The Waltonian

Angry. Sad. Sickened. This is how many people feel while skimming through the sea of distressing headlines presented by major news sources. “Sometimes I will feel – I was going to say sad – but I think the proper word is sickened by what is in the news,” Dr. Jennifer Hennessey-Booth, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Eastern University, said. “So sometimes I will limit my news intake because of the feeling of dread. The events themselves make me sad. The way that they’re portrayed sometimes makes me angry.”

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the constant negativity in mainstream news often leaves people feeling anxious, helpless and drained. In this digital age, updates on every travesty are easily accessible and easily overwhelming. As more people distance themselves from the news due to its negative impact on mental health, newsrooms are considering a shift in the way they have traditionally reported the news.

One alternative is solutions journalism: An approach to news reporting that investigates the root causes of societal issues and explores applicable solutions to such problems. “Solutions journalism provides this idea of hope and could possibly change the way that we operate as a nation,” said Dr. Julie Morgan, Chair and Professor of Communication Studies at Eastern University.

Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory

Morgan is well-versed in George Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory, which suggests that interaction with the news and media shapes the way people view reality. Gerbner posited in the late 1960s that heavy news exposure leads to mean world syndrome and “cultivates an exaggerated belief in a mean and scary world.”

“The news teaches us who to be afraid of,” Morgan said. “The story is the same over and over again because it rings true, even though it’s not true, it rings true.” The volume of negative news content that people are exposed to can directly affect their view of the world and their mental health.

Antidote to Mean World Syndrome

Michael Davis, manager of training and curriculum for Solutions Journalism Network, offers an antidote. SJN is a nonprofit organization dedicated to training journalists to report on solution-focused responses to societal issues.

Davis claims that our society is “in a period of news avoidance where people have backed away from the news and said ‘I can’t take it anymore.’ It has traumatized people,” he said. “It has made them feel hopeless and helpless and all kinds of negative things associated with news avoidance. I’m not saying that solutions journalism is the only antidote, but solutions journalism is one way to win back readers that feel like they’ve had enough.”

Solutions Journalism

Traditional news sources typically report on the problems at hand, offering little to no consolation or resolution to such issues.

Hennessy-Booth said she does not check the news, “particularly if there are a lot of positive things happening” in her personal life in order to maintain a positive attitude. Traditional journalism can be so depressing and anxiety-inducing that many, including Hennessy-Booth, avoid it altogether.

Solutions journalism, however, is different.

Davis claims that people often think “news is when a plane crashes at the local airport that a hundred flights landed safely today. To which I now say, ‘Hold on a minute, maybe what we should do is a story that looks at the safety record of our local airport and maybe it’s an outlier. Maybe they haven’t had a fatality or an accident and find out why.’ Look at the responses to the aviation industry and airline crashes in the past and find a difference between what we have today.”

“Every day in this country people are making progress on lots of social issues and the progress that they’re making can be measured and weighed and shared with audiences and that leads to a healthier, more informed nation,” Davis said. “That is what I train people to do. I train them to answer the simple question: Who’s doing it better? Find them. Report on them. Share it. Discuss it.”

Investigating the “How”

Davis describes solutions journalists as “interested observers.”

“The ‘how’ questions in solutions journalism are the most important ones. Mystery questions are the “Whodunnit’s.” We call solutions journalism stories the “Howdunnit’s.” These aren’t “gotcha” stories. This is the opposite of a gotcha story. This is a story that’s holding up a mirror and trying to reflect back how things are. [It’s] acknowledging that the world has problems and we respond to problems, and here’s an interesting or promising response to a problem.”

An example of a solutions journalism story is one from July 2024 in The Philadelphia Citizen, where the paper reported on pedestrian safety solutions in the wake of the death of a well-regarded doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania. More examples of solutions journalism like this can be found on the Solutions Story Tracker website.

Limitations

One of the limitations of solutions journalism is the potential for bias in reporting on solutions to issues. Because of the potential for bias, Hennessy-Booth is skeptical about the solutions journalism from all news sources: “I really think it would depend on the news source. There’s some news that I think the solutions would be biased, so I think that would make me more angry. But if I trust the news source and I was in agreement with it, then I think the solution would offer satisfaction and hope.”

In response to these concerns, Davis replies that the secret to effective and unbiased solutions journalism is “all in the questions that you pose.” He explained that a critical part of his approach is to ask, “What do your critics say about you? How do you respond to that?” This line of questioning helps assess the credibility and balance of the perspectives presented, ensuring a thorough and fair evaluation of the issue at hand.

“I think that’s another limitation, too, that they aren’t easy-peasy stories to do and so you have to make time in your schedule and your editor or supervisor needs to be aware and on-board with you taking the time to do the stories,” Davis said. “Now I think the upside, the reward of this story, can be higher than other kinds of stories. But, like all good things, it takes time and energy to do them.”

Another limitation to this method of reporting is that “you can’t do solutions journalism until the problem is well known by your audience,” Davis said. “Sometimes the best solutions journalism is about a problem that’s been nagging the community for a while, that almost everybody is sick of hearing about.”

Feedback

Davis and his coworkers at SJN have received a lot of positive feedback from readers who are pleased with the alternative to traditional journalism. “What’s great is that our research shows that people tend to really understand and appreciate the difference,” he said. “I would say that working in solutions journalism for the past seven years has taught me that audiences really want this. That they crave it. And when they get it, they want more of it.”

Hope

“Solutions journalism is a way of beginning to rebalance the news. I think these stories provide, on occasion, hope, and I’m pro-hope. We at Solutions Journalism Network say it’s ‘hope with teeth’ and these stories have a bite to them. They are robust stories. They are rigorously reported and uphold all the standards of good journalism. It’s just good journalism trained on the response to a problem rather than just the problem and itself,” Davis said.

As solutions journalism sheds light on meaningful progress and hope, the prevalence of mean world syndrome amongst media consumers can diminish.

Eastern University’s Fine and Performing Arts Division is expanding. The music department especially has seen significant growth within the past year with an updated music building, a recital hall in the making, and the addition of many ensembles.

Strategic growth and recruitment efforts

Growth in the music department comes as a result of Eastern’s strategic plan to increase enrollment.

“The entire Fine and Performing Arts Division is expanding, but the music department is the foundation of it all,” Dr. Steven Ford, chair of the Department of Music and dean of the Fine and Performing Arts Division, said.

Under Ford’s guidance, the department has experienced a surge in enrolment, leading to the expansion of ensembles, such as the introduction of the marching band, and overall student engagement.

“When I came in as a freshman, there were only two of us freshmen in the music department,” Leah Britcher, a music major said. “Now, we have so many more students, making our ensembles even stronger.”

Dr. Tim Brown, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, supports the expansion of the music department. “From working with faculty and seeing their interests and where the curriculum is going, I think a goal for us is for each program to have a signature experience, preferably in alignment with a pre-professional track so that way [students] can put it on their resume and help with career development.”

Brown is focused on enhancing the pre-professional music experience through recruitment and program development. Collaborating with local high schools and music programs, faculty members like Perry Brisbon, recruitment manager and adjunct professor, are actively promoting the department and attracting new student talent.

Infrastructure enhancements

The music department secured significant funding, including a $100,000 grant from the Presser Foundation, which will support the renovations of Fowler Hall as the updated music building and the construction of the new recital hall in the new Templeton building. These updates are following a nationwide trend. According to Forbes, campus construction spending has increased by 26 percent in 2024.

“We have not had this much traffic,” Ford said, referring to the increased interest and activity within Fowler Hall and the department.

The new recital hall, expected to be completed by August 2025, will provide a dedicated venue for performances and practices, alleviating current space constraints. Britcher emphasizes the importance of this facility, especially for senior recitals, as it often proves challenging to secure time in the McInnis auditorium.

The student experience

Both Brown and Ford believe these renovations will contribute to the well-being and success of their students. Both men expressed the importance of providing students with pre-professional experiences through the introduction of a recording studio, spaces to perform for an audience, state of the art equipment and music production facilities. These opportunities will prepare students well for successful careers.

Highlighting the strengths of the music department, Britcher expresses her admiration for the faculty, stating, “The professors here are really talented and could literally teach anywhere… I feel honored to have them.”

Admiration for professors is a common sentiment shared amongst music students. “The music professors at Eastern are super engaging and fun to learn from,” Josiah Cash, music composition major said. “After class I get a migraine with how much my brain expands with different ideas,” Cash playfully remarked.

“They offer so much encouragement to us. They really care about our interests and encourage us to play our favorite instruments and discover our own style,” Cash said.

Britcher feels the close-knit community of the music department fosters an encouraging atmosphere, where students build personal connections and support each other’s growth. “We all hear each other perform so much, and it’s exciting to see everyone’s growth.”

“The community in the music department is very open, accepting and supportive,” Cash said.

Looking ahead

The music department’s future is not without its challenges. Prioritizing initiatives while managing time effectively is crucial, according to Brown. “There’s a need for dreaming, brainstorming, and collaboration with staff,” he said. Ford states that it would be detrimental to be unprepared, especially with the current influx of students.

Now that being thankful is finally over with, we’re desperate for a good spending-spree. The main thing on everyone’s mind during the Christmas season is always the most precious gift given to all of mankind: unnecessary stuff we can buy!

Christmas is a time to celebrate the Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, humbling himself to take on flesh. It’s a time to reflect on baby Jesus quietly sleeping in a dirty manger as the Virgin Mary, who had just given birth in a barn, praises God for His endless mercy.

So let’s make this b-day bash the best one yet! Lights! Glitter! Action!

Let’s start with buying birthday party decorations. We’ll need a bunch of lights that we’ll have to untangle every year. You can choose between colorful lights that make you dizzy or LED lights that make you blind.

For the party food we could get simple finger foods such as sugar cookies, hot chocolate, candy canes and a whole glazed ham.

What’s a good birthday party without a good playlist? Make sure you cue-up “Dominick the Donkey,” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and the longest version of “Feliz Navidad” you can find. Make sure each song gets played at least 10 times.

Now for the most important part: the presents! No, not for the birthday boy – for you! Of course we can’t celebrate Jesus without thinking of ourselves first and storing up our earthly treasures.

The best way to ensure that you will be filled with the joy of Christmas is to make a list of everything you demand to receive. The more overpriced the better. It’s best to make sure you have written evidence of your desires so that when your loved ones disappoint you on Christmas morning claiming, “I didn’t know what you wanted,” you’ll have the receipts.

Unfortunately, Christmas requires that you give other people stuff too, but if you need to you can just re-gift them stuff you already have.

While we could take a quiet moment to reflect on the humble birth of Jesus, it’s much more fun to embrace the glitter, the food, and the excess. After all, it’s His birthday, so we might as well throw the biggest, most consumer-driven party the world has ever seen.