Where co-creational organisations and initiatives are working in partnership with their community to achieve certain outcomes or impacts, the published story might be simply one step in a longer journey. For example, a story that exposes crime or corruption might lead to investigations or even prosecutions.
It is important to monitor and – if possible – enhance the impact of a story as it makes its way into the world. As well as opportunities for positive impact, there are also risks that a story will be misunderstood or distorted by others.
Co-creational organisations and initiatives might not be able to stop people deliberately twisting a story for their own purposes, but they can keep updating and clarifying stories when new facts come to light or misunderstandings arise.
Tips
- Be prepared to accompany stories as they go out into the world.
- Take care that stories land as intended and that any important truth claims are not misunderstood.
- Use clarifications as an opportunity to engage with those who dispute a story’s findings. Try to understand people’s objections before helping them to understand how you have reached your conclusions.
Example
- Bellingcat facilitates open-source investigations where thousands of online participants combine sources to create a rich and accurate understanding of events, which has led to major investigations and prosecutions.
