How to Tell Stories About Complex Issues

Storytelling is among the most effective tools available to help communities engage with difficult environmental and social questions, and using methods that help drive the public to change their beliefs and behaviors. People are much greater likely retain information when it's presented through stories. Stories that are well-written can also be incredibly effective to cut down on arguments about divisive topics. When people are swept away through a compelling story, they can recall the events that transpired in the story and believe that the events were personal to them. This means that the story can be used to shape the future of the subject. A lot of the issues that which the sector of social services is tackling, including climate change and criminal justice reform gender violence, justice for racial minorities health equity, as well as quality education are complex and the issues they face stem from faulty, interconnected, institutional policies and practices, as well as cultural practices, and methods of We frequently talk about solving these issues, referred to in the field of the systems level thinking that uses numbers and abstract concepts like "equity" and "justice. But this method of discussing complex issues creates a space for people to make beliefs and prejudices regarding what these words mean however, no one took action as a result of a stunning graph or data point. The organizations must communicate with people in ways that allow them to understand the various aspects that define the problem they're tackling. This is especially important for those who don't readily recognize issues such as gender discrimination at work or the absence of access to high-quality health care as the result of the larger system. The study of storytelling science, which is the study of how stories are told deliberately to break down psychological barriers that may hinder or encourage belief or changes in behavior-- provides insight that will help companies to tell compelling and persuasive stories of complex issues. In October of 2016 my colleagues at The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) and I gathered 25 scholars from all over the globe who are studying various elements of telling stories. The purpose of our gathering was to explore the science behind what makes one story superior to the one that follows. Ann Christiano, Frank Karel Chair in Public Interest Communications, and Matt Sheehan, director of stories and new platforms along with myself have created an approach to creating more compelling stories--rooted in what we have learned from the research we conducted at the time of this gathering and from more study. Below, we present four of these concepts to stories that deal with complex issues.