Who is the hero of your story?
4 September 2023
So much of humanitarian storytelling either frames a story through the victim or the “savior” organization. While these can be useful, they can also be harmful (we’ll get in to how to identify harm later in this section.) Research shows why you might want to take a different tack.
First, as humans we are attracted to other humans. Scholars have shown that some of the most lauded acts of journalism feature stories of complex issues told through the lens of a single character. This is affirmed through the work of narratology (or the study of narrative) and a focus on the “ hero’s journey” often popularized through the work of Joseph Campbell.
Second, recent research in trust show that trust in institutions is on the decline and at historic low levels. Yet when that institution is framed through the individuals that make up the institution (e.g. professors or scholars vs. higher education) that level of trust increases.
Be strategic in whose story you tell. It could be folks on the front line, or who are experiencing the systems and structures you are trying to change. Yet there are so many stories of the organization and effort that you could tell. Who are the unsung heroes of the fight? How does the work of the everyman play into the change you are advocating?
It may be best to focus on a person
Mother Teresa famously said: “If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.” Research backs her up: large numbers can trigger a phenomenon called psychic numbing. Scholar Paul Slovic has examined this phenomenon in relation to humanitarian causes. Our recommendation is to tell the story through the experience of an individual the actors can connect with and then once established, zoom out to share the wider impact of the issue layered with the data that the ILO collects and shares.
First, as humans we are attracted to other humans. Scholars have shown that some of the most lauded acts of journalism feature stories of complex issues told through the lens of a single character. This is affirmed through the work of narratology (or the study of narrative) and a focus on the “ hero’s journey” often popularized through the work of Joseph Campbell.
Second, recent research in trust show that trust in institutions is on the decline and at historic low levels. Yet when that institution is framed through the individuals that make up the institution (e.g. professors or scholars vs. higher education) that level of trust increases.
Be strategic in whose story you tell. It could be folks on the front line, or who are experiencing the systems and structures you are trying to change. Yet there are so many stories of the organization and effort that you could tell. Who are the unsung heroes of the fight? How does the work of the everyman play into the change you are advocating?
It may be best to focus on a person
Mother Teresa famously said: “If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.” Research backs her up: large numbers can trigger a phenomenon called psychic numbing. Scholar Paul Slovic has examined this phenomenon in relation to humanitarian causes. Our recommendation is to tell the story through the experience of an individual the actors can connect with and then once established, zoom out to share the wider impact of the issue layered with the data that the ILO collects and shares.
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