Glossary
A more in-depth glossary of terms used by communications practitioners and narrative scholars is at The Narrative Home
Ethical storytelling
Impact storytelling
Narrative change
Narrator
Organizational storytelling
Story participant
Strategic storytelling
Telling stories about real people — narrated by an organization — without causing harm. Ethical storytelling is a practice within impact storytelling, and emerged in response to concerns about the impacts on the protagonists of impact stories. Ethical storytelling is particularly concerned with the conflict of interest of the organization telling the story given the story is told for its benefit, and the power dynamic between the organization and the story protagonist. More.
Telling stories — about a real person — that describe the impact of an organization’s work, narrated by that organization, and for the benefit of that organization. Impact stories are typically told by nonprofit, NGO or social change organizations as part of their fundraising and publicity efforts. More.
The work of shifting public opinion on a social issue; narrative change is persuasion. Narrative change is typically part of a social change strategy, and typically supports other efforts such as policy change and legislative initiatives. Narrative change tactics fall within communications and public relations work. More.
The person — or organization — whose point of view is described in the story. The organization is the narrator of impact stories, unless the story is a first-person account authored by the story participant.
Stories narrated by an organization. The story might be about the organization, about a person impacted by the organization’s work or about someone who works at the organization.
Someone who agrees to their story being told by an organization, whose work they have benefitted from. They can also be referred to as a “beneficiary”, “program participant” or “member” depending on their relationship with the organization.
Storytelling as part of a strategy — such as a fundraising or public relations strategy. Usually, stories are told for entertainment or pleasure. Strategic storytelling uses stories to prompt or compel an action, such as a donation or other action of support.