Journalism’s historical approach is to spotlight social problems in order to spur reform, exposing wrongdoing or generating awareness — or outrage — about injustice, neglect or hidden threats. This “watchdog” role is critical to the vitality of democratic society. But we believe it’s also insufficient, because it fails to capture and circulate some of the most essential information that society needs to understand and solve its problems.

The findings challenge the age-old journalistic belief that “if it bleeds, it leads” — and the assumption that people are more likely to talk about and share news of catastrophe and scandal.

A growing swath of research suggests a rationale for journalists to reconsider their traditional reporting emphasis. Several recent studies reveal the consequences of negative news overload — and suggest that there are potential benefits to reporting on the responses to social problems, in addition to the problems themselves. In essence, these studies indicate, solutions journalism can help engage and empower people as news consumers — and also as actors in a challenging and increasingly complex world.

Read the full article on negativity bias in news by Christopher Reeve at Medium