Climate solutions journalism

This mixed methods examination of climate solutions journalism was conducted in order to understand audience effects of climate solutions news stories as well as goals and challenges of journalists reporting on climate solutions. Study 1 involved a two-wave online experiment that tested the impacts of the evidence and insights components of the solutions journalism framework on efficacy perceptions (self-, collective, and response efficacy) and message perceptions (relevance, argument strength). These perceptions, in turn, were analyzed as predictors of collective climate action intentions, self-reported behavior, and actual solar support behaviors. Study 2 used in-depth qualitative interviews with U.S. environmental journalists producing solutions stories to understand their goals for their work, how directly they pointed to opportunities for action in their stories, how they viewed advocacy at the intersection of climate and solutions reporting, and the challenges they faced covering climate solutions stories.