Solutions Journalism Network: Food Security Guidebook

This reporter’s guide, produced in partnership with the Solutions Journalism Network, was distributed at the 2013 World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa.

Highlights of the guide:

• We explain the fundamentals of solutions journalism, and how to use them in reporting on food security.
• We use data from the authoritative Global Burden of Disease report to uncover “bright spots,” or places where undernourishment has decreased tremendously and could offer insight to others.
• We discuss the main drivers of food insecurity today.
• We outline several ways communities and innovators are responding to food security – like agricultural storage, insurance schemes, and biotech innovations – and for each, noted pros and cons.
• We bring you advice from journalists who have reported on food security.
• We annotate two solutions-oriented food security articles, from NPR and The New York Times’ Fixes column.
• We provide a few resources to get you started.

Journalists interested in integrating a solutions approach into reporting related to health should consider applying for a solutions travel grant from the Pulitzer Center.

The Solutions Journalism Network was founded by Tina Rosenberg and David Bornstein of The New York Times.