Abstract

Alternative media fill a unique role in the Canadian media landscape, reaching marginalized and local communities, and as early adopters of innovative journalism practices such as solutions journalism. Solutions journalism can be an effective tool to combat audience fatigue with problem-oriented news. This is especially relevant for issues like climate change, which often receives “doom and gloom” coverage. This study aims to understand how alternative media in Canada are using solutions journalism to cover climate change and other environmental stories, via an explanatory sequential mixed-methods research design. A content analysis of all climate change and other environmental stories published by six Canadian alternative media outlets in 2022 was conducted to determine the proportion of articles using solutions journalism, and the types of solutions included. This was followed by interviews with authors of selected solutions journalism articles to further understand the frame-building process of solutions journalism. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. It was found that 38% of climate and environmental articles used some degree of solutions-oriented reporting, though only 12% were fully solutions journalism. This was further explained by interview results, which identified internal and external constraints to implementing solutions journalism. Though not all journalists recalled intentionally applying a solutions journalism framework, solutions-oriented reporting is prioritized in alternative media newsrooms, is perceived as beneficial to audiences and engagement, and is made easier through newsroom support.