Medill expands social justice specialization to include solutions journalism
The specialization will welcome its first class in Fall 2023
EVANSTON, ILL. -- Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications has expanded the Social Justice specialization for its graduate journalism program to include Solutions Journalism–an approach that centers on the responses to social issues and examines their effectiveness.
The specialization will also have a new leader in 2023-2024: Medill lecturer Jessica Villagomez, a former reporter for The Chicago Tribune and Chicago-based freelance journalist who is herself a graduate of the Medill graduate program in the Social Justice specialization.
"When reporting on social justice issues like incarceration, environmental racism, housing, and immigration, it's only natural to center solutions so we can not only reveal injustices but light the path toward better policy and practice," said Medill assistant professor Kari Lydersen, who has led the Social Justice specialization since its inception.
As part of the Social Justice and Solutions Journalism specialization, students will work with faculty to tell the stories of disenfranchised, vulnerable and marginalized communities in order to expose injustice, highlight resilience and also analyze possible solutions.
“Solutions journalism is ultimately good journalism,” said Villagomez. “Students are going to be able to not just look at the social justice issues plaguing us today, but highlight those working to better our communities.”
The expansion of the specialization comes on the heels of Medill being named one of four inaugural solutions journalism hubs in the United States by the Solutions Journalism Network. The hubs are charged with ensuring that journalism focused on responses to problems is integrated into the teaching, research and service of leading journalism programs.
“At a time when news consumers are bombarded with information and disinformation about the pressing issues of the day, what many people seek, and what many journalists yearn to provide, is greater context that allows us to understand the roots of these problems and people who are attempting to solve them,” said Medill Dean Charles Whitaker. “That is why we’ve taken the step to expand our Social Justice specialization to include Solutions Journalism. We believe that journalism’s role in society is to not merely report the facts of the day, but to explore the ways in which individuals and institutions seek to find redress for some of our most vexing concerns.”
The Social Justice and Solutions Journalism specialization is currently accepting applications to start in fall of 2023.
Learn more about the Social Justice and Solutions Journalism specialization