Apply for the Complicating the Narratives Fellowship

Got a U.S.-based project to spread solutions journalism that ‘complicates the narratives’? Apply for the inaugural CTN Fellowship.

Amanda Ripley leads a session at the 2018 SJN Summit.

Four years ago, in response to the country’s worsening polarization and conflict, Amanda Ripley asked a question of her fellow journalists: What if [we] covered controversial issues differently — based on how humans actually behave when they are polarized and suspicious?

The question became a rallying cry to “complicate the narratives.” Ripley’s landmark essay on the subject dug into how, exactly, to do that: to “amplify contradictions,” to “ask questions that get to people’s motivations,” to “listen more, and better,” and to “counter confirmation bias (carefully).”

The post became SJN’s most widely read, ever. And it galvanized journalists in our network to develop a rigorous framework to complicate the narratives.

Inspired by their enthusiastic reception, SJN engaged Hélène Biandudi Hofer, a broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker with a deep interest in this work. She trained many newsrooms and journalists who used their own “narrative-complicating” techniques to report stories about what was working to help people increase mutual understanding on contentious topics. Together, they created a toolkit to guide journalists interested in hosting difficult conversations in their communities and a complete curriculum to help journalists tell richer, fuller stories about divisive issues.

Now, as the world faces a new surge of conflict, the Solutions Journalism Network is seeking project proposals from U.S.-based journalists for its Complicating the Narratives (CTN) Fellowship.This fellowship encourages journalists to dig beneath divisions and ask: what are the great solutions stories to be done in times of intense conflict?

Modeled on the LEDE Fellowship, the CTN Fellowship invites U.S-based journalists to design and implement solutions journalism projects centering methodologies that complicate the narratives, and infusing mutual understanding in their communities.

This fellowship is entirely remote, and applications are welcome from anywhere in the United States. Applications outside the United States are not being accepted for this fellowship.

What sort of projects are you looking for?

The goal of the fellowship is to support projects that advance CTN-informed solutions journalism.

Successful fellowship projects will:

• Produce solutions stories using CTN techniques;
• Facilitate online or offline community events with other organizations centering this approach;
• Create practical resources, case studies or templates for other journalists.

SJN encourages a broad range of projects that produce solutions stories and catalyze creative community events — such as listening sessions, public squares or other dialogue formats — to advance understanding across divides over America’s most partisan issues.

Potential issue areas that these solutions stories and community dialogues could cover include:

• A town exploring what’s working to transition to cleaner energy;
• A city investigating how to reduce gun violence;
• A state revamping its immigration system to be more humane;
• A hospital implementing policies that promote greater safety and dignity.

How can I learn more about methodologies that center Complicating the Narratives?

Start by exploring these stories, as well as this toolkit and curriculum. Then put your questions to the experts. We invite you to meet the leading thinkers and doers of Complicating the Narratives at two live sessions designed to deepen your understanding and kick-start your fellowship application. These sessions will be recorded and shared with those who register, and embedded in this post.

• “What Is Solutions Journalism That Complicates the Narratives? With CTN’s Pioneers”: Hosted by Amanda Ripley and Hélène Biandudi Hofer, this 60-minute session, to be held on Friday, April 15, at 11 a.m. Eastern time, will include a walk-through of key tenets of the Complicating the Narratives approach to solutions journalism and a Q&A session guided by participants. You can find the recording below:

[embed]What is Solutions Journalism that Complicates the Narrative? W/ CTN’s Pioneers. You can find the full recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLki1WW499w

“How To Do Solutions Journalism That Complicates the Narratives”: Led by journalists who have incorporated CTN methodologies into their stories, this 60-minute session, to be held on Thursday, April 21, at 12 p.m. Eastern time, will feature 15-minute micro-lessons and a Q&A session guided by participants. You can find the recording below:

[embed]How To Do Solutions Journalism That Complicates the Narratives. . You can find the full recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx8fpQpjXQU

I’m not a journalist. Can I still apply?

While the inaugural CTN Fellowship is intended only for U.S-based journalists (newsroom or freelance), we invite other individuals — whether they are from universities, nonprofits and other organizations, and/or fans of the method — to indicate their interest in potential collaborations here. These expressions of interest will be made available to the CTN Fellows as well as the other parties who complete this form.

What criteria will be used to select fellows?

• Ability to execute a project that accelerates the spread of “complicated” solutions journalism in a U.S. community or issue area;
• Commitment to the spirit of “all teach, all learn”: capacity to seek out expertise (and offer your own) among peers and constituents;
• Entrepreneurship, with an inclination to collaborate and “take others with you”;
• Diversity of identity, geography, experience and role;
• Deep understanding of journalism and its current challenges;
• Passion, enthusiasm and curiosity.

What is the structure of the fellowship?

Over the course of the fellowship year, June 2022 to June 2023, fellows will engage in:

• Facilitated monthly Zoom discussions with CTN Fellows to connect and share learnings;
• Access to leaders in the field during bimonthly sessions focused on supporting fellows’ professional development;
• Individual coaching and progress assessment sessions with Julia Hotz, the fellowship manager;
• Knowledge-sharing sessions with SJN’s greater network of journalism professionals.

What do the CTN Fellows receive?

• Deep connections with a tight-knit community of solutions journalism entrepreneurs from around the world, who will serve as sources of accountability, problem-solving and encouragement during and beyond the yearlong fellowship;
• Exclusive access to professional development sessions on storytelling, engagement, fundraising, equity and more;
• An honorarium of up to $5,000, proportional to the scope of the fellow’s project;
• Ongoing support and promotion from the staff of SJN and its network of more than 5,000 journalists and newsrooms around the world.

What do the CTN Fellows commit to do?

• Achieve their project’s specific goals to produce “complicated” solutions stories, document teachable insights for the greater SJN community, train and engage with fellow solutions-focused journalists, and create community around solutions journalism;
• Contribute insights, share project updates and embrace an “all-teach, all-learn” spirit, seeking out peer expertise — and sharing theirs — within the CTN cohort and with other solutions journalism practitioners in SJN’s network;
• Serve as an ambassador for solutions journalism, locally and globally;
• Abide by SJN’s ethical standards.

How and when is funding allocated?

All fellows are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in unrestricted funding to support their projects. During the application process, we encourage fellows to demonstrate how that money would be used. The amount awarded will be proportional to the scope of the project.

Each fellow will receive half the stipend at the start of the fellowship. At the six-month mark, following an assessment of the project’s progress by the fellow and the project manager, fellows who are on track toward fulfilling their goals will receive the remainder of their stipend.

How do I apply for the CTN Fellowship, and what does the timeline look like?

Here is the timeline of the CTN Fellowship application, selection and on-boarding process:

• APPLICATION ROUND 1 (April 7–29): Open the CTN Fellowship application, which includes a brief project proposal and a “What Is Solutions Journalism?” quiz. (Application Round 1 should take no longer than two hours to complete.) Apply here by Friday, April 29, 5 p.m. EDT.
• APPLICATION ROUND 2 (May 3–9): Second-round applicants invited to submit a more in-depth project pitch. (Application Round 2 should take no longer than two hours to complete.)
• APPLICATION ROUND 3 (May 16–20): Final-round applicants invited for a 25-minute interview with Julia Hotz, CTN Fellowship manager, and another member of the SJN team.
• SELECTION (May 24): Fellows selected and notified.
• ANNOUNCEMENT (May 31): 2022 CTN Fellows announced.
• FELLOWSHIP BEGINS (June 2): Fellows on-boarded with kickoff call.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• This fellowship is entirely remote, and applications are welcome from anywhere in the United States. Applications outside the United States will not be accepted for this fellowship.
• No late applications will be accepted.
• Applicants will be notified of their status after each application round. Applicants who successfully make it through Round 1 will be sent instructions for Round 2.
• While projects may represent the work of teams, only one person may serve as the project’s primary point of contact during the application process and fellowship year.
• In the interest of fairness to all applicants, SJN cannot provide preliminary feedback on ideas in prospective fellows’ applications. Please review the criteria above, as well as the recordings from the two above sessions, to determine whether your project idea would be a good fit.

Once you have thoroughly read all the information above, feel free to email Julia Hotz at juliah@solutionsjournalism.org with any additional questions not related to application ideas.