Kathryn Thier

Instructor

“Reflection on my experiences as a journalist led me to create one of the first solutions journalism courses at a U.S. college or university three years ago. Since then, I’ve taught six courses about solutions journalism, co-taught or helped story coach three others and trained faculty at other institutions to teach their own. But I never organized my course around a social issue. Until now. I knew University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication students would want to cover #MeToo, but I was not prepared for the level of integrity, humility, thoughtfulness and care this group of students would bring to the task. In considering not just solutions journalism, but also #MeToo and the journalist’s role in covering it, these students engaged with learning in ways I never experienced or expected.”

Kathryn Thier is a nationally recognized instructor of solutions journalism and co-founder and co-director of The Catalyst Journalism Project, a research and teaching collaborative focused on the intersection of solutions journalism and investigative reporting funded by The Solutions Journalism Network and the University of Oregon. Thier is a former staff writer for The Charlotte Observer and Newsday.