Changing Times Newspaper

With the rise of fake news, divisive politics, and growing insecurity created by social and economic inequality, we are often left with a media landscape dominated by dismal perspectives on the world. Too much of our media focuses on “What went wrong yesterday and who can we blame?” Too rarely does it focus on “What might go right tomorrow and who is showing the way?” So we’re bringing you a solution.

For many people, being bombarded with stories about all of the problems within society, rather than the solutions, leads to a disinterest and disengagement in global issues. This harms the strength and resilience of our communities, both locally and globally. Using the power of media and technology to advance positive social change certainly isn’t a new concept, but solutions media is re-thinking how media can be a tool to drive more effective humanitarian action and social change.

It’s not about positive or ‘good news’ stories – people carrying out inspirational acts of generosity or achievement. You know… the types of positive stories that are shared on social media that make people feel-good. It certainly doesn’t ignore the problems that exist, or the barriers to achieving them.

Solutions media uses communication tools to respond to social problems, and can take many diverse forms like journalism, digital tools, cultural products or public campaigns. People need to learn about examples of positive change. Identifying potential solutions to our society’s challenges is key to our public dialogue.

Solutions media isn’t something that is exclusively for journalists or news reporters. Media makers (like writers, filmmakers, or photographers) can report on successful local experiments that could be scaled up elsewhere in the world, or report on the solutions happening elsewhere that could be brought to their own communities.

Activists can use media creatively to solve the issues they are tackling.

Scholars and other news model innovators can strive to find solutions to the crisis in media itself… How, in an era where social media is thriving and the traditional news business models are crumbling, can we re-invent media?

The public can live out the solutions and bring them alive through personal storytelling.

We all, in one way or another have the potential to shape the landscape of our democracy using solutions media. Even if you don’t directly contribute to the media, you still consume media in some way (reading this right now proves so).

By choosing to create, consume, or share solutions-focused stories and ideas, you can help turn the media into a valuable information tool, a forum for discussion, and a peace and consensus builder.

The Solutions Journalism Network has a very detailed guide on how to produce solutions stories and runs online workshops frequently. If you want to know more about solutions journalism and want to write for the Humanitarian Changemakers Network, we recommend visiting their Hub and undertaking their free training.

We recognise the truly interrelated nature of many issues within our increasingly globalised world. They’re all part of the same broken system, and the same oppressive structures, attitudes and ideas have allowed these issues to persist. Instead of tackling these issues individually we need to address them all with a more holistic approach. By including stories from people working on a diverse range of issues, we want to make sure people who work in specific areas can remain informed about other challenges in the social change ecosystem, and potentially apply the insights and strategies they learn from others in their own work.

There are always people who are on the frontline of injustice, who have been fighting for justice long others joined the fight, and these are the people who need to have their voices heard the most. We want people from affected communities with lived experience to come forward and use this platform to amplify their voice, and also hold the rest of us accountable for our actions, so we can ensure we are working to bring about change in a way that is just and fair. We also want to continue to hold space for those who the mainstream may try to silence.

PRINT IS DEAD I hear you saying. And yes, while the impact that mainstream newspapers have has been steadily decreasing over the years, we don’t think print is quite dead, especially amongst young Australians.

In fact, most young people have never purchased, or read a newspaper, which is why the novelty of a newspaper— especially one that aligns with their personal interests— has appeal.

We wanted to create a newspaper because it’s symbolic of one of the ways the mainstream media has traditionally acted as the fourth estate in democratic societies; as an investigative watchdog, peace and consensus builder, and an information tool.

We see our printed papers not as something to get tossed away after it’s read once. We hope that people will hold onto them and refer back to some of the stories, tips, and tricks included in them as a reference for future endeavours. That’s why, while the stories might not be 100% relevant, the lessons and insights they give you about creating social change should. Or, if you don’t want to keep it, pass it on to a changemaker who might want it— the more people we can educate and inspire to take action, the better!

We care about the environment, which is why our newspapers are printed on eco-friendly, solvent free, sustainable paper that is FSC and PEFC Certified. We also post them across Australia in a home compostable postage bags.