Good Stories: New narratives, bigger impact

Powerful storytelling spreads tried-and-tested solutions, shifts public opinion and drives policy change.

But all too often, social and environmental innovators struggle to reach the right audiences or to land their message. Meanwhile, the media often reinforces stereotypes, or emphasises the enormity of the problem, rather than the many ways in which it is being tackled.

How can we do better – as journalists and social change leaders – to capture imaginations, foreground solutions, and respect the dignity of those at the centre of the story?

Join us for a special learning and networking event, hosted in partnership with Impact Hub London, as we explore solutions journalism, collaboration between social innovators and the media, and other approaches that can reframe problems and drive more progress.

This event is for:

• Journalists, student journalists and other media professionals
• Entrepreneurs/innovators focused on social or environmental change
• Communications professionals working with social enterprises and other impact-first organisations

You’ll hear from expert speakers, including:

• Isabelle Gerretsen, a senior journalist at BBC Future Planet, the climate and environmental solutions section of BBC.com. She leads the Climate Guardians series, which spotlights solutions pioneered by women and indigenous communities in the Global South.
• Natalie Campbell MBE, co-CEO of leading social enterprise, Belu Water. She is also an award-winning broadcaster, Chancellor of the University of Westminster, and an independent candidate for London Mayor.
• Caroline Diehl MBE, founder of ImpactMedia.Global, a network for people involved in creating and supporting media for social impact, and of the Social Founders network. She also founded and previously ran the charity Media Trust, and the social change broadcaster Together TV.
• Sebastian Rocca, a social entrepreneur, LGBTQI activist and the founder of Micro Rainbow. He created the first UK national housing scheme for homeless LGBTQI people fleeing persecution and led integration programmes for queer people fleeing Afghanistan and Ukraine.
• Zino Akaka, programme manager at Heard, which works with people and the media to inspire content that changes hearts and minds. Zino has represented Heard’s work to the UN, co-hosts the podcast Tea with Coconut and Plantain, and is a trustee for IMIX.
• Amruta Byatnal, Asia Editor at Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Context newsroom, overseeing climate, inclusive economies, tech and LGBTQ+ coverage in the region. Amruta previously led global health coverage at Devex, and worked at News Deeply and The Hindu.

• Tim West, founding editor and CEO of Pioneers Post and of mission-focused marketing company Fable Bureau. He also founded the NatWest SE100 Index and Awards and spent 10 years as a director of Big Issue Invest, the Big Issue's social investment arm.

The event will also include interactive sessions and time to network, so that journalists and entrepreneurs/innovators can connect and explore ideas together. Detailed agenda coming soon.

A limited number of bursaries for students and startup social entrepreneurs are available to cover ticket price and travel costs to and from London – see below for more info.

This event is produced by Pioneers Post, the independent news network for the global impact community, in partnership with Impact Hub London.

It is supported by the European Journalism Centre.

Reimbursement:

• Reimbursement is only available on request and if agreed in advance.
• Contact anna@pioneerspost.com with one sentence about yourself and why you want to attend the event by 31 May at latest. We will approve requests on a first-come, first-served basis and will let you know by 4 June if we can go ahead with your request.
• Reimbursements can only be issued to attendees who turn up on the day.