by Holly Wise, program operations manager and SJN Awards manager
Today we’re thrilled to announce the winners of the inaugural Solutions Journalism Network Awards program! With over 400 entries from 13 countries, the competition was fierce.
From established national outlets to the heart of rural communities and the next generation of journalists, this awards program received entries showcasing the breadth of solutions-oriented reporting. National media organizations brought their extensive reach to highlight impactful solutions. Rural newsrooms provided a vital perspective on community-driven initiatives. And student journalists offered a fresh look at emerging solutions.
Before we reveal the winners, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible team of 42 volunteer judges who dedicated their time and expertise to evaluating entries across the award categories. Their passion for solutions journalism and commitment to excellence were instrumental in selecting the most impactful entries.
We thank you: Loujeina Haj Youssef, Liza Ramrayka, Naira Davlashyan, Clara Dominguez, Nanette Kroeker, Kat Duncan, Sam Schramski, Mariam El Marakeshy, Rasheedat Oladotun-Iliyas, Gracielly Bittencourt Machada, Michael Hamtil, Petra Kovačević, Swati Sanyal Tarafdar, Matthew Kauffman, Cathay Otten, Lisa Urlbauer, Kathryn Dugal, Emma Löfgren, Bridget Thoreson, Jose Maria Herrera Tamayo, Kate Roff, Aysha Khan, Antonio Simões Menezes, Wanjohi Kabukuru, Meera K, Jessica Kantor, Jaydeep Dasgupta, Tom Hallberg, Jacqui Merrington, Esther Nakkazi, Stanley Vitte, Gordana Smudja, Assunta Corbo, Talib Visram, Douglass Main, Anna Massoglia, Yelena Dzhanova, Ariel Zych, Bennet Goldstein, Mary Hall and Pamposh Raina.
And now we’re honored to showcase the SJN award winners, along with the judges’ comments and story impact statements when provided.
Judges’ comments: This is a great story that examines 1) the response to water shortage and food insecurity exacerbated by climate change through a traditional fog catcher model. Lima is one of the driest cities in the world, making this solution very unique; 2) Insight: The story mentions how the idea of the model came about and how it can be adapted in other geographies and how it works; 3) Evidence: Each fog catcher saves b/w 200 to 400 litres of water everyday. Model was scaled up in 2012 with USAID grant; 4) Limitation: Fog catchers require space, which is not always easy to come by in cities, let alone urban slums. Fog catchers must be properly cleaned and maintained to stay effective. Most crucially, appropriate climate conditions are required.
Impact statement from Peter Yeung: This entry, which was co-reported with a local female journalist in Lima, scrutinized a solution that is already well-established in the city, but one that is looking to ramp up and potentially spread further around the world: “fog catchers”. Lack of access to clean water is an issue that affects millions around the world. Interviews were carried out on the ground, amplifying the voices of some of the most disadvantaged people in the world, and the story included critique from a number of independent experts — laying out the potential but also limits of where it could work. Post-publication, I was commissioned to do a radio segment for the BBC on the subject. The NGO told me that a French company contacted them to film a documentary and that it had received $50,000 in funding from Engineers Without Borders USA.
Honorable mentions: Liani MK, The race to put Indigenous land on the map; Somaiyah Hafeez, After successive floods, Pakistan is forced to consider resilient housing
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