Resources: Positive Narrative

Note: these resources are specific to the “Positive Narrative” component of the Framework. See the Strategy, Safety, and Guidelines pages for resources related to those components.

Webinar: Suicide Narratives in the News Media: What Effect Might They Have and What Can We Do?

SPRC, 2011. Gould, Madelyn; Langford, Linda; Norton, Kenneth
http://www.sprc.org/training-institute/r2p-webinars/suicide-narratives-news-media-what-effect-might-they-have-and-what-1
The news media do more than report facts, they tell stories about events and people. These narratives can influence public perceptions about issues, including their causes and appropriate solutions. For example, extensive news coverage of suicides among LGBT youth, military service members, and individuals affected by the U.S. economic crisis has created a basic storyline or narrative about how and why suicide happens in each of these groups. This webinar will define the concept of media narratives, summarize relevant research and theory, and suggest approaches for influencing these narratives. While this webinar is about media narratives, the lessons also apply to other types of messaging.

Adding Power to Our Voices: A Framing Guide for Communicating About Injury

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008
http://www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/CDCFramingGuide-a.pdf
This publication is designed to help organizations involved in injury and violence prevention and response speak with a consistent voice. The framing guide is built on the belief that the collective voice of many injury and violence professionals across several disciplines is much louder than that of an individual or single organization.

The Art and Science of Framing an Issue

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation & the Movement Advancement Project, 2008
http://www.lgbtmap.org/file/art-and-science-of-framing-an-issue.pdf
This publication offers a general overview of how people’s existing worldviews shape their reactions to information and rhetoric—and how effective framing can help people understand and form connections with issues through the lenses of their own values and beliefs.