Storybanking
Introduction
Community Catalyst prepared the following storybanking guide to help you reach out to people in your area with compelling stories. Whether you are new to storybanking or a seasoned professional, this guide provides tips, hints and examples to find stories and to tell them to your audience. Please share your stories with us; the examples you provide can help others learn how storybanking helps.
Why Stories?
The Herndon Alliance has researched how storytelling coupled with elements of reform can be particularly successful in making the law real for your audience.
- They ground policy in real life - Talking about real people humanizes the information.
- They help people understand - It is easier for people to grasp the concepts and retain the information about the key provisions in the new law when it is tied to a real person's experience.
- They depoliticize the issue - It's not about a candidate or a party, it's about someone - like the person you are engaging - who will be helped by changes to the health care system.
- They open doors - In areas where it is difficult to discuss the law or the reform effort, sharing a simple story is a way to open a dialog.