Solutions Journalism Network Awards

Entries will be judged on the Solutions Journalism Network’s definition and four pillars of solutions journalism. In addition, entries will be judged on the basis of the U.S-based Society for Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics.

• Definition: Rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems.
• Four Pillars: Features a response to the problem; contains evidence of the response’s impact, not just good intentions; includes insights – context that others can learn from; and discusses limitations to the response.

Entries will be screened by SJN staff and then distributed to a group of judges drawn from SJN’s network of accredited trainers, newsroom partners, journalism school educators and journalists.

Award Categories

There are five award categories.

• General Excellence in Solutions Journalism
  • This award celebrates the singular entry that encapsulates the definition and four pillars of solutions journalism, including evidence of equitable reporting and measurable impact as a result of the reporting.
  • This award grants $1,000 to the winning reporter or team and is open to the following formats: digital/print, video/broadcast and/or audio. To enter, please submit the entry along with a description of any impact it had.
• The Best of Solutions Journalism in Words
  • This award honors solutions journalism produced as a print story in either a digital-only, digital-first or print publication, including newspapers, magazines and news websites.
  • There is one $500 award per newsroom size category (micro, small, medium, large). To enter, please submit the entry along with a description of any impact it had
• The Best of Solutions Journalism in Broadcast
  • This award celebrates solutions journalism produced in video format for television broadcast, YouTube or other video platforms.
  • There is one $500 award per newsroom size category (micro, small, medium, large). Videos must be under 10 minutes. Please note: entries in the video category will be judged independent of any other story elements including accompanying text and photos. To enter, please submit the entry along with a description of any impact it had.
• The Best of Solutions Journalism in Audio
  • This award recognizes solutions journalism produced as an audio-only story including podcasts or audio stories published on SoundCloud or other audio platforms.
  • There is one $500 award per newsroom size category (micro, small, medium, large). Please note: entries in this audio category will be judged independent of any other story elements including accompanying text and photos. To enter, please submit the entry along with a description of any impact it had.
• The Best of Student Solutions Journalism
  • This award honors solutions journalism that was published or aired in on-campus media or student news services. Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to submit entries. Students may be full-time or part-time and must attend any two-year or four-year university or college at the time of publication.
  • This award grants $250 per winning entry (up to three entries will be awarded) and is open to the following formats: written form (print or online), audio or video. Please note: audio and video entries will be judged independent of any other story elements including accompanying text and photos. Video stories must be under 10 minutes in length. To enter, please submit the entry along with a description of any impact it had.

Size Categories

• Micro newsrooms = 15 or fewer employees
• Small newsrooms = 16-50 employees
• Medium newsrooms = 51-250 employees
• Large newsrooms = More than 250 employees
• Freelancers should submit in the category based on the size of the organization where their work was published.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Solutions Journalism Network Awards are open to journalists working in any size newsroom, or who work independently. All entrants must submit their original work. The awards are open to all platforms including digital, broadcast, print, podcasts and radio. For a series, pick one story from the series to submit.
• Publication date: Eligible entries must have been published or aired between Jan. 1, 2023 and Dec. 31, 2023.
• Multiple entries: An individual journalist may submit up to 3 bylined entries. Please submit one form per entry.

Things to do before Entering

• Familiarize yourself with the newsroom size and award categories and needed documentation.
• There is no fee to enter the SJN awards. SJN does, however, ask all entrants to complete the Solutions Journalism Assessment & Goal-setting Tool, a brief (10-15) minute questionnaire designed to help you and SJN better understand your current solutions journalism practice and the support needed to deepen it. All entrants are required to complete the questionnaire – but only once (each entrant is allowed up to three entries). Please be honest – the judges will not see your answers and answers will not shape award decisions.

For more information, visit Solutions Journalism Network.