The Intersectional Storyteller’s Toolkit launched during UK Charity Week

MEDIA Trust is launching a free five-part guide to intersectional storytelling, designed to help charities and voluntary organisations show how people from underrepresented identities can face multiple types of discrimination or disadvantage. The toolkit is available from today, the first day of the national charity campaign, UK Charity Week.

The Intersectional Storyteller’s Toolkit will be issued in five daily emails, packed with useful tips from experts in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), as well as UK journalists who will share what they look for in pitches and case studies from the charity sector. Contributors include staff from the BBC, Black Thrive, Climate Outreach, the Guardian, Inclusion London, the Metro, and Stonewall. Blending accessible video resources and PDFs, the toolkit will break down technical terms, share real life examples, and show the importance of an intersectional approach to storytelling, sharing experiences from people who face several barriers to equality.

Su-Mei Thompson, CEO of Media Trust, said:  

“For the last few years, Media Trust has been advocating for a more intersectional approach to news reporting and storytelling because, simply put, this will provide a more complete view of society. We know that a greater awareness of how marginalised communities and individuals are affected by multiple strands of disadvantage can change the nature of public discourse, making it less divisive and more constructive.

“We also believe a more intersectional approach will strengthen media coverage of social issues and provide insights to help policymakers find hidden opportunities and more holistic solutions to tackle challenges like homelessness and climate change.”

This free toolkit has been made possible with support from independent charitable foundation Lankelly Chase and draws on Media Trust’s recent Intersectional Reporting pilot programme which was supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Julian Corner, CEO of Lankelly Chase, said: 

“Colonial and neo-liberal systems rely on reducing human beings to separate categories. Intersectionality refers to the complexity of our identities and the interconnection between human experiences, be they of joy or oppression. We’re really happy to have supported this toolkit, because these systems exist in each of us, and we need to unlearn and relearn.”

Register now for the toolkit, which will be available from 4 December 2023.