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Complicating the Narratives

CTN Fellowship Cohort

Inspired by Amanda Ripley’s landmark essay of the same name, the Complicating the Narratives (CTN) framework helps journalists use conflict mediation techniques to surface deeper truths about the communities they cover, and provide greater understanding about issues those communities face.

Want to learn more about Complicating the Narratives? Check out:

  • Complicating the Narratives Toolkit: The full collection of conflict mediation strategies helping journalists tell richer and fuller stories about divisive issues.
  • Complicating the Narratives Fellows: As the United States grapples with worsening polarization and seemingly intractable conflict, the Solutions Journalism Network is thrilled to support its Complicating the Narratives (CTN) Fellows -- U.S. journalists, representing a wide variety of geographies and communities, using CTN techniques to report on solutions to some of the nation’s most divisive issues, with communities historically misrepresented by media and misunderstood by audiences. Check out the bios and the projects of the 2022 fellows and 2023 fellows, and read the solutions journalism stories their projects have catalyzed in this collection.
  • Training Request Form: Looking to teach your newsroom the tenets of Complicating the Narratives? Tell us about your training needs in this request form, and we’ll connect you with one of our network’s CTN trainers.
  • 22 Questions to Complicate the Narrative: A list of interview questions informed by conflict mediation techniques. One of the top clicked-on resources in our network. Download the resource in English, Spanish, French, and German.
  • "What Is Solutions Journalism That Complicates the Narratives? With CTN’s Pioneers": Hosted by Amanda Ripley and Hélène Biandudi Hofer, this 60-minute session introduces the key tenets of the Complicating the Narratives approach to solutions journalism.
  • "How To Do Solutions Journalism That Complicates the Narratives": Led by journalists who have incorporated CTN methodologies into their stories, this 60-minute session features 15-minute micro-lessons and a Q&A session guided by participants.