New solutions journalism reporter joins KCUR newsroom

Like all American cities, the Kansas City region was built on public policies and informal practices that neglected or were intentionally hostile to certain communities through discriminatory policies. Many of the metro's creative and resilient individuals and communities have been working toward solutions and remedies to these systemic problems.

KCUR recognized the need to investigate and explain how and why some responses have worked – or not worked – and what communities learned in the process, and how successes may be replicated in other places.

With support from the Health Forward Foundation, KCUR initiated a new project to bring rigorous solutions journalism practices to explorations of practices around the city.

After a nationwide search, Brandon Azim was selected for the two-year solutions journalism reporter position this spring. A Kansas City native, Azim brings experience in broadcast journalism and community engagement from his previous media roles at KMBC-9, Audacity Inc., WSIU Public Broadcasting and others.

What is Solutions Journalism?

While many think of the news as "what's going wrong," solutions journalism cover responses to problems, investigating what was done and what the evidence says worked and didn’t work about it, and why. By revealing what has worked (or hasn't), such stories can lead to meaningful change.

“We've been eager to put a greater focus on solutions reporting and we're thrilled to be able to give it a reporter's full-time attention," said C.J. Janovy, KCUR's director of content-journalism.

"We're grateful to the Health Forward Foundation for supporting this new approach to our public service, and we're excited for our audiences to see where this new approach takes our storytelling."

Azim will collaborate with KCUR’s community engagement team and KCUR reporters who’ve already been finding stories about solutions to some of the Kansas City metro’s most intractable and intriguing problems.

“At a time when people are barraged by seemingly intractable problems and the polarizing rhetoric that characterizes so much of our news, we’re excited to serve our audiences with stories about communities that are finding ways to solve some of these problems,” said Laura Ziegler, community engagement and solutions journalism editor.

About the Health Forward Foundation: Health Forward Foundation is supporting and building inclusive, powerful, and healthy communities by prioritizing people who experience the greatest injustices in health outcomes. Through leadership, advocacy, and resources, Health Forward champions an equitable future that will serve us all. Learn more at https://healthforward.org/.