| Human beings tell stories. It is how we learn and how we teach, how we preserve and transmit culture. It is how we understand ourselves and others. The instinct to tell stories and seek them out remains and essential part of being human. |
| - from Deep Focus: The Future of Independent Media by Andrew Blau |
Many researchers struggle with the task of conveying large amounts of important data to a lay audience. Organizations, too, must find ways to convey the important and meaningful work that they do. One creative way of doing this is through storytelling.
Storytelling, using real stories about people or situations, provides a reader- or audience-friendly way to communicate complex ideas effectively. For example, a story about how Mrs. Thomas’ life changed as a result of your breakthrough treatment may have just as great an impact on your audience, particularly a lay audience, as a welter of jargon and statistics.
While credible data is critical to any persuasive, scientific presentation, this section reminds us that there are other kinds of “evidence” to support our work.
Use this section to:
Find stories that can help bring life to your research or organization’s work.
Learn how to effectively identify and use stories to enhance your communications.
Share with other Hartford grantees the stories you’ve heard or used in your communications work.
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