Telling stories that honour lived experience and drive meaningful change
Stories are precious gifts to be handled with care.
Sharing stories is a powerful way of conveying truths or garnering support. But when the stories aren’t ours, the onus is on us to respect and, if necessary, protect the storytellers. This is especially the case when the stories are gifted by vulnerable or marginalised individuals.
Ethical storytelling means having clear rules about how your organisation handles other people’s stories. These rules help make sure the person who shared their story stays in control and feels respected.
This article explains what ethical storytelling means and how to set up ways to protect the important stories people share with your organisation.
The power of storytelling
We all engage with stories. For millennia, people have used narratives to make sense of their world and to convey knowledge and wisdom in a relatable way.
Storytelling is important for non-profits and social impact organisations. Whether you’re trying to raise money, spread the word, or show the difference you make, stories help people understand your message better than facts and figures.
But there’s a challenge: these stories often belong to someone else. We need to find a way to use these stories to help our cause while making sure the people who shared them stay in control.
Story or vignette: what’s the difference?
A story is usually made up of a beginning that sets the scene, a build-up, a big moment or turning point and an ending. Sometimes it also includes a lesson or message.
But as the Stanford Social Innovation Review article Best practices for telling better stories about impact explains, many organisations share short profiles or snapshots instead of full stories. This makes sense when there’s not much space, like in fundraising letters or annual reports. But it means we often miss the full story, the real people involved, and the teamwork behind the scenes.
‘We see a hero organisation helping a homogenous group of helpless people, who we don’t get to know beyond their struggle, or we only learn about exceptional deserving individuals that are portrayed solely by their experience with an issue,’ Annie Neimand writes in the article.
‘When stories like this are shared over and over again, we come to think about change in limited ways. Such stories do not reflect how change happens, and communities are narrowly defined by their relationship with an issue.’
It’s worth considering the difference, and the potential impact, of each style and thinking about how a story’s format can affect your message. Can you find opportunities to share a more complete story beyond the succinct vignette?
For the purpose of this article, we use the terms ‘story’ and ‘storytelling’ to refer to how we handle the sharing of another person’s lived experience in any format.
What is ethical storytelling?
Most people working towards social impact know they have a responsibility to those who share sensitive stories. But having formal guidelines for ethical storytelling is still a relatively new idea.
In the United States, this kind of approach is called the Storytellers Bill of Rights. It’s a voluntary code that non-profits use to explain their promises to people sharing their stories. It includes things like getting permission, keeping people safe, treating them with respect and offering fair payment.
Having these rights written down makes it clear how every story should be handled and protected. That way, anyone working with the stories knows what to do.
Even though the term Bill of Rights comes from the U.S., the ideas behind ethical storytelling are important everywhere.
Ethical storytelling in Australia
Australia is the only liberal democracy without a national law or charter to protect human rights. That’s why it’s especially important for organisations here to have strong and fair policies around sharing stories.
This is particularly true when working with First Nations peoples. Their stories are deeply connected to culture and must be told with care, respect and honesty.
Some Australian organisations that advocate for and teach ethical storytelling include Our Race and Morgan&Co. They help the people who share their stories stay in control which showing others how to be respectful partners in the storytelling process.
These organisations show how stories can be shared in ways that are thoughtful, educational and can lead to real change.
Stories can help or harm
In the book Designed with care: creating trauma-informed content, Morgan&Co’s Morgan Cataldo explains how stories shape how we see the world. Some stories can fuel harmful stereotypes or negative beliefs.
‘There are power dynamics inherent in how stories are told….If people are the sum of the stories told about them and the stories they then internalise about themselves, whose imaginations are we living in, and what does it take to challenge this?’
When people tell their stories—often during hard or emotional times—we need to ask what they get in return for sharing so openly.
By carefully thinking about how we listen to and tell stories, we can do more than just get an emotional reaction.
When treated with respect, stories can lead to real, long-lasting change and help fix unfair systems.
Safeguarding story owners
Ethical storytelling means having clear policies to make sure the people behind the stories are respected, supported and kept safe from physical or emotional harm.
Do they fully understand how their words will be used now and into the future?
Do they know how to withdraw their consent if their circumstances change?
Is their personal safety and wellbeing considered throughout the process?
Having clear rules about storytelling helps everyone understand how to use stories to support an organisation’s work while respecting the story owner. This includes social media, case studies, appeals, annual reports and media exposure.
Any time you need to share another person’s story is a time you need to consider ethical storytelling.
Do we really need another bl**&y policy?
You’ve been telling impact stories for years and have been fine without a formal policy, right?
While you might be doing all the right things, you are not going to be in that role forever.
- Will the next person know the finer details of the impact stories from your archives?
- Is there a known shelf-life for the stories you’ve collected?
- How will those stories and their owners be protected into the future?
Impact stories collected with sensitivity and care should not be left to chance.
Creating a clear ethical storytelling policy means that no matter who is leading the work, everyone understands how to treat and protect people’s stories.
It helps make sure the person who shared their story stays in control, instead of relying on someone inside the organisation to do the right thing.
Giving more control to the story owner
Once, while working in-house for a non-profit, I needed to set up a media opportunity for a story about autism. I was put in contact with a family and spoke with the mother to find out more about her autistic child.
Thankfully, I happened to have some understanding of autism. I knew that how and where the media interview took place was important for the child’s comfort. So, instead of a media conference, we agreed to give the story exclusively to one reporter known for their sensitivity. We also set up the interview and filming to happen at one of the child’s favourite places, so they would feel at ease.
The result was an easy interview opportunity with great visuals for the media outlet, great coverage for the organisation with other media also running the story and, most importantly, a happy family and child who felt safe and supported throughout the process.
Of course, I’m not the only comms specialist to use a process like this. The point is that without proper guidelines in place it can come down to the individual.
Benefits of having an ethical storytelling policy
Having strong storytelling policies changes who holds the power in the story. It moves away from making the organisation look like the hero helping people who have no voice. Instead, it acknowledges and empowers the story owner. Benefits include:
- additional transparency and accountability of the work of not-for-profits
- prevents the organisation’s story from taking over
- helps program staff feel confident that people’s stories will be treated with respect and care.
What does it mean to give storytellers more control?
As mentioned, ethical storytelling is not bound by law. It is more an organisational code of conduct built around an understanding of the story sharing partnership. Also, in the world of media and particularly digital content, full editorial control is all but impossible.
Nonetheless some of the ways values-based guidelines support story owners include:
- Agency –highlighting the storyteller’s ability to act independently and make their own choices
- Autonomy – emphasising self-governance and freedom from external control
- Ownership – conveying that the storyteller retains rights and authority over their own narrative
- Voice – focusing on the storyteller being heard on their own terms
- Authority (over their story) – suggesting power to shape and share their own experiences
- Stewardship – allowing careful and responsible management of their own story
- Custodianship – ensuring the storyteller is the guardian of their narrative.
How detailed should an ethical storytelling policy be?
How much detail your policy or guidelines need depends on how big and complex your organisation is. But at its heart, the policy just needs to explain what someone can expect if they decide to share their story with your organisation.
Often, one or two pages is enough. The policy should explain how the organisation uses stories, why the policy exists and what rights the story owner has. It can be shared on the organisation’s website or given to someone when they’re asked to share their story.
Key elements in an ethical storytelling framework
Ethical storytelling is not a legal obligation but a moral responsibility. Key elements can include:
- getting informed consent from storytellers, ensuring they understand how their story will be used
- giving storytellers control over their narrative, including the right to review and approve the final version
- understanding the story owner has the right to share their story with others beyond your organisation
- compensating storytellers for their time and contribution with a no-obligation stipend
- framing stories around strength rather than victimisation
- protecting storytellers’ privacy and safety by allowing them to remain anonymous if they choose
- offering support throughout – and after – the storytelling process
- representing diverse experiences and perspectives
- avoiding sensationalising hardships
- giving storytellers the opportunity to share their experience directly if they wish.
Remembering the real people behind the impact stories
When seeking and collecting stories keep in mind the following.
Sharing stories can retraumatise
Always respect people’s boundaries. Just because someone has shared their story before doesn’t mean they’ll want to share it again.
If the person is okay with it, a trained support person can help them tell their story while making sure their wellbeing comes first.
Letting them choose where the story is told—and even who interviews them, if possible—can also help them feel more comfortable.
Participation doesn’t result in loss or gain
People should feel safe to say no without any negative consequences. If someone says no to sharing their story—or agrees at first but later changes their mind—it shouldn’t change the support they get from your organisation.
Also, they shouldn’t think that sharing their story will get them extra help or better treatment than anyone else.
Keep your bias and expectations in check
Storytellers have the right to tell their story their way. They should not feel obligated to fit their story within your communication objectives.
When we keep an open mind, let the story owner lead, and listen with respect and interest, it helps them feel safe to share their story in a way that’s real and meaningful to them.
Acknowledge that sharing stories can be dangerous
For some people, sharing their story can put them in physical danger. Be sure to make the experience as safe as possible by limiting identifying information and giving the right to opt out at any time.
How to get started developing ethical storytelling guidelines
To create your ethical storytelling guidelines and policy, begin by having internal conversations to get clear on your goals for using stories.
- What is your organisation’s specific need for stories and what do you want them to show?
- Can you offer training and support to storytellers throughout the process?
- How can you make the experience easier for the storyteller? This can include practical assistance such as transport or childcare, as well as emotional support such as inviting a friend or family member to stay with them.
- Decide if and how you will compensate people for the time they spend in sharing their stories.
- Will you develop standard approved questions that allow the individual to take the lead in shaping their story?
- Will you allow first-person storytelling and how much, if any, editing will you do?
- What is your process for allowing the individual to review the final version of their story?
- How long should you be able to reuse the story and what is your process for reviewing details over time?
- What processes do you need internally to ensure ethical storytelling guidelines are followed?
We already have so many impact stories. Where do we start?
Start from where you are.
Have those internal discussions, agree on your guidelines, create your policy and start using these principles for every new story. If you prefer to outsource, choose a communication specialist with an understanding of ethical storytelling principles.
When you feel confident with your process, you can apply it to the stories you already have.
Decide what to retire, what to keep and where you might need to discuss future use with story owners.
Review your processes every year or two, adapting it as you learn more.
Impact stories that don’t compromise duty of care
In the past, support organisations have often been the ones in control when it comes to sharing stories, whether they meant to be or not.
Advocacy over the years has helped flip that power back into the hands of the story owners. This doesn’t mean social impact organisations can’t still benefit from storytelling. It does mean a greater need for building relationships around trust and safety.
While it may take more work and effort at the outset, this empowerment and autonomy brings opportunities for more authentic and meaningful storytelling partnerships.
Learning about ethical storytelling and creating clear guidelines and policies to guide how you collect stories is an important step to achieving this.
