the (r)evolution of storytelling

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The (R)evolution of Storytelling Everything old is new again...

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The internet has profoundly affected how we collect and consume information; there is no debate about that. How can media companies adapt, survive and thrive in the digital age by returning to the fundamentals of the narrative?

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Page 1: The (R)evolution of Storytelling

The (R)evolution

of Storytelling

Everything old is new again...

Page 2: The (R)evolution of Storytelling

How media companies can adapt, survive and thrive in the digital age by returning to the fundamentals of the narrative.

T ��� �������������������������ơ������������������������������������� �����������Ǣ������� ��� ��� ������� ������ ����Ǥ Much has been written (and tweeted and podcasted)

however about the value of that information, the nature in which it’s communicated and

who ultimately controls the message. The manner in which humans share information

remained remarkably static for thousands of years prior to the advent of the Internet. Broadcast

����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ơ�����a window into the farthest reaches of the globe, but the nature of storytelling remained the same.

����������� ��������� �����������ǡ� Ƥ������� ���� ���� �������� �������� ���� ������� ��� ����� ���� ��������public, usually in the form of an article in the morning paper or a segment on the evening news.

They may have included commentary or simply reported facts, but the resulting piece was not

free of bias. The perspective that journalists provided was coloured by their worldview; the facts

��������ǡ� ������ ��������ǡ� ������ ��ƪ������ ���� ��������� ��� ���������imperialists, policy makers and academics. Audiences in this model

were passive observers; business spoke to them through ads or

�������������������������������Ƥ����������������������������������viewers. Stories ended when the journalist moved on and there was

little competition for their attention outside of the boundaries of

traditional outlets.

This model is almost unrecognizable in the social era. Journalists no

longer have the luxury of gathering, and analyzing information, and

�����Ƥ������������������Ǥ����������������������������������������������stakeholders but are faced with the monumental task of breaking

�������� ���� �����Ǥ������ ��������� ��������� ����� ���� �����Ƥ�����events, storytellers now face an avalanche of information from

an increasingly impatient public. They are expected to report and

analyze information simultaneously, as fast as or faster than their

often uninformed micro-blogging competitors.

The social web represents a new world order for media outlets,

journalism schools and corporations alike. It’s fraught with

questions about the form and function of “news” and it how it can

be used to deliver value to consumers in a way that is informative

and engaging. In many ways, the social web served to democratize

journalism, giving voice to huge groups of people who were

previously disenfranchised by traditional forms. It also created a

������������������������Ǣ�������������������Ƥ����������������������������ǡ�������������������������to adapt the news to technologies that are not suited to 360 storytelling and consumers were left

wanting more. They insist on receiving information in real-time, as narratives unfold, but are also

hungry for context and perspective that comes with authoritative, long form journalism.

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Page 3: The (R)evolution of Storytelling

For Michael De Monte, Co-Founder and CEO of ScribbleLive, the solution is simple; the

platforms and timelines may have changed but the core elements of storytelling have not.

Breaking news events always – without exception – follow a predictable pattern that De

����������������Ǯ���������ǯǤ�����������������������������ƪ�����������������Ȃ���������������������- followed by a period of relative calm. Depending on the size and scope of the event there

can be multiple peaks of information in the arc, but it’s the valleys that are key to creating an

engaging narrative. It’s in the valleys, when the information slows, that content providers

have the opportunity to assess the information and apply perspective and insight. It’s here

where they have the opportunity to ask questions, seek context and perhaps even trigger the

next wave of information.

De Monte, a self-taught entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in content creation

and new media, founded ScribbleLive in 2008 because he saw a disconnect between the

authoritative content that is synonymous with old-school journalism and the real-time social

�������������������������������������������������������������������ǡ������ơ�����������������value for followers. Like the proverbial tree in the forest, De Monte recognized that content –

even expertly-created content – is worthless without audience. He saw that media companies

needed a space where they could easily curate expert content to create an engaging narrative

that consumers follow from beginning to end. De Monte and his business partner Jonathan

Keebler set out to create a platform that allowed media companies to balance authoritative

storytelling with real-time reporting to provide readers with the context and perspective that

was missing on micro-blogging platforms.

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[ The story arc ]

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Page 4: The (R)evolution of Storytelling

Breaking news events always – without exception –

follow a predictable pattern that De Monte calls the

‘Story Arc’.

Page 5: The (R)evolution of Storytelling

Humans have been recording key moments in our collective histories literally since the

dawn of time. From cave drawings in prehistoric Europe to hieroglyphs in ancient Egypt

to tablets (rocks, not iPads) in ancient Greece, humans have been using technology to

�������������������������������������Ƥ������������Ǥ��������������������������������ǡ�enterprising storytellers got better at leveraging new technology to connect with

������ ���������� ����� �������� ���������Ǥ� ���� Ƥ���� ����������� ��������� ��� ������� ���the early 1600s, almost 150 years after the invention the Gutenberg press. The Detroit

�������������������������������� ����������� ���� ������ ���ǡ�������������� ����Ƥ����transatlantic cable transmissions and CBS and NBC premiered their nightly news

������������ǡ�����������������������Ƥ����������������������������Ǥ�

Each change revolutionized western culture in important ways. Prior to the advent of the

newspaper, citizens relied upon the pulpit and the town square – literal social media – to

receive news and information. Newspapers formalized professional journalism, making

it possible to share information and ideas broadly across communities. Radio made it

possible for anyone to tune in for news updates from around the western world. It was

an especially important innovation for businesses and advertisers who could now speak

directly to captive audiences, a seismic shift from easily ignorable print ads. Following

quickly on the heels of radio, television was the Web 2.0 of its time. The pioneers of

television leveraged new satellite technology to add previously unimaginable layers of

depth and complexity to storytelling creating a true “global village”; it made it possible

���� ������������ ������������������������ �����Ƥ��������������� �����������������ǡ� ���� ����Ƥ��������������������������������������������������������Ǥ

Each innovation made it possible for newsmakers to add insight, speed and urgency to

storytelling, but news continued to be passive. Twentieth-century media models spoke

�������������������������������������������Ǣ������������������������Ƥ������������Ȃ�broadcast news provided brief snapshots of ongoing news and events; newspapers and

magazines added depth and perspective at a slower rate – and producers and editors

��Ƥ���������������������������� ���������� ��� �������Ǥ�������������ǡ� �������������������Ǧ���Ƥ��� ��������������� �����������������������������������������Ǥ������������instead to speak through media, keeping their publics at arm’s length.

And then came the Internet and so started the revolution.

With each successive innovation, enterprising storytellers got better at leveraging new technology to connect with wider audiences over greater distances.[

[ The evolution of storytelling ]

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Page 6: The (R)evolution of Storytelling

Early Internet users could communicate via email, chat rooms and forums but there

���� ������� ����������� ����� ������Ǥ� ����� ����� ���� ��� ���� Ƥ���� ������ ��� ���� ����� ��and eventually the development of “Web 2.0”. Inside a single generation, the Internet

transformed from a place where consumers went for information to a place where they

went to engage in vibrant online communities. The launch of MySpace and LinkedIn

in 2003 allowed individuals to create their own personal brands, and allowed forward

thinking brands to engage directly with customers, but the “social web” really exploded

with the creation of Facebook in 2005. Followed closely by Twitter’s launch and Apple’s

Ƥ��������������ǡ������������������Ǧ������������������������������������������������������������������Ǥ����������Ȃ��������������������ǡ�������������ǡ������������ǡ����Ǧ���Ƥ���and educational institutions –was challenged to adapt to the new world order of the

social web. Anyone with a data plan and an opinion now had the ability to build a brand;

anyone with a broadcast platform had the potential to become a media company.

De Monte has been on the cutting edge of the publishing industry for three decades;

he was an early advocate of Desktop Publishing in the early 80s and CD-ROMs in the early

90s. He understood the power of the Internet long before “Google” was a verb and as the

one-time Director of Online Production for CTVGlobe Media, he was responsible for shaping

the online strategy of one of Canada’s largest privately owned media conglomerates. The

man knows his business and knows that the organizations that thrive in the digital age will

������������������ơ�����������������������������������������������������������������������events that matter to their audiences.

They do this by following the natural arc of a breaking story or event, providing real-time

updates from on-the-ground experts and then providing readers with the insights that

gives that information value. The Story Arc starts with a small piece of information; as that

information gathers momentum, storytellers start to create a cohesive narrative. As C.W

Anderson, Emily Bell and Clay Shirky from the Columbia School of Journalism say in Post-

Industrial Journalism, “content can be produced added to, altered and reused.” The arc

���������ƪ������������������������������ǡ��������������������������������������ǡ�����������enter, exit and return at any point without losing perspective.

It’s well-established that the Internet age is the wild west of mass communications; borders

are meaningless, there’s little regulation and everyone is trying to stake their claim. De

���������������Ƥ����������������������������������������������������������������������

[ The value of content ]

The Story Arc starts with a small piece of information; as that information gathers momentum, storytellers start to create a cohesive narrative.[

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�������������������������������������������Ȃ��ơ������������������������������ǡ���Ǧ��Ǧ��������������������������ǡ���������������������������ơ�������������������ǡ��������������������so until the story is complete.

In his defense of the medium in The Economist, Jay Rosen argues that the Internet altered

the balance between media consumers and producers. Corporations no longer have to pass

through the gates of the press; they can engage directly with their publics. In fact, according

�������������������������� ���������������ǡ���������������������Ƥ�������������������������������outside of it to produce a competitive product, there is no such thing as the news industry

anymore. It is no longer strictly incumbent on news organizations to update the public on

breaking news and events; brands that curate timely, relevant content for their readers now

have the ability to transform their online platforms from simple marketing tools to engaging

media sites. Rosen also points out, however that the Internet has increased the supply of

garbage in and around storytelling. The brands and media companies that are best able to

break through the clutter are ultimately those that are able to harness the power of the social

web to provide value for their target audience. The smartest brands are those that think and

act like media companies themselves; they work with professional journalists, subject matter

experts and online editors to create rich content that other outlets can syndicate as part of

a broader story, amplifying their brand value through that outlet’s network.

Content is a commodity and it is one that is created by individuals. The media companies that

are most successful are not necessarily those that are creating the largest volume content,

���������������������������������������������Ǧ������������������������������������ơ��������Ǥ�By doing so, publishers that previously struggled to monetize information now have value-

���������������������������������Ǣ��������������������������������������������Ƥ������������peg of 360 storytelling into the square hole of the social web have the ability to create robust

news platforms that provide context and value for readers; individual content creators and

subject matter experts have the ability to build their brands across multiple platforms.

Take Superstorm Sandy as an example; news outlets were not solely responsible for providing

������������������������������Ǥ��������������Ƥ������������������������������������������pull in reports from the National Weather Service and their local emergency service provider

to inform readers as they prepare for the storm to touch down; during the storm they can

draw feeds from organizations that have reporters on the ground so readers understand

which parts of their community are most heavily impacted; after the storm, they can draw

information from FEMA, the Red Cross and local authorities, giving readers the information

they need to repair and recover. By giving local residents everything they need to literally

weather the storm without ever having to leave their feed, an engaged insurance provider

changes their own narrative. They are no longer simply a service provider; they are a trusted

community partner.

Corporations no longer have to pass through the gates of the press; they can engage directly with their publics.[

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[ Brands as storytellers ]Storytellers don’t need to wait for a breaking

news story to connect with audiences. One

of the things that media companies can learn

from platforms like Facebook and Twitter,

��������������������������������ǡ� �ơ� �����ǡ�is how to extract value from crowd-sourced

content by using it as a signal generator. That

said, Twitter can be a means to an end, but

it cannot be an end in itself. It is impossible

to paint a complete picture of an event in

140 characters. Take for instance the Osama

Bin Laden Tweeter. Much has been made

about a Tweet from a civilian in Pakistan who

commented on the presence of helicopters

in Pakistani air space in the hours leading up to Osama Bin Laden’s death, with some

arguing that he broke the story. But without the additional information provided by expert

journalists and the U.S. government about the day’s events, this Tweet is as meaningless

as picture of the Tweeter’s dinner. In fact, the Tweet itself is not a story without the context

provided by sites like Mashable relating it to the event. In the new world order of the social

web, content is important, but context is the real king.

De Monte is not alone in his assertion that syndicating expertly-created content into

����������������������������������������������ơ����������������������������������������hold on to their audiences. According to Anderson, Bell and Shirky, “most journalists have

failed to take advantage of the explosion of newsworthy content facilitated by the growth

in digital communication.” They go on to say that the most transformative aspect of the

current storytelling environment is taking advantage of new forms of collaboration; the

way stories are most reliably told is by those with a deep knowledge of the subject and a

responsiveness to audience requirements. Or, as Rosen puts it in his Economist debate,

“do what you do best and link to the rest.”

The smartest brands are those that think and act like media companies themselves.[ B

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Page 9: The (R)evolution of Storytelling

“”

Media companies can break through the chaos by returning to the fundamental principles of storytelling.

– MICHAEL DEMONTE Co-Founder & CEO of ScribbleLive