Solutions Journalism Hub

Solutions Journalism Hub

Solutions Journalism at the University of Georgia

Telling the whole story in the South

That’s the mission and purpose of the Solutions Journalism Hub of the South at the University of Georgia—to support storytelling that covers both the problems and the actions being taken to address them.

We are committed to advancing education, research and industry collaboration and innovation to improve the understanding and reach of solutions journalism, with a special focus on the southern United States.

As one of four inaugural Solutions Journalism Hubs named in 2021, the University of Georgia’s hub is uniquely positioned in the South to help newsrooms, students and researchers tell the whole story of our region. There are many problems here that we need good reporting on, but we want to also train storytellers to cover the responses — as a way to not only balance the narrative but provide audiences a way to engage.

We accomplish this in three main areas: teaching, research and service.

“Solutions journalism is rigorous and compelling reporting about responses, which includes how that response has worked, or why it hasn’t; insight (what can be learned from a response and why it matters); evidence (providing data or qualitative results that indicate effectiveness); and limitations (placing responses in context).”

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View ways Grady College faculty are teaching solutions journalism to students.

Teaching

Teaching

Our teaching supports collegiate solutions journalism education in the region, offering fellow educators another source for community. We incorporate solutions journalism in our own curriculum, especially in the capstone courses where students produce and publish solutions-oriented news. We are interested in hosting and facilitating pedagogical discussions and resource sharing in order to make solutions journalism a core element of journalism curriculum.

Photo: UGA Marketing and Communications

Research

Research

With an additional focus on solutions visual journalism, our research supports scholarship studying the production, presentation, distribution and reception of solutions journalism. We welcome graduate students who wish to incorporate this as part of their studies and thesis work, as well as outside scholars who are interested in collaboration.

Service

Service

Our service supports training and outreach for professional journalists and newsrooms. We serve as a home base for tools and techniques within the industry, and work to establish collaborative connections between newsrooms in the South doing this type of work. We often send our faculty and students out into the region to support solutions journalism initiatives and practices.

Solutions Journalism Primer

Additional Resources

Solutions Journalism Story Tracker

Solutions Journalism on Grady Newsource

Solutions Journalism in The Oglethorpe Echo

Directors

  • A headshot of Amanda Bright.

    Amanda Bright

    Clinical Associate; Director, Cox Institute Journalism Innovation Lab

    ABOUT Amanda Bright teaches capstone journalism and news literacy classes and digital design. She serves as the managing editor for Newsource’s digital products and is the instructor and assistant editor for The Oglethorpe […]

  • A headshot of Kyser Lough.

    Kyser Lough

    Associate Professor

    About: Dr. Lough studies visual communication and solutions journalism, with an emphasis on photojournalism. He teaches graduate-level visual communication method & theory, as well as undergraduate photography and journalism ethics […]

  • Headshot of Ralitsa Vassileva

    Ralitsa Vassileva

    Lecturer

    About: Ralitsa Vassileva teaches undergraduate Newsource and Multiplatform Newsroom Projects courses. Her Newsource class learns how to report, produce, and present newscasts that go live on local cable. Her Multiplatform […]

Contact Us

Questions about Solutions Journalism Hub?

Dr. Kyser Lough, Co-director, Research Lead
KyserL@uga.edu

Events

Intern Hours

Join us for Intern Hours, a peer networking event for Grady College students. Each session features a group of current Grady students who had or have internships in Summer/Fall 2024 or Spring 2025. Get tips on how they found their internships, how to prep for internship applications, what they did in the role and more. See details on this month’s featured interns on Instagram @UGAGradyCareers.

Grady College Ambassador Reunion

It has been 20 years since our first Grady Ambassadors graduated! Make plans to join us to help celebrate this milestone and enjoy a spring weekend in Athens while catching up with fellow ambassador alumni. More information can be found at: https://apps.dar.uga.edu/html-emails/-/gail-email/save-the-date-for-a-grady-ambassador-reunion.

Spring 2025 Alumni Board Meeting

Save the date for the spring 2025 Alumni Board meeting. More details will be announced closer to the date.

Grady Salutes

We look forward to recognizing our Alumni Award honorees and Grady Fellowship inductees at Grady Salutes on April 25, 2025. More details to come.

Spring 2025 Board of Trust Meeting

The Grady College Board of Trust will meet at the College on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Grady College Prospective Student Day – Virtual

Prospective Student Day is an opportunity for high school and transfer students and their guardians to learn more about Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Current UGA students who are interested in applying for Grady College majors are also welcome. In addition to a guided tour, students will hear about admissions, eligibility requirements and programs of study. This event covers our undergraduate programs only. If you are interested in graduate program information, email anne.hurne@uga.edu. Register here to join us at Grady College Prospective Student Day!