Over the summer I came across a piece in The New Yorker about the story of Kalief Browder. The writer, Jennifer Gonnerman, had reported on the life of this young man– who spent three years on Rikers Island without any conviction of a crime– before his tragic suicide in July of 2015. Even without following Browder’s story prior to his death, I was still shaken by the details of his last days.
Kalief Browder was accused of stealing a backpack. Was held 2.8 years longer than men arrested for killing 9. pic.twitter.com/6otVZvEj0h
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 7, 2015
Gonnerman’s story exemplifies what it means to tell a good story. And moreover, a good story can be told even without words, or a formal article written.
How can storytellers across the world accomplish the sharing of compelling, impactful, relatable and timely stories? The answer is a simple three step process:
Be Truthful.
In an age where the lines between news, public relations, marketing, advertising and basically all forms of media are muddied, it can be difficult as a general consumer of the media to discern those things that are factual and true news, and those are that are just opinionated/interest stories.
For consumers to be engaged with storytelling content, the truth is what is most important.
Gone are the days where people could step out on their front lawns in the morning and know that their newspaper publication of choice would tell them the best local, national and international news they want to read.
We live in an age where although there is an influx of content and practically a downright overflow of information, people still desire to know the truth above all.
Be Positive.
With social media platforms creating a way for practically anyone to share their opinions and “expertise” with the world, a door is opened for literally anything to be put on the web.
In a country where free speech reigns, this clause also means that people are free to share their thoughts no matter how uncommon or not politically correct they are.
Be Uncommon.
Anyone can create a listical, or something wacky that draws viral attention. But a good story is rooted in something that gets people to not only stop, but to remember what happened.
Even in an age of quick streams, longer content can still win the race.