Live Storytelling Can Save Your Journalism, and Possibly Your Life

As journalists, we’ve always been storytellers. Whether in print, or online, with photos or videos, we know how to gather facts and feelings and distill them into narratives that shape our communities and our lives.

And today, the USA TODAY NETWORK is telling stories in a zillion different ways, from long-form narratives to compelling photography to virtual reality.

Now, the USA TODAY NETWORK is doubling down on storytelling in its original form, expanding The Storytellers Project and is launching the Storytellers Brand Studio. Essentially, the company is investing in a reporter’s project, because it’s flourishing in terms of editorial content and staffer satisfaction, and we believe it can become a sustainable source of revenue.

Our storytellers are hilarious. Our guests are good looking.

The Storytellers Project

The Storytellers Project is a nationwide series of live storytelling nights. (Yes, like The Moth, which is amazing in every way, except plus journalism best practices and newsroom ethics.)

90-second recap video of a recent night: http://www.azcentral.com/videos/entertainment/events/storytellers%20/2015/07/14/30156183/

USA TODAY NETWORK newsrooms curate and host nights of true, first-person stories from neighbors and notables. Journalists coach and prepare community members to share entertaining, illuminating stories for diverse audiences.

Storytellers Project founder Megan Finnerty hosts a night in Phoenix. Leopard. is her signature color.

VALUES: We believe oral storytelling and journalism serve and reflect a community and develop empathy in that community.

These nights blend the authenticity and discipline of storytelling as an art form with the truthfulness, community-building and empowerment that’s at the heart of great journalism.

SCOPE:

The USA TODAY NETWORK launched The Storytellers Project in nine cities in September 2015. These newsrooms deliver true, first-person nights of community connecting storytelling. At each event, six to seven community members prepare an 8–10-minute story on a theme.

Kevin Vanegas tells a story about how his immigrant journey to America to flee communism lead to a career in national tequila sales during Arizona Cocktail Week.

Audiences of 200 to 650 gather in venues ranging from the Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs and the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines and the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville.

The series is based on the success of the Arizona Storytellers Project. Launched by The Arizona Republic in 2011, that newsroom has helped more than 550 people tell stories across more than 90 nights.

Seriously, our guests are so great.

TESTIMONIALS:

From Des Moines: “People leave these events feeling less lonely, more connected, and with more understanding of those different than them. On a broader level, this series has huge applications for the future of our company. I’m so excited to be a part of this, and seeing actual revenue and audience coming from it (while we are losing it in other places) is incredibly gratifying for me.”

From Nashville: “The best part is fulfilling a vision. I have wanted to launch something like this for a year. Having corporate support and the expertise from Megan has been invaluable in helping make this a reality!”

From Fort Collins: “The best part has been connecting with people and empowering them to tell their stories in a new and different way for our market. It’s great to see them shine and succeed.”

HOST NEWSROOMS AND MARKETS:

In 2016, this project will facilitate and host more than 50 nights of live storytelling across the country.

1. The Indianapolis Star and indystar.com, Indianapolis — IndyStar Storytellers Project

2. The Cincinnati Enquirer and cincinnati.com, Cincinnati — Cincy Storytellers Project

3. The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Phoenix — Arizona Storytellers Project

4. The Desert Sun and desertsun.com, Palm Springs — Coachella Valley Storytellers Project

5. The Tennessean and tennessean.com, Nashville — Nashville Storytellers Project

6. The Courier-Journal and courier-journal.com, Louisville — the Louisville Storytellers Project

7. Lansing State Journal and lansingstatejournal.com, Lansing — Lansing Storytellers Project

8. The Coloradoan and Coloradoan.com, Fort Collins — Coloradoan Storytellers Project

9. The Des Moines Register and desmoinesregister.com, Des Moines — Des Moines Storytellers Project

The new Storytellers Brand Studio

When brands align with us, they capitalize on our journalistic expertise, as well as the kind of authenticity and goodwill that can only come from community connecting, which is why the USA TODAY NETWORK created The Storytellers Brand Studio.

The Storytellers Brand Studio is a Phoenix-based team that brings true, first-person stories to life through branded-content events and personal narrative coaching throughout the country. This team offers a fresh, authentic way to entertain and inform audiences.

The Storytellers Brand Studio coordinates custom storytelling events, and offers coaching to teach brands how to tell compelling stories that connect them to the communities. We help them craft authentic, first-person stories that engage, entertain, create empathy, and brand affinity.

How the Storytellers Brand Studio Works:

1. We’ll partner with sales leaders in each Storytellers market to develop value proposition language, sales collateral and pitch plans to ensure revenue is tied to the newsrooms’ existing, successful slates of storytelling.

• Local Market Supporting Sponsor: In sponsoring a season in one of nine USA TODAY NETWORK markets that host live storytelling series, you can change a community by creating a space for affirming, pro-social stories to be shared by a diversity of people.

Canada, yes, like the country, sponsored an individual night of storytelling. They gave out tiny bottles of MAPLE SYRUP!

• Individual Event Sponsor: In sponsoring a night, you can be a community leader by hosting a night on a theme relevant to your brand and audience with a series of affirming, pro-social stories shared by relevant stakeholders.

2. We’ll sell professional services as live, branded content experiences powered by storytelling to businesses across the country. These will be separate events from the newsroom-lead ones.

• Branded Event Partner: Join the USA TODAY NETWORK to co-present a night, or a series of ticketed, public storytelling nights of storytelling on a theme relevant to your brand and audience.
• Custom Storytelling Event Host: Produce a custom storytelling event for your organization by partnering behind the scenes with the Storytellers Studio on coaching, logistics and execution. Full customization.
• Corporate or Personal Story Coaching Client: Learn how to tell the stories relevant to you and your business in a compelling, authentic and entertaining way. Partner with the Storytellers Studio for a full range of narrative coaching done on an hourly or package basis.

Why The Storytellers Brand Studio Works:

• Connects communities in relevant and authentic ways to your brand, and to each other.
• Offers greater intimacy than social media or traditional ad buys.
• Gives brands a live platform to show the humanity behind your brand within a local environment, while creating sharable assets for the extended national audience.
• Positions brands as conduits for community connectivity and positive change. When people share stories, they feel closer to each other and more ready to invest in their communities financially and emotionally.