Nigerian journalists should embrace storytelling as a powerful tool to connect with their audience and shape public opinion in the digital age, Anike-ade Funke Treasure, Creative Director of Yellow Bloom Productions, says.
Funke Treasure, who is also a TV anchor at News Central, gave the advice on Thursday while speaking at the Technology Times Think Week 2024 in Lagos, where she identifies the media’s powerful role in storytelling, especially its ability to influence public perception, amplify stories, and drive advocacy.
Speaking on the theme of event, “WIV: Storytelling Reimagined,” she says that young journalists should explore new perspectives on storytelling and its capacity to inspire change, particularly in the digital age.
According to Funke Treasure, “stories are soundtracks to our lives. Millions can survive without a home but no one can survive silence.” She reminds attendees that storytelling is important is passing a message across and that stories told form an integral part of human life.
Funke Treasure: Humans think in stories
She echoed the previous day’s speaker, Ugonma Cokey, who encourages journalists to tell stories that drive impact and spark change.
“Humans think in stories and we try to make sense of the world in stories,” Funke-Treasure says, drawing listeners present into her vision of storytelling as a timeless method that “brings data to life.”
In the digital age, journalists need to ground their narratives in real emotions and local contexts by localising their stories. She says that by doing this, people can feel and connect with their stories, while reminding participants that stories are ultimately, “like the soundtracks of our lives.”
She charges journalists present on the need to humanise stories, make them engaging, and inspire empathy.
“A story holds tremendous potential to captivate your audience and get them emotionally-involved with the characters and struggles in your tale,” Funke-Treasure says. But she cautions against tokenistic or stereotyped portrayals, which can shrink aspirations and harm how people see themselves.
“Representation is key in storytelling,” she says, urging the journalists at the Technology Times Think Week 2024 to tell stories that resonate, inspire, and have the power to change lives.
According to her, through their storytelling, journalists should move the emotion of their audience. “Your storytelling should evoke emotions,” she says.
According to Funke Treasure, “stories are soundtracks to our lives. Millions can survive without a home but no one can survive silence.” She reminds attendees that storytelling is important is passing a message across and that stories told form an integral part of human life.
For journalists, Funke Treasure says, it is important that your story captures the audience and in order to do that, your story must contain the following qualities: authenticity, it must have a good representation as your content must cater to audience wants; it must be devoid stereotypical concepts and most especially, humanise the story.
According to Funke Treasure, in order to tell a good story, the following steps are to be followed. ”Identify your protagonist in the story, give this protagonist a want and make it hard for it to get, show the protagonist working towards what they want and resolve it.”
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