Guide: Narrative Mapping

Objectives:

Gain a deeper understanding of the narrative landscape as it relates to your movement or issue.
Surface (hidden) ideological power and underlying values and messages.
Identify where your story fits into the narrative landscape and how it can disrupt existing narratives. </aside>

Time Required: 2-3 hours

Resources Needed: Paper, pen, optional large papers, and markers

Audience Setting: Organizational, coalition, community setting

Step 1: Identifying your narrative values

If stories build narratives and narratives reflect our morals and values, then to tell compelling stories that effectively communicate those values, we need to be clear on what those values are.

What is the issue or topic? Be specific! Instead of food sovereignty, go deeper. For example, increasing SNAP access in Huerfano County, or ensuring that farm workers in Colorado have paid break time that includes access to clean drinking water. </aside>

What values drive your passion for that topic? Examples: Equality, dignity, or human rights. </aside>

What would it look like, in an ideal world (vision), if your issue was resolved? What would the outcome be? For example, every person eligible for SNAP in Huerfano County would be enrolled in the program and no longer experience food insecurity. </aside>

How does your ideal world (vision) reflect your values? </aside>

Step 2: Examining Narratives

Master/Dominant Narratives

Reflect on what major news sources are saying about your issue/topic. The specific topic may feed into a broader narrative context here.

Ex. You may want to talk about increasing SNAP enrollment, but in the broader narrative context, FOX news may only focus on waste and fraud in the context of SNAP.

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Guiding Questions:

How does CNN talk about your issue? FOX News? Any other major news source?
How does your topic fit into these narratives?
What narratives support your movement?
Which narratives harm it?
How do these narratives align with your values? </aside>

Local Narratives and Local Identity

Reflect on your identity as a movement, coalition, or organization.

Stories/narratives from us:

What are you saying about yourself, organization, movement?
Who is included, impacted, or taking action?
What do we want people to think or feel when they think about us?
How are we living our values? </aside>

Stories/narratives about us:

What are others saying about us? This might include partners, comrades, people we work with, opposition, government officials, and various news outlets. </aside>

Local identity:

Who are our key stakeholder groups, and are there specific topics they care about? </aside>