Spinning Narrative Gold: Website Storytelling for Social Change

• Main Author: Potts, Emily
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2016
• Subjects: organizational storytelling; non-profit messaging; website building; Reading and Language
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3168; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4578&context=etd

This paper traces an unfolding process of applying principles of organizational storytelling to build an unpublished website. I created this website to tell the story of a small nonprofit seeking to increase and continue its watershed restoration efforts. Storytelling has become a popular messaging approach within non-profit organizations. I conducted direct interviews with key members of the organization, then set selected excerpts within the context of a written meta-story that conveys information, delivers a call to action, and provides a means for visitor response. Site content corresponds to categories of narrative discourse designed to encourage active response from listeners. The site design employs techniques for capturing and maintaining visitor interaction. The paper includes theoretical discussion of organizational storytelling, non-profit messaging, and website building, as well as basic ideas for future launch and utilization of the website and additional applications of the audio recording files.