Flintside editor named ivoh Restorative Journalism fellow

FLINT, Michigan — Flintside publisher and managing editor Marjory Raymer is one of three local storytellers chosen to participate in the 2019 ivoh Restorative Narrative Fellowship. They are among a dozen journalists and others selected nationwide for the opportunity to report on resilience and recovery in their community. 

A nonprofit organization based in Chicago, ivoh began in 1999 with a focus on the meaningful, positive change that media can create. Images and Voices for Hope launched its fellowship program in 2015 to encourage and develop an avenue for the creation of restorative narrative projects. This year, the fellowship is being offered in partnership with Fetzer Institute and it is focused on storytelling in four key communities. 

Three fellows were selected from each of the four core communities: Atlantic City, Chicago, New Orleans, and Flint. 

Also representing Flint are Jiquanda Johnson, founder of Brown Impact Media Group and publisher at Flint Beat, as well as Jonah Mixon-Webster, a poet, sound artist, and educator.  

The six-month fellowship includes a workshop in telling restorative narratives, mentorship, enrollment in ivoh’s Annual Media Summit, and a $3,500 stipend to cover travel to training and project-related expenses. 

Flintside launched in March 2017 with a focus on community journalism and solutions-focused enterprise reporting to capture the stories of Flint’s people and neighborhoods, entrepreneurs and innovators. It is funded through a combination of grants and sponsorships.  

Raymer is an award-winning journalist who has been reporting on and working in Flint and surrounding communities for nearly two decades. She lives in the city with her husband Eric and their children, Javon, 9, and Evelina, 7. She is a member of the Crim Fitness Foundation board, Community Foundation of Greater Flint board, Literacy Network steering committee, I’m Concerned About the Blueberries, and St. John Vianney Church.