Riot to Repair: How MMM’s Strategic Storytelling Amplified Reparative Journalism

Christelle Philemon
4 hours ago
3 min read

MMM’s strategic approach to amplifying underrepresented voices by crafting detailed social media posts, pitching national outlets and key relationships, and developing press releases and campaigns allows clients such as Media 2070 to stay focused on gathering the stories and narratives the media desperately needs.

In May this year, Media 2070 launched the Reparative Journalism Archive, a new digital platform that preserves reparative journalism.

The first entry, Riot to Repair: Community Archives on Media and Narrative Power, was first exhibited as part of the Black Future Newsstand in a physical space that allowed people to interact with the interviews, see related art, and academic programming. This launch now marks the archive’s first permanent virtual location. The archive features many community voices reflecting on their experiences of the 2020 uprisings following the murder of George Floyd and other major police-involved shootings that occurred that year. The archive allows the stories of those directly affected by these uprisings to come to the forefront and challenge the false narratives created by mainstream and corporate media.

This archive, built to share silenced, impactful voices, aligns deeply with Manon Media’s mission to help organizations, movements, and brands transform industries and create new tomorrows.

Community-driven projects like Riot to Repair play a crucial role in shaping how the United States examines moments of crisis and resistance.

MMM’s Strategic Contribution

MMM helped strategize the promotion of Riot to Repair through these main components:

Framing the Narrative through Social Media

For a project as large and community-centered as Riot to Repair, social media plays a significant role in promotional efforts. The goal wasn’t just to announce the archive’s launch, but to foster thoughtful engagement with the audience.

MMM created detailed social media posts that highlighted the archive's core themes: community storytelling, narrative power, and reparative journalism. Each post worked to conceptualize the project, giving the audience insight into why Riot to Repair exists and what makes it different from mainstream coverage of the 2020 uprisings—the social content crafted the archive not as a passing exhibit but an intentional act of reparative journalism. For creators and visionaries, this type of strategic storytelling allows the work to speak for itself while still reaching audiences in ways that align with the movement’s values and mission.

Targeted Intentional Media Outreach

To expand the impact of Riot to Repair, MMM focused on strategic pitching to high-impact media outlets rather than on mass outreach. Identifying outlets and journalists whose work aligns with media and community storytelling helped Media 2070 secure the right kind of outreach for this archive. This approach of intentional pitching helps cultivate the right long-lasting relationships in the media space. This kind of outreach provides relief for visionaries creating large-scale projects, so they don’t have to navigate media systems alone. It allows clients to remain focused on the project while MMM ensures the story travels thoughtfully and reaches the right audience.

Turning Creation into Momentum

Aiding Media 2070 by creating a press release and a campaign created a straightforward, accessible narrative for broader audiences. The press release not only announced the archive but also articulated its purpose, collaborators, and the significant milestone in Media 2070’s ongoing commitment to reparative journalism: restoring community trust, ownership, and authorship in media by centering the community members who lived the story, rather than relying on corporate media narratives.

Together, the press release and campaign helped the archive gain momentum, spark conversation, and bridge the gap between the project and the communities it was created for.

All these forms of strategic promotional storytelling work together to support the project's meaningful work and increase the likelihood that the community stories will make a lasting impact.

Why It Matters for Creators

Community-driven projects like Riot to Repair play a crucial role in shaping how the United States examines moments of crisis and resistance. By allowing organizations such as Media 2070 to focus on centering the voices of those affected, these projects create space for more honest and accountable conversations about power, justice, and representation. When intentional storytelling strategies support the creative work, it can gain the visibility and momentum needed to influence broader cultural and media conversations. It ensures the narrative gets meaningfully positioned across platforms and press with context, care, and intention.