Collection

Shifting the Focus to Solutions

Solutions Journalism Network

Most journalism is about what’s wrong in the world, with very little focus or reporting on what is working.  Similarly, much of higher education focuses on critical analysis of what is wrong, with much less emphasis on describing, analyzing and understanding solutions.

While the 24-hour news cycle acts as a behavioral feedback mechanism for society, it tends to exploit what researchers call negativity bias—our tendency to register negative stimuli more readily. Not only does this negatively biased news have an adverse effect on our psychological well-being, it also provides an inaccurate and distorted view of the world. Increasingly, research in the field of positive psychology suggests that a focus on resiliency, inspiration, and hope can act as an effective counterbalance to the constant stream of negative news we encounter.   The stories in this collection provide more convincing evidence that we are hard-wired to want to share stories that ignite our passions. The questions that accompany these stories are designed to help you think about the implications of shifting the focus to solutions for your own life, and for society as a whole.