How to SoJo #3: Tackling assumptions about journalism with care

We took a week off of this newsletter for Memorial Day in the U.S., but the other newsletters kept humming along. Thank you so much to everyone who has clicked on an edition here and used that as an excuse to get SJN's full newsletters, because that's where all the solutions journalism goings-on (that we hear about anyway) can be found.

That week off from "How to SoJo" means there's so much to catch up on! Here we go.

??The May 15 edition of Above the Fold kicked off with some wonderful mental health-focused video work from helpful teens (working with SJN grantee newsrooms), along with some news about Julia Hotz 's book! She is actually learning social media to promo it, so you know she cares. Besidies, social media needs more people like Jules. Then, Nigeria Health Watch and Science Africa announced 12 new mentors for the Solutions Journalism Africa Initiative, while European Journalism Centre (EJC) announced funding for 12 new solutions-focused projects. Then student journalists get plenty of room, with amazing solutions projects from Fresno St. and Pepperdine, along with a magnificently helpful guide to journalism and mental health from Stony Brook. Get all that here!

?? The May 22 edition was truly a global one. First we tackled the belief that good news and bad news is a binary choice. (Spoiler: It's not.) Then Transitions Media announced the first SoJo Summit in Europe; Caroline Karobia was introduced as the new Solutions Journalism Africa Initiative manager; Dana Amihere is crushing it in Los Angeles; and Constructive Network and Assunta Corbo are doing remarkable things in Italy! Learn about/meet these folks.

?? Does "the media" have an agenda? Wellllllll it's complicated. But that doesn't stop lots of people thinking it, so we dig in. Then we share some tools to make your democracy reporting healthier and challenge assumptions like that: a democracy solutions reporting guide; an equity training from Center for Cooperative Media , Francine Pope Huff , and Jaisal Noor; and even funding through CCM for democracy stories. Plus awesome (free) climate lectures from Metcalf Institute , collaborative education reporting, a cool way to support The Uproot Project , and SoJo stories getting recognized in Brazil. Enjoy it all!

If you're in need of some solutions stories — we are, we always are — you've got options.

• The most recent edition of The Response, Jules dedicates more space to youth mental health, this time with stories: Alaina Bookman covered how Alabama students support each other amidst grief; Julia Métraux explored the online communities supporting the chronically ill; and Leigh Paterson found the value to student mental health of ... just asking students what they need. Imagine that! Then read them all here.
• Over at Solutions Worth Sharing, you can get some fascinating democracy news from Emily Arntsen and The Daily Yonder who covered how Navajo residences getting accurate addresses has made voting easier, plus brought a host of other benefits. Or if you're in the mood for climate (or both) you'll want Petra Stock 's story on how a new initiative is getting more kids walking and biking to school, offering climate and health upsides.

Seriously, that's plenty. If you've made it here, you're officially dedicated to solutions journalism. Reward yourself with a break and treat of your choosing. Say SJN gave you permission!