Journalists Toolkit

On the Beat: Resources for Journalists & Media Producers for Reporting on Nonviolence

We understand how challenging it can be to get constructive, solutions-based stories out there. The following resources are by no means exhaustive. We’ll refresh this page as we learn about new possibilities. We hope you find these options helpful and inspiring.

 

Where to Learn About Nonviolence

The best way to understand nonviolence is to learn about it and then practice it within one’s own life. These organizations provide a breadth of learning and practicing opportunities:

International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC)

ICNC’s Resource Library highlights articles and research pertaining to the study and practice of nonviolent conflict and civil resistance. This particular portion of the library was curated with journalists in mind and is filterable by keywords.

Metta Center for Nonviolence–Self-Study

Our self-study program is an accessible way to learn about nonviolence at your own pace. The introductory topics (“Nonviolence for Beginners” and “Person Power”) are a must for anyone seeking to understand what nonviolence really is and why it matters. We can consult media professionals who want to understand the ins and outs of nonviolence—contact us about your interests (and be sure to see the New York Times piece quoting our staff).

Pace e Bene

Workshops, retreats, and trainings: Pace e Bene offers several options for studying and applying nonviolent change in one’s life and one’s community.

Resource Center for Nonviolence

Located in Santa Cruz, California, this organization hosts activists and analysts from nonviolent struggles around the world, and it serves as a public meeting venue for change groups and nonprofits. Programs include Military Counseling and Youth Empowerment.

The Nonviolence Training Hub

The 1000 Nonviolence Trainings Project lists nonviolence trainings around the world and highlights the tens of thousands of people being trained in nonviolence in service to a more just and peaceful world.

 

Fellowships, Grants, Support & Education

Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University

The center promotes peace and peace journalism. Through courses and a magazine, the center advocates for nonviolent conflict resolution. You can access case studies and reports on peace journalism from the center’s website.

Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney

Peace journalism is a new approach to media production, and the University of Sydney is helping lead the way with academic programs and conferences.

Fletcher Summer Institute

Organized alongside the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, this annual program offers a certificate in the Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict. Journalists who participate in the program will improve their ability to analyze and cover civil resistance movements.

Images & Voices of Hope (ivoh)

The core belief at ivoh? That media can play a role in creating a positive, meaningful change in the world. “To us, positive change is about focusing on the world we want to live in—not only problem solving the world we have,” reads ivoh’s mission statement. “It’s not about glossing difficult truths. It’s about amplifying the best in human nature and whenever possible shining a light on the steps we can take towards the future we want.” In addition to providing fellowships, ivoh hosts an annual Restorative Narrative Summit and features media-related research on its website.

International Media Support (IMS)

When reporting on corruption and state violence, journalists and media producers can face backlashes. IMS advocates for media protections and provides a safety fund for emergency needs such as legal assistance and physical protection. IMS also partners with local and international organizations in transitioning countries to provide spaces for journalists to meet and work.

Making Contact

Producing media that analyzes critical issues while showcasing grassroots solutions since 1994, Making Contact amplifies marginalized voices and prioritizes stories told by people who live in communities most affected by the issues covered. The organization’s Community Storytelling Fellowship Program is a 10-week, paid immersion in which fellows work directly with Making Contact producers and staff to learn the art of audio storytelling.

Metta Center for Nonviolence

We offer five fellowships in the form of travel stipends of $100 a piece to citizen journalists and photojournalists based in Asia and Africa. Their work will be promoted in our own media: Nonviolence magazine and Nonviolence Radio.

Mother Jones

The magazine’s Ben Bagdikian fellowship program encompasses editorial and public affairs trainings. These fellowships are paid learning intensives: selected candidates get hands-on experience in the world of nonprofit investigative journalism. Fellows work full-time days for a period of six months.

Solutions Journalism Network

Solutions-oriented journalism “focuses not just on what may be working, but how and why it appears to be working, or alternatively, why it may be stumbling.” From the organization’s website, journalists can find funding opportunities, share their work in the membership hub and download a free guide on producing solutions-oriented stories. For editors wondering what kind of impact solutions journalism have, or what benefits can it bring to the newsroom, there’s a free guide for you too.

 

Research & Data

It’s of course important to develop relationships with credible sources and keep tabs on nonviolence events and movements. These media and nonviolence organizations will help you stay informed.

Books:

Nonviolence News:

History of Nonviolence:

Consulting and Movement Building:

 

Independent Outlets for Your Work

The independent media listed below accept unsolicited pitches and/or submissions from veteran as well as emerging voices. A challenge to meet in creating a nonviolent media system: 1. how to fund quality research and storytelling (for more on this, we recommend reading “What Is Revolutionary Media? 3 Key Ideas”) and 2. how journalists can produce the best stories (Rebecca Solnit’s “To Break the Story, You Must Break the Status Quo” is a must-read on this).

 

Do you currently cover nonviolence?

We can connect you to reliable experts and other resources for your media stories. Visit our press room and contact us for tips.

We will refresh this page as we learn about new resources.

If you know about any that should be on our list, please let us know.