Entry 3:
After 20+ years in journalism, I should have at least considered ethics in storytelling. I did not though. Not until I read Story Works Alaska's Ethical Principles. I think this connection did not form because I associate storytelling with "fun" and "personal." But the connection between that and journalism is very much there. Anytime we are interested with someone else story, there will be a great amount of responsibility required (especially for those who are very young, elderly, disabled... anyone who may not be able to fully understand or make wise decisions for themselves).
Even though there may be no investigation, some of the Ethical Principles reminded me of the CITI IRB Training, particularly in terms of storyteller wellbeing and informed consent. These guidelines are very accurate and applicable. They could also help prevent problems/issues before they ever happen.
Reading the SWA’s principles inspired me to see what other information may be out there. I came across “First do no harm: developing an ethical process of consent and release for digital storytelling in healthcare” by Manchester Metropolitan University Ph.D. candidate Pip Hardy. I thought this paper was very interesting. Though it focuses on the health care field, the information is very applicable to libraries or any other setting really. In the section “The First Dilemma: Anonymity, Confidentiality or Acknowledgement?” it was surprising to learn that many patients did not want to be anonymous. “As one eloquent patient put it, ‘I wanted to matter’” (Hardy). It is so meaningful to hear them say that, when I would have thought they would prefer to maintain privacy.
I also came across an article in the International Journal of Cultural Studies, “The Ethical Complexities of Sponsored Digital Storytelling,” that made the distinct point that stories sponsored by an organization or company walks a very fine ethical line. And that applies to all involved, facilitators, participants, sponsors, producers, etc. It would be very easy for a story to be used by a sponsor to support their product/ service. I was reminded of the very moving AirBnB.com advertisement posted by Jake. It was entitled “Breaking Down Walls” and focused on a man’s story of growing up in a divided Germany. When looking at it from an ethics point of view, it would be very easy for someone to exploit another person’s story for their own benefit. There is definitely some grey area there that one needs to be aware of.
Along the lines of ethics, but coming at it from a slightly different angle, is the idea of misrepresenting ourselves on social media (our digital story). In a news article from broadwayworld.com this week, the writer made some interesting points on photography changing storytelling.
Photographs have always done something weird to how we tell stories. As Susan Sontag pointed out, they have a way of freezing time, and making things look like they start, stop or at least pause at certain places. It's not that the way we tell the story of our lives on Instagram or by photo is any less truthful than any other way we curate ourselves.
So on a daily basis, is it ethical to only post our good and never our bad? Even if it gives a slanted view of how good or bad things really are? It’s what advertisers do every day. I mean, Airbnb didn’t really help heal a man raised in communist Germany from all his past hurts. Did they?
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