Pulse trains LASU communication students on Solutions Journalism

The training facilitated by Pulse News Editor, Bayo Wahab, and Senior Reporter, Shotayo Nurudeen, took place at the university's Faculty of Communication on Thursday, June 8, 2023.

Solutions journalism is a rigorous research and fact-based reporting about responses to social problems. It is a new angle to reporting that amplifies working solutions to problems.

During the training, the students learned what solutions-focused reporting is all about; how to identify responses to issues and how to apply the four pillars of solutions journalism in their reports. 

The students also learnt the differences between solutions reports and other brands of reporting such as investigative and development journalism.

Speaking after the training, Prof. Yinka Alawode, the Dean of the Faculty thanked Pulse for exposing the students to new knowledge and practice in journalism.

The first Professor of Broadcast Journalism at LASU urged the students to make good use of the training and make efforts to publish solutions-focused reports.

"I hope you enjoyed the training and I believe you learnt a lot about solutions journalism. This is an opportunity for you to learn beyond what we teach you and I expect you to make good use of the training."

Buraimoh Oluwafayokunolami, a 300-level student, said participating in the solutions journalism training opened her eyes to new possibilities in news reporting.

"The training was very educating because personally for me, I didn’t have any knowledge on solutions journalism and I didn’t know you could make it a means of earning.

"Summarising what I learnt, I could easily say that it shows the nice part of the world that no one shares light on," she said.

"Basically, solutions journalism focuses on reporting responses to social problems, rather than just reporting on the problems themselves. It shows people and organisations that are actively working to solve problems and how they go about it."

Also speaking after the session, Ayodeji Oluwafemi, Head of Content, Foursquare TV thanked Pulse for exposing the students to solutions journalism.

Ayodeji, a PhD student in the faculty, also urged the media publication to be deliberate in organising more of such trainings for student-journalists.

He said, "Pulse Nigeria has done well in putting up this training programme which has exposed many student-journalists to the features and technicalities of solutions journalism. 

"The concept was well explained and the desire to write stories focusing on people proffering solutions on social issues as it affect human life and endeavours has been birthed in the students. I implore the organisers to be more deliberate in handing down this knowledge to more student-journalists."