NI Blog

Here you will find case studies, interviews, insights, and reflections from staff.
4 min read

Waves: A model for deep narrative change

Waves is a simple illustration that begins to unpack the complex relationship between values, narratives and stories. The model borrows...

3 min read

Constructing Gravity: Frameworks and tools for narrative change

The Constructing Gravity series will share skills, strategies and frameworks to guide narrative change work. These articles present Narrative Initiative’s...

7 min read

Reclaiming Native Truth: Narrative research and making Native Americans visible

Reclaiming Native Truth is an extensive community-led narrative research project. It provides IllumiNative and others in the Native American community...

12 min read

Narrative and COVID-19: Resources and reading lists

The Coronavirus pandemic is shaping (and being shaped by) narratives. These articles, essays, research and resources offer insights into narrative...

12 min read

Making meaning in a global pandemic

Today, tens of millions of Americans are losing their jobs, worried about the health of their families and friends, and...

4 min read

Transition at Narrative Initiative

A Letter from the Narrative Initiative Advisory Board Dear Partners: We hope this note finds you and your loved ones...

8 min read

Building a Narrative Justice League: Learning from a nimble and powerful narrative coalition

Narrative change practice cuts across issues and coalitions. In January, we joined a roundtable of communicators and organizers to learn...

9 min read

How platforms and visuals shape narrative: A conversation with Cayden Mak

Cayden Mak, executive director of 18 Million Rising, joined us last September at Start Making Sense: A working convening on...

5 min read

Narrative change in 2019

Deep narratives are built upon deep connections between people. Narrative is a thing (and narrative change is a practice). Deep...

7 min read

Narrative Tech: Categories, needs and what’s next

Technology has always had a role in shaping how narratives are created, distributed, tracked and absorbed into society. Today, technology...

6 min read

Explanation and the “How” of a Narrative

We recently spoke with Julie Sweetland, Senior Advisor at FrameWorks Institute, about Unleashing the Power of How: An Explanation Declaration....

13 min read

Flooding the channels: Information abundance and narrative change

Is there a conflict between how (and how fast) modern communications platforms are used and the long-term work of shifting...

7 min read

Narrative research: Access, methods and pathways to a stronger field

Successful narrative change projects require practitioners to know what strategies work. When to use them. Who their audience is. That...

3 min read

The state of narrative change research methodology

We are excited to share recent findings of investigation into narrative research by partners at Spitfire Strategies. We sought to...

7 min read

Decoding Narrative Technology

Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral. – Melvin Kranzberg I was born in Washington DC in...

7 min read

Narrative infrastructure to build a bigger we

Campaigners, funders, strategists and storytellers are all thinking about the systems and tools needed to measure, teach and test narrative...

7 min read

A Pre-Forum Primer: “Building a Bigger We: Narrative Change in the Digital Age”

We live in a moment of great transformations in how we understand ourselves, society, democracy, reality, and the future. While...

9 min read

Three lessons for creating powerful collaborative gatherings

Narrative Initiative recently brought 100 people from around the world to Berlin for Meeting the Populist Moment. From idea to...

6 min read

Neoliberalism is dying. What narratives can replace it?

Neoliberalism has been the dominant political and economic paradigm for the last 40 years. It has redistributed wealth and power...

5 min read

A Big Narrative Change Reading List

A dozen useful insights and reports from the intersection of narrative, movement power and culture change. Narrative change can be...

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