Narrative Work Feels Hard Right Now. This New Tool on Narrating Racial Justice Can Help
A new decision-making tool from Berkeley Media Studies Group and Narrative Initiative can help you and your partners navigate that uncertainty and overcome decision paralysis.
Rural Pre-conference at 22nd Century Initiative in Minneapolis
In organizing, many progressives fall into traps that cast rural Americans as antagonists to progress writ large. This erases both rural people who are working towards racial, gender, economic, and migrant justice and the particular concerns, realities, and assets of rural communities. At our best, our many movements have shown that we can coalesce around […]
Amy Zhang on the AAPI Narrative Studio
From creating a show about Asian women in America in a small New York City theater to producing TV episodes for Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, I’ve always worked at the intersection of storytelling and impact. But, I yearned to be in community with other creators to think through persistent questions: How does narrative change […]
Messaging vs. Narrative
What is the difference between narrative and messaging and how does that impact the way you plan and write your op-ed? One of the main reasons that op-eds have been the gold standard for making narrative change is that at their core, they’re conveying a problem and making an argument for a solution that influences […]
Moving Beyond “Making The Case”: How We Build Narrative Power For Reparations
“The world has never seen any people turned loose to such destitution as were the four million slaves of the South. They were free without roofs to cover them, or bread to eat, or land to cultivate, and as a consequence died in such numbers as to awaken the hopes of their enemies that they […]
Building Relationships: How to capitalize on the momentum of your op-ed
You have your argument, you’ve identified your audience, and you’ve pitched your op-ed with successful results. Now what? How do you keep the momentum going? How do you continue the conversation with your audience? How do you consistently access large platforms where your audience gathers without the possibility of being blocked by gate keepers? The […]
Who are You Talking to? The Audience of an Op-Ed
The communications used for any narrative change project must have an audience. You need an audience who is open to change and willing to drive a narrative out to other people. Your base, including activists and members, may be part of your audience. Op-eds typically try to find an audience beyond your base. Your narrative […]
Polyvocal Narrative Strategy: Turning many voices into durable change
What would it mean for many voices to come together, each voice individual and distinct, and speak for change in the same direction? A polyvocal approach to change is like an ocean current: pulling water across the ocean and holding the power to shape landscapes – and narratives. Here we take a look at what […]
Four Baskets: Necessary capacities for narrative change
The Four Baskets hold capacities and processes needed to create, implement and continually strengthen narrative change projects. As they are filled, the Four Baskets (Create, Translate, Deploy and Observe Together) provide campaigners, communicators and leaders with a framework for doing narrative change. These capacities and processes will help you identify and fill gaps, learn and […]
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 from the work of Grassroots Policy Project, Perception Institute and others working at the intersection of advocacy, strategic communications, and the operation of ideology. Narrative Initiative was established in early 2017 on the heels of […]
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. Released in March as part of FrameWorks Institute’s 20th anniversary, the Explanation Declaration asks communicators to help people understand the “how” behind issues and see that how as a critical part of engaging and empowering […]
Narrative Change: A Working Definition (and Some Related Terms)
Starting in 2016, Narrative Initiative began gathering up different ways people talk about narrative change, how it’s structured, and how it moves in the world. As our staff—a team experienced in capacity building, organizing, communications, philosophy and culture work—engage partners and practitioners, we’ve found it helpful to highlight existing terms in use and offer shared […]