Giving Compass' Take:

• This Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) post highlights some of the best solutions-based stories of 2018, from Devex's report on Rohingya refugees tackling natural disasters to Alaska Public Media's article on rural health care.

• How can we use these stories as inspiration to find answers to some of society's toughest challenges? Knowing what works is essential in the nonprofit sector.

• If you're looking for ways to support SJN and other journalism outlets through philanthropy, click here.

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant." It’s a well-known saying in journalism. Louis Brandeis first made the statement in a 1913 article for Harper’s Weekly. The idea is simple, and it’s a tenet of journalism that is still upheld today: shed light on wrongdoing, and that exposure will be enough to ignite transformation. It’s the reason journalists call themselves watchdogs. Their job is to locate and reveal misbehavior.

But what happens next? How do communities figure out what to do about a problem once it’s been spotlighted?

In the five years SJN has existed, we have seen many, many, many stellar examples of solutions reporting. We recently hit 5,000 stories in our Story Tracker, and these days our network often shows us the best ways to report on responses. We hope you enjoy our 14 picks below for the best solutions reporting in 2018.

The stories below all cover responses — not ideas and rhetoric, but real ground-level action to alleviate a clearly-identified problem. We like to say that journalists who add a solutions-oriented lens to their reporting aren’t only watchdogs, but also “guide dogs.” Providing rigorous coverage and evaluation of responses  —  how they played out, what the impact was (or wasn’t)  —  gives audiences ideas, even working playbooks, to make their communities better.

Read the full article about the best solutions reporting of 2018 by Solutions Journalism Network at The Whole Story.