The Research behind Visuals and Solutions Journalism
By Kyser Lough
We’ve long known the power of the news image. Viewers look at the image first and generate a quick emotional response before they even start reading. Audience engagement on social media is driven by visuals, too. Yet much of the academic research into solutions journalism is so far mainly focused on the written side. However, a growing number of scholars are turning to the visual-related questions surrounding solutions journalism. In this chapter, I will summarize some of what we’ve found and where we’re going. There are likely other scholars in early stages of their own projects, so this list will grow.
WHAT WE KNOW
Current research into solutions journalism visuals generally falls into two categories: the images themselves and the effects of the images. There is plenty more to be done, however, which is discussed in the next section.
About the images
The earliest research into solutions journalism visuals began with trying to determine what these types of images look like and how they are being used. Two studies explored this through articles from the Solution Journalism Network Story Tracker.
The first study, , written by Drs. Jennifer Midberry and Nicole Dahmen, looked at the dominant image of every story to determine how it fit with the solutions focus of the story. The top photo carries the most significance to the reader, and may be the only one they see depending on how much time they spend with the article. Only 63.5 percent of stories, however, had dominant photos that reflected the solution discussed in the article. The photos were also more likely to not reflect the solution when they were taken by an external source, like a wire or stock photograph, versus an internal source like a staff photographer. The key takeaway from this study is how important it is to involve internal photographers early on to ensure that the visuals match the story.
The other study, written by Drs. Jennifer Midberry and Nicole Dahmen, also explored images that accompanied stories in the Story Tracker, but instead looked at multiple images in a sample of stories. This provides a deeper understanding of how the complete visual coverage of a story is done. Through analyzing narratives of the images, the researchers propose that good solutions imagery should be comprehensive, explanatory, clarifying and ethical. These four components align with existing photojournalism ethics, but add specificity for solutions journalism. In particular, the researchers suggest that the comprehensive nature of solutions journalism visuals means the images should show both the problem and the response to the problem.
About the image effects
The second phase of solutions journalism visual research starts to look at how the images are received by the reader. We know that readers often look at news photos first to receive emotional and informational cues about the story, so how does this work with solutions visuals?
Currently, two experiments have looked at these image effects using solution and problem-oriented photographs to explore how readers responded when stories had different types of images. The first study, written by Dr. Karen McIntyre, myself and Keyris Manzanares, looked at one topic and found that when solution-oriented images are paired with a solutions story, readers felt more positive; in contrast, they felt more negative with a problem-oriented photo. The second experiment, written by Dr. Nicole Dahmen, Kathryn Thier and Dr. Brent Walth, also tested solution/problem pairing, but used three different topics. While researchers found that responses varied depending on the topic, they found support for the value of solutions visuals as a tool for strengthening narrative engagement and reader interest.
In short — it’s complicated. Both studies reinforced the importance of visuals in solutions journalism to tell an engaging, narrative story, but actual effects on the audience varied in each study and by topic.
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW
There’s still a lot of work to be done in researching solutions journalism visuals. For starters, scholars want to know more about how image effects differ by topic, especially those specific to a community. Each community is unique, and so we need to understand how location, demographics and other factors may also play into these effects. We also need to dive deeper into how solutions and conflict visuals may possibly work together.
We need to learn more about the photographers themselves. What changes in a photographer’s process when they take a solution-oriented focus into their work? How do they conceptualize this type of photography compared to their traditional work, or is there no difference? This is especially important to understand for standalone photo essays and other visual-heavy stories.
Finally, the current research only looks at images from a traditional media perspective and does not take social media into account. We need to know what happens when solution-oriented images are used in link previews and social posts, especially in terms of user engagement.
WHAT WE CAN DO
By reading the upcoming guide you’ll already be one step ahead. You already know how important the visual component is within solutions journalism. Our research shows that it’s crucial to consider the visual message you are sending in your work and to start thinking about the visuals early in the planning process.
To learn more about what scholars know about solutions journalism visuals, check out the papers themselves. Or, reach out to one or more of the scholars to ask questions or suggest a project. Some of the best scholarly work starts with a question from the field. Whether you just want to know more about the research or have an idea for a research project that would help you, your email will be welcomed.
Kyser Lough, PhD, is an assistant professor of journalism in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. He teaches and researches visual communication with a focus on photojournalism. A self-labeled “grounded optimist,” he quickly identified with solutions journalism in 2015. Prior to his return to academia, Dr. Lough spent ten years in the field as a photojournalist, reporter and public relations practitioner.
*This is a sample of Solutions Journalism Network’s upcoming guide on visuals and solutions journalism.*
