As the United States grapples with worsening polarization and seemingly intractable conflict, the Solutions Journalism Network is thrilled to announce its first class of Complicating the Narratives (CTN) Fellows.
Inspired by Amanda Ripley’s landmark essay of the same name, the 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.
Ten journalists, representing a wide variety of geographies and communities, will spend the next 12 months using CTN techniques and interview questions to report on solutions to some of the nation’s most divisive issues, with communities historically misrepresented by media and misunderstood by audiences. Topics for our inaugural fellows’ projects range from current conflicts like vaccine hesitancy and the opioid crisis to entire systems like homelessness, incarceration and immigration; the goal is to replace polarization, problems and simplicity with understanding, solutions and complexity.
Meet the 2022 fellows and learn more about their projects here.
Want to learn more about Complicating the Narratives? Check out:
- The Complicating the Narratives Toolkit: The full collection of conflict mediation strategies helping journalists tell richer and fuller stories about divisive issues.
- 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.
- “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.
