from home using a government-issued smart card. To vote, residents need a computer with a card reader or can have their encrypted ID linked to their cell phone SIM card. They can track their vote with a QR code and are able to change their choices any time during the 10-day voting period. Estonia is currently the only country to use this method, in part because eroding government trust has prevented the use of centralized systems that track personal information.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Designed to Save Lives: Artists Craft Coronavirus Messaging for Underserved Communities

Melanie D. G. Kaplan

June 11, 2020 |

U.S. News & World Report |

Photojournalism |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Artists are designing bold and direct messaging to provide Covid-19 information to underserved populations. The messaging is explicit, often highlighting the role of racism in health disparities seen with the virus, and it is culturally specific to the intended audience. Messaging is offered in multiple languages and the information and images speak directly to the cultural norms of specific groups. Messaging is also delivered in a variety of ways, from fliers disseminated in Black churches to including brochures in bags of free groceries to hanging posters in residential buildings.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Balancing out the doom and gloom: Why we're producing more journalism with a glass-half-full outlook

Angela Ross

June 11, 2020 |

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia

ABC News in Australia is using a solutions-focused, or constructive, approach to reporting on social problems. Focusing in particular on three areas, affordable housing, stormwater, and obesity, the Hobart newsroom is combating widespread hopelessness and mistrust of the media by highlighting what individuals and communities are already doing to address problems. The approach is used around the world and supported by organizations such as Solutions Journalism Network and the Constructive Institute. While change can be slow, these groups offer newsroom training to help shift reporting perspectives.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Democracy isn't working: five ideas that are already helping to fix the problem

Patrick Chalmers

June 10, 2020 |

The Correspondent |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya

Communities around the world are increasing citizen participation in political decision-making in innovative ways. Participatory budgets allow locals to decide how cities spend money and in some Kenyan cities this has successfully engaged marginalized communities. Citizens’ Initiative Reviews in Oregon and Representative Population Samples in Brazil have allowed the public to weigh in on important policies. In Taiwan, citizen-led digital participation platforms helped to control the coronavirus and avoid major shutdowns. These alternatives require funding and public trust, both of which can be hard to get.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Promotoras: A community model with heart — and teeth

Alyssa Biederman

June 10, 2020 |

Generocity |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Promotoras is a model used in Latin America since the 1950s, where respected community members perform health outreach and host events to answer questions about healthcare access and treatments. The program seeks to ensure that Latinx communities are not prevented from receiving quality healthcare because of traditional obstacles such as distrust, lack of transportation, lack of insurance, or language barriers. Research and surveys consistently show that this model achieves success by improving access to health services for the majority of people they interact with.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How the Amazon region, hardest-hit by coronavirus, resumed lessons with classrooms closed

Hanna Liubakova

June 08, 2020 |

Outriders |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Manaus, Amazonia

Aula em Casa, which translates to School at Home, is a television program that features class material for students living in remote parts of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, who likely have televisions, but not access to the internet or a computer. The program, which reaches 450,000 students in Amazonas, features elementary and secondary school lessons transmitted over major TV channels, and is supplemented by teachers through the use of popular messaging app WhatsApp, Google Classroom, and is now being used by at least three other states in Brazil because of the pandemic.

Read More
Go to Original Story