Journalists worldwide are working around the clock telling stories about the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 130 people in Paris.
In the aftermath of such a massive tragedy, it’s too soon to start identifying Restorative Narratives; it’s still too raw, too recent for authentic stories of resilience to emerge. Restorative Narratives take a deep dive into a person’s or community’s meaningful progression from a place of despair to a place of resilience. Headlines about people looking for hope in Paris, or photos of people wearing “I love Paris” shirts aren’t Restorative Narratives.
This is the time to lay the groundwork for what could become a Restorative Narrative later on. This is the time to practice good journalism — to tell the story of what happened and to connect with the people who were affected by letting them know you genuinely want to tell their story.
