Story, now more than ever.
Nora Barry
Working at the intersection of story and technology. Author, "The Strategy of Story".
Story has always been used to convey critical information in a memorable way, from cave tribes warning each other about dangers in the wild, to the warning stories our society is telling itself about the Corona Virus today.
The critical difference is the underlying message in those stories. A simple message carries the story forward so that no matter how the story is embellished, the message remains consistent (danger: there’s a wild bear in the woods who will kill you). Regardless of whether cave tribes described the bear as white or black or brown, or whether they said they encountered the bear on the path or in a tree, the message remained the same and the story was easy to retell and hence, effective.
Post-cave society we transmitted similar message in our fairy tale stories: little girls who wander off the path in the woods will get themselves in trouble (Red Riding Hood). Whether Red’s grandmother lives or dies at the end of the story, or whether or not there’s a huntsman involves, the message remains the same and the story carries it forward to its conclusion. That makes a story a highly strategic communications tool—but only when it’s grounded in a consistent message with a clearly defined goal (keep fellow tribe members inside the cave; keep young girls on the path).
We’re not telling effective stories about the Corona Virus today because the messages are so mixed up and there seems to be no end goal to all of the communications. Is transmission of the virus airborne or aerosolized? Does wearing a face mask help reduce risk? How close do you have to stand next to an infected person to be at risk?
The lack of consistency in the messaging about the Corona Virus has led to wildly untrue stories, which in turn have influenced behaviors that started with people not drinking Corona beer, and buying large quantities of toilet paper and has escalated to global travel restrictions and a wildly unstable bear market.
It’s incumbent on our leaders in every sector of society to tell stories to us, strategic stories anchored in a consistent message (the Corona Virus is aerosolized, not airborne and people who have contracted it have survived. The majority of deaths have been in older adults. For the most accurate information on the virus, visit the Centers for Disease Control website). Stories have a powerful impact on how we think and behave—which is why story is more important now, than ever.