We’ve posted the video from this great Friday session talking to two award-winning writers who penned this solutions journalism piece while still in college.
In “Crisis Mode,” a system meant to help people navigate crises was in the throes of a crisis of its own making. Centered on Lane County, Oregon, the story took a solutions-oriented approach in examining the pitfalls and challenges of the area’s mental health system. Plans for a crisis center had stalled, emergency rooms were overflowing and the local jail had become a default psych ward because there was nowhere else for people experiencing a mental health crisis to go. The story, originally published in 2023, looked toward Tucson, Arizona, examining their system’s successes and limitations, and how Lane County could take inspiration and cease the practice of leaving people behind.
Judge’s comment: “By paring reporting on Lane County’s mental-health crisis response system with an analysis of a more successful one, in Tuscon, “Crisis Mode” is a model of solutions-orientated journalism – an article that both highlights a system in need of improvement and points to pathways for bettering it.”
Thanks to everyone who attended and we look forward to seeing you at the next one!
