Giving Compass' Take:

• Linda Shaw shares the impact of solutions journalism on reporting the details of the coronavirus pandemic.

• What can you do to support safe solutions journalism and those who put themselves at risk?

• Learn more about the necessity of accurate communication as we face the coronavirus.

Like everyone else, we at the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) are tracking each new development in the coronavirus pandemic, worried about what might happen next.

And like (hopefully) everyone, we’re deeply grateful for all the journalists working long hours (some at personal risk) to bring us real-time updates about the rapid spread of this disease, the death toll, the impacts on the economy and our lives. If there were a better time to support local news organizations, we can’t think of one. (For you non-journalists, subscribe now — or if you already do, send an extra donation.)

The stories that detail the breadth and depth of this international emergency are vital, along with those that document how and why we’ve failed to contain it. Just as important are the stories about the promising practices that are starting to emerge.

It’s a particularly good time, in other words, for solutions journalism — in-depth, rigorous reporting about what’s working.

To be clear: By featuring solutions-focused coverage, we’re not minimizing the challenges ahead. Rather, we see this as an opportunity to practice what two of our co-founders, David Bornstein and Tina Rosenberg, described a few years back.

“Whether an effort fails, is marginally successful or works well,” they wrote, “it provides information crucial to democracy. It shows that people care. It helps new ideas circulate. It shows that incremental system change is possible. It shows that beyond your direct experience, there are other communities where people who look different from you are also trying to build a better society. This nurtures the respect that makes society work.”

Read the full article about solutions journalism covering COVID-19 by Linda Shaw at The Whole Story.