Solutions Journalism and SDG 7: Reporting on Renewable Energy Transitions Focusing on success stories in clean energy adoption

Abstract

Solutions journalism has become a positive vision of reporting since they do not focus on the problem but on the possible solution that can be implemented and ready to replicate and solve the more critical issues in the society. Solutions journalism is a special opportunity to demonstrate successful green energy transitions in the context of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) the aim of which is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The latter point has been addressed in this paper in terms of how solution-oriented reporting can turn empowerming static clean energy adoption stories into empowering action ones by highlighting replicable approaches, innovation, and community-based practices. The paper discusses journalistic approaches that provide credence and texture to a report through a review of literature and actual examples of cases. The findings reveal that solutions journalism not only creates more awareness among the citizens but also shapes policy discussions, activates investments, and promotes the mobilization of citizens to take part in the adoption of clean energy. Nevertheless, there are practical constraints such as access to data, bias toward excessively rosy accounts, and financial constraints to carrying out deep investigations in the developing world. A direction to be explored by future research is digital storytelling innovations, cross-media border collaborations, and impact measurement frameworks to support the place of the solutions journalism as an accelerator of global renewable energy transitions.