3 questions to Miriam Richter

In each edition, we like to bring you behind the scenes of our Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This time, we would like to share with you Miriam Richter’s work as an ambassador for solutions-based journalism in Germany. Miriam Richter is an editor for development projects at the Schleswig-Holsteinische Zeitungsverlag. She is responsible for constructive climate reporting, which has been locally focused for the past two years.

1)  Can you walk us through your journey into solutions journalism?

In our local climate reporting, which we started two years ago, we reported constructively from the start, even if we only became aware of it over time. It was extremely important to us not only to name the problem, but also to always find solutions, options and positive examples to show that everyone can do something. Our data shows that solutions-oriented journalism, including tips, is well-received by our readers. We are constantly working to educate and improve ourselves in the area of ​​constructive journalism. Last year, for example, we had a workshop with colleagues from the Bonn Institute for Constructive Journalism.

2) For this project, you organised a conference in September about climate. Could you tell us a little bit about it?

We held our Climate Forum in September. The motto was “This is how we protect ourselves from storm surges in Schleswig-Holstein”. There was a keynote from a qualified meteorologist, institutions that presented their work on the topic, workshops and a panel discussion, all related to the topic of flood protection.

It was important for us to involve our readers, to hear their ideas and opinions and to enable exchange and networking. That worked wonderfully. We received very positive feedback from participants.

The six workshops were the heart of the event. The World Cafe method gave us valuable suggestions and topics for our constructive climate reporting.

3) What would you say are the positive impacts/outcomes of the conference you organised?

The positive experiences are very varied. The event had a lot of positive results for our brand image, not only among our readers but also among the invited politicians and experts. We also received many very good topic ideas for our reporting, which we take up for our products, research and then publish. I'm also currently creating a playbook that will serve as a blueprint for my colleagues to help guide future events. 

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