Jon Bithrey during a presentation at the BBC Future of Journalism Festival at the University of Nairobi. Photo: BBC
The Africa Feature Network will host British journalist Jon Bithrey, Editor of BBC World Service’s People Fixing the World, for its seventh Solutions Journalism Training session on Friday, 6 November 2026.
The virtual session, titled “From Local Solutions to Global Stories: What Makes Solutions Journalism Matter Internationally,” will examine how journalists can identify stories with relevance beyond their communities, assess evidence behind responses to social problems and report their findings to international audiences.
The training comes as more African journalists explore ways to report not only on problems but also on how people and institutions are responding to them. A Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism article published on 18th May 2022 documented efforts by the Solutions Journalism Network and its African partners to support this work in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
The report highlighted more than 30 solutions-focused stories produced through the initiative, including reporting on support for survivors of gender-based violence, maternal healthcare and access to diabetes medication. It also documented efforts to train journalists to report in local languages, making stories accessible to audiences who may otherwise face language barriers.
These examples illustrate the kind of reporting the approach seeks to encourage: journalism that investigates how a response works, examines evidence of its results, identifies lessons and considers its limitations. It is not about promoting initiatives or presenting every intervention as successful.
The Africa Feature Network’s monthly training programme gives journalists opportunities to strengthen these skills through direct engagement with experienced editors, reporters and specialist practitioners. Its virtual format enables journalists in different countries to participate without travelling to a common venue.
According to the organisation’s programme records, its first six sessions have trained 647 journalists, with eight professional trainers contributing to the programme. Participants have come from Kenya, Ghana, South Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, among other African countries, as well as Nepal.
Previous sessions have covered pitching Solutions Journalism stories, editorial selection, securing grants and commissions, evidence and accountability, human-centred storytelling, and reporting science solutions.
The trainers have included among others, Egyptian journalist and editor Dahlia Kholaif, who led a session on evidence, impact and accountability in Solutions Journalism, and Daniel Aghan, Chief Executive Officer of the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA), who led a session on reporting science solutions.
Bithrey’s editorial experience at People Fixing the World will inform the discussion on what makes a story relevant beyond the community where a response originated.
The session will consider how journalists can demonstrate the wider significance of local experiences while retaining the evidence, context and human perspectives needed for credible reporting.
The Africa Feature Network is also planning to expand the programme to help journalists develop stories after training.
The proposed 12-month plan would retain the monthly virtual masterclasses while introducing physical workshops, advanced story development, mentorship, data support for selected journalists and reporting grants.
Under the new plan, the organisation aims to reach more than 1,000 journalists through open training, select 30 for advanced training, provide intensive mentorship to 20 journalists and award reporting grants to 15. It aims to support the publication of at least 15 Solutions Journalism stories.
The proposed expansion would give selected journalists additional support to investigate responses to social, economic and environmental challenges and take their stories towards publication.
Progress would be assessed not only by the number of journalists trained but also by the story ideas developed, reporting undertaken and stories published.
The November session will be moderated by Mr Akere-Maimo J. Ano-Ebie, MSc., Central Africa Region Director at The Africa Feature Network.
Journalists interested in participating can register through The Africa Feature Network’s official registration link
