What’s the difference between a public relations campaign and truly resourcing a community’s ability to inform, connect, and organize itself?
In this session, we’ll break down the basics: how to distinguish between communications, PR, and community-centered media and information work—and why that distinction matters. Funders often look for high-impact stories or messaging that “moves the needle,” but real narrative and information power comes from long-term investment in infrastructure: the people, tools, spaces, and trust needed to create, shape, and amplify community stories.
We’ll explore:
- Why there’s no “magic bullet” for narrative change—and why campaign-based thinking often falls short.
- What it takes to understand a community’s actual information needs, including tools like information ecosystem assessments.
- A funder case study
- Why starting small—through pilots, listening sessions, or participatory research—can be a powerful (and lower-risk) entry point for funders exploring this space.
Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to get grounded in the needs of the communities they serve, and how to begin investing in local narrative and information ecosystems without defaulting to one-size-fits-all messaging campaigns.