• History of ISD
• What is impact journalism?
• How it works?
• Media Partners
• More

History of IJD

In 2007, the founder of Sparknews, Christian de Boisredon*, challenged the Editor-in-Chief of France’s third-largest newspaper, Libération, to print an entire edition dedicated to solutions. Despite his doubts he accepted the challenge, and was pleasantly surprised by the results.

The Libé des Solutions edition proved to be the paper’s best selling edition of the year, boosting single copy sales  by 22% above the annual average. The content was a mixture of stories commissioned by de Boisredon's organisation and those produced by the Libération newsroom, a mixture that advertisers also appreciated: the Libé des Solutions sold seven extra spaces of advertising thanks to the solution-based content.

Since 2007, Libération has published an annual solutions edition, matching the successful results of its first Libé des Solutions.

Now, Sparknews is developing a similar idea on an international level in at least 20 countries. The social journalism startup is coordinating content production, content sharing, and global marketing campaigns with the world’s best media for the first International Solutions Day.

* at the time of Reporters of Hope that he cofounded and managed

What is impact journalism?

By publishing solution-based content, the media has an impact on its audience and on the world. By complementing its every-day reporting with stories about solutions, the media incites its audience to Act.

Sparknews founder Christian de Boisredon first realized this during a trip to Chile (during his "World Hope Tour" when he was 24). A French entrepreneur, after having read an article about micro-finance, decided to launch a micro-finance service in Chile. Because of that article and the impact it had on the entrepreneur, more than 30,000 Chileans have found the capital to build their businesses, creating more than 100.000 jobs. De Boisredon has since dedicated his career to spreading ImpAct Journalism throughout the media.

How it works?

Impact Journalism Day is driven by an international network of media partners. In each market, a major print title, radio station and television station are exclusive ISD partners, an exclusivity that gives advantages over the competition for readership and advertising. Media partners publish solution-based content from the ISD Content Hub (see below) and can choose to publish self-produced content.

Sparknews coordinates IJD efforts across the world, coordination that includes:

• development of the IJD network
• gathering of content from media partners
• content production
• sponsorship media space
• media planning agencies
• international PR and social media campaigns