Personal Storytelling
Instrumentalized Storytelling + Organizational Storytelling + Strategic Storytelling
What is it?
Personal storytelling is a communications strategy where an organization tells stories about a person’s life — whether a member of the organization or a recipient of its activities — to the benefit of the organization. Stories can be told by the subject (first-person) or by a spokesperson of the organization (third-person).
Before Web 2.0, personal storytelling included autobiography, memoirs, biographies and career narratives or professional bios. However after Web 2.0 it became standard practice to tell personal stories that were about an organization. The most accurate description of this practice is instrumentalized personal storytelling, however it is called “strategic storytelling” within communications and “instrumentalized storytelling” or “organizational storytelling” within narrative studies.
Spokespeople speaking about a personal experience as part of a media interview about an organization.
Personal stories told on an organization’s website, usually to demonstrate the impact of the organization’s activities.
A testimonial. However, personal storytelling is presented as more objective than a testimonial, which is closer to opinion.
The media landscape changed. Previously, it was difficult to publish or distribute stories at scale — but digital media and Web 2.0 changed that. Initially, the press began asking for more personal stories to complement news coverage — competing for attention in the digital media landscape — until personal stories became the norm in all communications about an organization.
Invisible People is a nonprofit that tells personal stories to advocate for people who are homeless.
Kiva.org is a nonprofit that tells personal stories to demonstrate the impact of microloans.
What is the impact on a person whose life story is instrumentalized for the benefit of an organization — especially when the story involves traumatic events? How is consent attained? What are the ethical responsibilities of the organization publishing the story?
What does it look like?
What’s it similar to?
Why now?
Examples
Ethical Concerns
Practical
Guides
Training
Organizations
A research report published by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication to help social impact organizations use storytelling.
A resource to help social change organizations use storytelling to advance their organization’s mission. Published by IMIX.
Principles informed by Voice of Witness’ experience conducting ethics-driven oral history.
A rich list of resources for communicators.
Offered by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication.
A UK nonprofit supporting the migration and refugee sector to communicate with confidence, clarity and care. More.
An oral history nonprofit that amplifies the stories of people impacted by—and fighting against—injustice. We work with communities to document and center unheard voices, teach ethics-driven storytelling, and develop educational resources. More.
Fernandes, Sujatha. Curated Stories: The Uses and Misuses of Storytelling.
Mäkelä, Maria and Hanna Meretoja. Critical Approaches to the Storytelling Boom.
Polletta, Francesca et al. Personal Storytelling in Professionalized Social Movements.
Shuman, Amy. Other People’s Stories: Entitlement Claims and the Critique of Empathy.
Squire, Corinne (Ed). Stories Changing Lives: Narratives and Paths toward Social Change.
Liberation Stories: Building Narrative Power for 21st Century Social Movements by Shanelle Matthews, Marzena Zukowska and the Radical Communicators Network.
Our Stories Told By Us: Celebrating the African Contribution to the UK/HIV Response by Angelina Namiba, Charity Nyirenda, Memory Sacbhikonye, Rebecca Mbewe, Winnie Ssanyu Sseruma.
Resources
Academic Study
By Practitioners