Where to invest in the economic narrative ecosystem
In the first post of this series, we laid out how Omidyar Network defines narrative change and how we’ve incorporated it into our work around reimagining capitalism. Then, we explored some of the major economic frames emerging in the narrative space. In this piece, we offer a framework for where to invest in the economic narrative ecosystem.
By Alexis Krieg
From the time we’re small children, starting with picture books and cartoons, the stories we consume shape how we view and move through the world. As we grow older, we encounter more media and mediums, from newspapers and radio to TikTok and Instagram. We are inundated with a cacophony of messages that, either implicitly or explicitly, tell us how the world works. Sometimes, these messages conflict. Looking back on my own childhood, I recall a “take no prisoners” approach to playing Monopoly and also a strong aversion to Disney’s Scrooge McDuck. But over time, these stories calcify into more deeply held beliefs.
At its core, narrative change work means attempting to overcome those years, or in some cases decades, of messaging. And in a world where the average American spends more than half our day — roughly 13 hours and 35 minutes — consuming media of some kind, it becomes even more difficult to determine where to intervene. Even the best resourced philanthropies don’t have the funds to counter-program at that level, which means we must be strategic about where to engage in the narrative ecosystem to have the highest impact.
Narrative change practitioners and funders have produced several helpful resources in recent years to help chart a smart path for investments, foremost among them the 2022 “Funding Narrative Change” report from the Convergence Partnership. This work has served as a critical jumping off point for many organizations, including Omidyar Network, seeking to build or refine their strategies. Below, we share our own blueprint for thinking about where to invest, especially as it applies to our efforts to shift the economic paradigm.
We’ve identified three building blocks to support the narrative change ecosystem: message research and development, storytelling and sourcing, and mass distribution and amplification.
Message research and development
Institutional philanthropy has long supported messaging research. No matter the issue area, it’s likely that at least one foundation has invested time and money into figuring out how best to talk about it. Traditionally, much of this work has supported strategic communications goals related to advocacy or awareness campaigns: identifying persuasive arguments that encourage individuals to take a specific action or change their mind regarding a particular policy. But messaging projects focused on narrative change take a much broader view, seeking to better understand and shift deeper beliefs and, in many cases, entire value systems.
An oft-cited example is the Race Class Narrative (RCN) project, initially developed in 2017 as a partnership between Heather McGhee of Demos, Anat Shenker-Osario of ASO Communications, and Ian Haney-Lopez. Rather than engaging issues of racial justice and economic equality separately, the RCN team developed a broader narrative incorporating both race and class. The research provided a new explanation for how the world worked and sought to persuade people to support progressive policy solutions on both fronts. The RCN framework encouraged practitioners to call out the villains who use strategic racism and scapegoating to divide and distract the public, uplift victories of collective action, and paint a clear picture of what will change when we come together to solve society’s problems.
More recently, the Winning Jobs Narrative Project has expanded on that work, “creating a narrative architecture for talking about jobs, work, and the economy in ways that strengthen our connections with working people across race, geography, and issues.” It also provides a broader toolbox for communications professionals, resting on five key elements:
- Paint working people as the heroes in the story.
- Center “hard work” as a shared value.
- Situate working people as the true engines of our economy.
- Position government in a supportive role.
- Connect policy to the broadest group of people possible.
Two approaches in particular set these projects apart from traditional message research. First, both go beyond simple message framing and “words that work” to provide a more cohesive worldview that can be tailored to a multitude of different issues, frames, and audiences with much greater utility than traditional message guidance. Second, RCN and WJN were developed in deep collaboration with organizers on the ground, so there is a feeling of ownership that makes groups more likely to use them in the field.
We would encourage funders interested in supporting messaging and narrative research to consider the broader applicability of the project by considering the following:
- Is it relevant for a wide variety of audiences, versus a narrower slice?
- Does it help establish an affirmative vision of a different worldview, versus reinforcing current ones?
- Is there a plan or partnerships in place to connect it to on-the-ground organizing efforts?
If the answer to those questions is yes, it’s likely worth strong consideration.
Sourcing and telling good stories
Narratives are fueled by collections of stories that echo and reinforce each other. Seeding new narratives requires a steady stream of stories. This can be a challenging task when it comes to telling stories about the economy, particularly because neoliberalism has been incredibly successful in its efforts to take people out of the story.
Instead, they rely on numbers like the GDP and stock market valuations to be the protagonist. When people are the center of neoliberal parables, they are often cast as Horatio Alger, “pull yourself up by your boot straps” types of characters. “Big Government” is typically the villain (or as the kids today call it, an NPC, non-player character). As we engage in economic narrative change work, we must avoid some of these common pitfalls. Numbers don’t have emotions, and debating them doesn’t exactly inspire the masses or change narratives. And while stories about individual can be useful, they are most successful when there is a clear, causal link to more systemic issues.
But finding these stories can be hard work. Journalists may spend weeks or months looking for the perfect subject. Many non-profits and government agencies devote significant resources to developing story banks and capturing examples of impact.
Even for foundations focused on “bigger picture” narrative change work, it’s important to continue investing in good storytelling across a variety of mediums. At Omidyar Network, we have supported a range of storytelling and narrative change projects, from podcasts to books and documentaries. We also created a Reporters in Residence program to promote quality journalism across a wide variety of economic issues.
If we are to successfully change narratives, we must invest in organizations that tell compelling stories and support efforts to expand the storytelling capacity of our partners. Stories provide the fuel for narrative change, and more is certainly better.
The importance of distribution, amplification, and knowing your audiences
Philosophers and communications experts alike have long pondered the question: “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” It’s a relevant consideration when it comes to narrative change work. Foundations can invest countless dollars and staff hours into finding a successful messaging framework and compelling stories to reinforce it, only to realize no one is listening when the tree falls!
As discussed above, disseminating effective messages and telling compelling stories are critical components to narrative change. Unfortunately, it’s often easier said than done. Historically, communications professionals have relied on earned or paid media to help accomplish this. Placing stories or opinion pieces in a paper of record or on cable news can certainly increase awareness and saliency of an issue, but fewer outlets are taking outside content. Paid advertising often allows more precise audience targeting with no journalistic filter on the actual messages, but it can be expensive to reach target audiences. Both remain important tools in the strategic communications toolbox. But as trust in media has declined precipitously in recent years, and the media diet of most Americans has become much more fractured, these tactics are no longer sufficient on their own.
So, we must explore other avenues to introduce new narratives to the public. And given that our resources are finite, we must be strategic about which sections of the public to focus on.
One of the make-or-break decisions inherent in any good communications strategy is figuring out exactly who your audience is. And while the ultimate goal of narrative change work is to shift mindsets among the wider public, we have to start somewhere. Knowing who to target and how is critical.
Some philanthropies take a broader approach with their narrative work, successfully investing in cultural media and entertainment projects that may resonate with a broad swath of the public. Others have chosen to start with the base, then spread the good word by supporting aligned grassroots organizations with an emphasis on relational organizing. And, of course, social media offers many opportunities for solo creators and large organizations alike to engage directly with a highly curated audience. All of these can be successful strategies for sparking narrative change.
At Omidyar Network, we have invested in a range of projects targeting audiences ranging from Washington elites to Black and Latinx urbanites to young, rural Americans. We’re particularly interested in reaching groups and individuals with large megaphones and high levels of cultural currency that can help members of the broader public understand our economy in new ways.
Remember, one of the keys to shifting narratives is repeated exposure to similar messages and stories over a prolonged period. Our goal should ultimately be to create a “surround sound” effect. The sheer amount of media needed to do so is enormous, and ensuring high levels of distribution to intended audiences is both time and resource intensive. So, we view this category as the ripest for additional philanthropic support, especially in the economic narrative space.
As a field, we already have decades of helpful messaging research at our disposal. We have grantees who have been engaging in the hard work of creating, sourcing, and telling aligned stories. Philanthropies that are truly committed to supporting narrative change work should also be doing all we can to help ensure these stories and messages reach as many ears and eyes as possible.
Putting all the pieces together
As with any strategic framework, there is a great deal of space for overlap among each of these categories. And some of the most exciting work in the narrative change space is being done by organizations that live at the intersection of all three. Organizations like More Perfect Union and Accelerate Change, which function as non-profit media ventures, conduct their own message research through organic engagement with their audiences, find and report out compelling stories, and then distribute them to an ever-growing audience across multiple mediums and platforms.
And just as the most effective organizations often work across this framework, we would encourage other funders to do so as well. Narrative change work is a complex and multifaceted endeavor that requires strategic investment and coordination across various fronts. More than anything, greater coordination is needed — not just among our grantees, but especially among funders. Our hope in posting this series is that it will encourage other organizations interested in narrative change work to more proactively share their strategies with one another and the field.
As the field grows even more sophisticated in implementing narrative change strategies, particularly in the realm of economic issues, it’s crucial for philanthropies and organizations to collaborate and coordinate efforts. By doing so, we can maximize our impact and work towards creating a more equitable and just economic system. Ultimately, the goal is to reshape the stories that shape our world, fostering a narrative landscape that aligns with our vision for a reimagined capitalism and a more inclusive society.
