What is ethical storytelling in the storytelling boom?
Telling stories about real people — narrated by organizations — without causing harm.
“Ethical storytelling” means different things to different people.
Depending on who you’re talking to, “ethical storytelling” could be discussing:
an ethical issue e.g. privacy
a person at risk of harm e.g. real people in the story
an area of practice that could cause harm e.g. publishing a story without approval
New communications norms created by storytelling in the storytelling boom have introduced complex questions, including:
How do we tell stories ethically when someone’s story of need — and sometimes trauma — is told publicly in the age of social media?
How do we tell stories ethically when a nonprofit receives more donations if it tells more affecting stories?
How do we tell stories ethically when audiences are flooded with impact stories from nonprofits in fundraising drives?
The urgency of finding answers to these questions has increased with the establishment of storytelling as a practice within communications.
Ethical Issues
Privacy & Consent
Benefit
Identity
Power
How is consent asked for — and given — when collecting impact stories. How can practitioners be sure participants are giving informed consent? How is the privacy of vulnerable populations protected?
Further reading: For Clinicians Who Write Essays About Patients: Conceptual Review of Consent and Ethical Considerations
How do practitioners account for the direct benefit to the organization as a result of telling someone’s personal story? How do organizations acknowledge the purpose of the storytelling without affecting the story?
How is someone’s personal identity affected by a story told about them publicly, especially if it reveals some of the most difficult and/or traumatic times of their life? How does someone retain agency over their identity if they consent to their story being told publicly? How was social media impacted identity?
How does the inherent power imbalance between an organization and someone impacted by its work create the risk of exploitation — intentional or otherwise. How can practitioners prevent unintentional exploitation?
Area of Impact
Real people in the story
Audience
Society
Practitioners
A public story about a real person can affect their private life in ways they don’t want, didn’t anticipate — and can’t control.
Further reading: Curated Stories: The Uses and Misuses of Storytelling
Telling stories to communicate human impact raises concerns about emotional manipulation of the audience.
Further reading: Storytelling: Bewitching the Modern Mind
Whose stories are told and whose are not — and how does that impact society?
Further reading: Harnessing Narrative Persuasion for Good.
Being exposed to the aversive details of traumatic events — such as a communications professional or journalist might — can cause Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS).
Further reading: A model for secondary traumatic stress following workplace exposure to traumatic material in analytical staff.
Area of practice
Story production
Story text
Storytelling
Is the story being used as a tool of manipulation? Will the public telling of the story impact the agency or identity of the real people in the story?
Further reading: Personal Storytelling in Professionalized Social Movements
Was the story produced in a way that protected the privacy of real people? Did they consent to participation in the story, and did they control the way they were represented? Did their relationship with the organization influence their choices?
Further reading: Voice of Witness’ Ethical Storytelling Principles
This area focuses on the text and meaning of the story, and whether it has been constructed in a way that supports social good; tension exists between critique and practice.
Further reading: Better Conversations about Ethical Storytelling