WHY NEWS STORYTELLING
IS BROKEN &
HOW WE CAN FIX IT
Shirish Kulkarni
Journalist, Researcher & Community Organiser
THE STORY
WHAT ARE STORIES?
CITIZEN-FOCUSSED JOURNALISM
News made for citizens not journalists
JOURNALISM IS BROKEN
We’re doing it all wrong
Why do we need them?
ENGAGING WITH THE FUTURE
Community, care and AI
JOURNALISM IS BROKEN
TRUST
In the UK, just 28% of people say they can trust news most of the time, and only 39% trust EVEN the news they use
YOUNG PEOPLE
We need to engage young people - not just because they’re young, but because they’re the audience of the future
INCLUSION
Innovation isn’t just about telling stories differently, it’s about telling different stories - fundamental change
STORIES
The Heider-Simmel Experiment
STORIES
The Heider-Simmel Experiment
一Jonathan Gottschall
The Storytelling Animal
“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.”
KEY PRINCIPLES FOR A NEW JOURNALISM
CONTENT�
The information we provide has to be what citizens (not journalists) need and want
CONTEXT�
Citizens want context and analysis, not just breaking or “moving” news
AGENCY�
Citizens have power and agency and we need to provide ways for them to exercise that
TONE�
We need to write in a way that’s clear, accessible and not defined by habits of the past
DIVERSITY�
We need to not just listen to different perspectives, but HEAR and reflect them
TRANSPARENCY�
We need to be clear about how and why we’re reporting and acknowledge gaps
ORIENTATION
Journalism should help us understand the world, locate us in our environment and enable us to meaningfully interact with it
It should help us form views which are consistent with the needs and interests of ourselves and our communities
THE “NARRATIVE ACCORDION”
What questions do I need to know the answers to, in order to orientate myself around the story of HS2?
Is there a way in which I can get those answers whilst also expressing my own agency?
THE “CONTEXTUAL TIMELINE”
Placing any new developments in the broader context of the ongoing story
We can see where the story started but also, crucially, where the story is going
THE RESULTS
Knowledge Transfer
How confident did citizens feel about the story - before and after reading:
The BBC article was twice as long - citizens were getting the same (or more) information in half the time
THE RESULTS
Engagement
When asked how enjoyable, interesting or engaging the stories were - or if they preferred the language, tone and navigation:
If we don’t find stories engaging, interesting or convenient, then we won’t want the journalism
THE RESULTS
+ | Narrative Accordion | Contextual Timeline | Plain Text Dramatic |
ENGAGING | 43 | 19 | 57 |
INFORMATIVE | 33 | 20 | 41 |
USEFUL | 43 | 36 | 37 |
THE RESULTS
% | Narrative Accordion | Contextual Timeline |
CONVENIENT | 83 | 77 |
ENGAGING | 79 | 72 |
UNDERSTAND | 75 | 69 |
THE FUTURE
Citizen-focussed journalism built with community in mind and leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence & Natural Language Generation
USER MOTIVATIONS
Hearken
01
02
03
04
05
CURIOSITY
CONNECTION
VULNERABILITY OR PAIN
SERVING OTHERS
STORYTELLING
一Chelsea Haring
Hearken
“Humans still win at the game of intimacy, care and mutual support and we will for a long time to come”
THANKS!
email: shirish@monnowmedia.com
twitter: @ShirishMM
LinkedIn: Shirish Kulkarni
Medium: @shirishmonnow
CREDITS