What is Digital Storytelling?
Digital storytelling covers all aspects of storytelling distributed using multimedia platforms with video, audio, animations, graphics and images. Digital storytelling encompasses personal experiences, insights into social issues and crisis events. Web 2.0 capabilities have enabled storytellers to create and share stories and collaborate, creating online communities. (Anderson and Chua, 2010) Although technology has made producing content more accessible to many, some digital literacy skills are required. Holmes and Burgess (2020) highlight the problem of digital exclusion and remind us that the Covid 19 crisis has intensified the digital divide.
By its nature, digital storytelling is a participatory and democratic process and social isolation and lockdown measures have meant that more people need to rely more on digital platforms to access health information, news and community support.
Data visualisation and healthcare information
Since Covid 19, we have been inundated with data in the form of charts, figures and tables. Can we make sense of these in our everyday lives?
Stories are a vital method for communicating complex data – globally and locally. They provide context and meaning and they are engaging and persuasive, inciting emotions which provide a lasting impression. (Vrikki, 2020) Animations are especially useful at explaining complex medical information in a simple way, combining images and words in an ‘approachable, accessible and relatable’ way. (Feigenbaum and Alamalhodaei, 2020) Ted-Ed has produced many such animations.
Comics can help us make sense of the rapidly changing world around us and explore how we feel in a personal and informal way.
Storytelling in the News
Feature style news reports follows a narrative style with a personal tone. Research shows that consumers find it more engaging (Boczkowski and Mitchelstein, 2013) User generated content originates on social media, becomes viral and is then published in mainstream news. (Open Media Hub, 2020) The simplicity of recording on smartphones has meant that anyone can be a citizen journalist. During a crisis, citizen journalism increases with ‘first person’ content being generated by witnesses at the scene. (Allan 2013) It has now become normal to see user generated videos on mainstream news. The ability to link stories via Hashtags means that multiple uploads can be linked via social media. Elizabeth Schneider received 1,113,780 views on Youtube for ‘Covid survivor’ linked with #coronavirus #pandemic and #covid19
What problems are there?
One concern is that Social media is unregulated so misinformation can be spread easily. ‘Fake News’ stories have been shown to spread through social media more easily than real news stories (Davis, cited in Polletta and Callahan, 2017)
How can we use ‘Digital Storytelling’ for Advocacy and Social Action?
Organisations such as the Peoples Voice Media use community reporting to empower individuals to convey their lived experiences using video and audio digital tools. Their framework has three componants, story gathering, story curation and story mobilisation. The aim of the research is to initiate positive social change and influence policy. Personal stories provide strong legitimate evidence and elicit emotional engagement. (Anderson and Chua, 2010)
Covid 19 has affected some of the most vulnerable people in society. Social researchers are using digital stories to identify how Covid 19 has affected specific communities. UNESCO have developed My COVID-19 Story #YouthOfUNESCO, an initiative for young people to share stories on social media. These stories will provide research to examine the impact of the crisis on young people around the world.
Effective storytelling can communicate complex ideas, inspire people for social causes and humanize news reporting. Stories have contributed to the ongoing Covid 19 crisis conversation and will continue to be used to analyse and narrate this period for years to come.
Written by Cathy Gardiner S5131559
Cover Image – Clissold. S., 2020 Cartoon Gallery. Twitter. Political Cartoon. [online] Available from https://twitter.com/cartoon4sale/status/1244260520989020160 [Accessed 3 January 2021]