Changing the Narrative: The Story We Tell About The North Country

The narrative I am talking about is the story we tell ourselves and others about Northern New York. There is power in that story. What we choose to share, and whether it is positive or negative, will have a huge impact on how we all view and think about the region. Narratives can vary; some are mundane and journalistic and full of facts. Others are mythic or heroic, such as how we all pulled through the 1998 ice storm together, someone’s bigger-than-life personality, or dramatic work related stories.

Some narratives can be summarized as “awful North Country” or “poor us.” The former is about cold weather, no jobs, or no shopping while the latter includes, but is not limited to, upstate downstate conflicts, higher taxes, or intrusive government regulation. Other narratives are more positive, about a good place to live, work, and raise a family.

The power of the narrative is most profoundly seen in what we communicate to our children, both verbally and nonverbally. The loss of our young people is a real concern for many North Country residents. At the same time, the narrative is there is nothing here for them, that if you are a winner you will leave the area; that they will want to or should move away. Not everyone can or should want to live in the North Country. Still, as they leave for college or to work we need to hand them a mail box and a map of Northern New York, not a suitcase and a one way ticket. We need to communicate that coming home is a viable option.

Perhaps we need a new narrative that goes something like this: “We understand the need to see the world and get an education. Gaining experience in your chosen work is a good thing. But, in a few years, we hope you will consider coming home. The North Country is a good place to live, to work and to raise a family of your own. You have relatives and friends here, and your skills and your presence can make it a better place to live. It is possible to come home, and do well, if you decide that is what you want to do.”

In the end, changing the narrative is not about being a Pollyanna or overlooking our problems and challenges. This is not just a task for individuals, but community leaders, media professionals, and economic developers as well. Creating a narrative is about thinking things through and coming up with a coherent story that expresses the region’s identity and what we would like the North Country to be, stated in such away to appeal to those who would like to be a part of the region’s unfolding story.