Whose story is it anyway? An introduction to ethical storytelling
- Jen Ruthe
- Apr 18
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 24
Storytelling is at the heart of charity communications. But while great storytelling can help drive meaningful social change, misusing or distorting someone's story can do more harm than good.
In this month's post, I’m taking a deeper dive into the world of ethical storytelling — sharing insights from my own experience along with practical tips to help your organisation find and share stories responsibly.
What is ethical storytelling?
Just because you're using someone’s story to raise money for a good cause doesn’t mean it's ethical. Behind every story is a real person with a unique, lived experience. Ethical storytelling is about respecting this experience, safeguarding the storyteller, and ensuring that their story remains authentic and true.
It is the difference between what I call storytelling and story-sharing.
As communicators, we often want to add our own lens and shape the story as we think it should be told. Story-sharing means being prepared to listen, discover, and to let the story be shared as it truly is. It is about letting the story find you, and ensuring that the experience, voice, and perspective of the storyteller remain intact.
When charity storytelling goes wrong
The danger is that if you go in with too much of an agenda, you risk misrepresenting someone’s experience. This is especially true in the social impact space, where charities and non-profits are often guilty of reducing complex situations down to a ‘single story’ that reinforces harmful stereotypes and drives a narrative of vulnerability rather than resilience.
"The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story." Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Dangers of a Single Story
You only have to look at celebrity-riddled Comic Relief campaigns to see how real this risk can be. Thankfully, they’ve started to move away from this approach — and rightly so. Because when you prioritise authenticity and respect, you uncover a narrative far stronger than any cookie-cutter ‘charity’ appeal.
Practical tips for ethical storytelling
When it comes to my own content, I always do my best to make sure that the stories I share are sourced and developed responsibly. I'm not perfect — after all, I’m on a journey, just like you. But over the years I have developed some practical tips to help refine my approach to ethical storytelling, and I wanted to take this chance to share them.
Before you begin
As a general rule, if you are going to share someone's story, you need to hear it first-hand. I hate it when I'm provided with scrappy notes, snippets of quotes, and no real explanation of context. The expectation — I can only assume — is that I'll 'ad lib' and fill in the blanks. This is not storytelling. It's fiction writing.
Hearing someone's story isn't just the right thing to do. It's the only way to truly understand (or start to understand) their experience. And isn't that what you're looking to share?
But wait! Before you go forth and run the 'interview' (for lack of a better word) make sure you take time to:
Consider the risks
Before sharing someone’s story, it’s important to consider the potential risks it may carry. What impact could it have on their life, safety, or wellbeing? Could sharing their story retraumatise them, expose them to judgment, or compromise their privacy or agency? If the answer is yes, ask yourself whether this is the right story to share — and what steps you can take to protect their privacy and mitigate the risk.
Get informed consent
Ethical storytelling will always start with informed consent. This means that someone agrees to share their story or personal information with a FULL understanding of where and how it will be used. Ideally, consent should be given in writing and remember —people can opt out at any time!
Think about who the interviewer is
As much as you might want to do the interview, it’s important to make sure you ask the most appropriate person. It’s often better to have someone who already has a relationship with the storyteller, shares a similar experience, or speaks the same language, to conduct the interview — or be there with you. It makes the process less daunting, and you’re more likely to have an open, honest conversation.
To link back to my earlier point, if you want to 'hear' the story and aren't in the room, you can always listen to a recording or read a transcript.
Create a welcoming space
The best and most honest stories will come when the interviewee feels safe to share. Make sure you set up a quiet, private space where they can talk without distractions. Show understanding and patience, and let them know that they can share as much or as little as they feel comfortable with. When people feel heard and not judged, they are more likely to open up and share personal stories.
Use open questions
Even when you take precautions, there can be quite a power-dynamic at play in the world of social impact communications. People might feel compelled to say what they think you want to hear, rather than give an honest answer. One way to mitigate this is to use open question to facilitate a conversation rather than conduct a formal 'interview'.
For example, instead of asking, “How did charity X help you” try “Can you tell me more about your experience”. This removes the leading assumption that their experience was a positive one, and gives the person space to express their emotions more fully and give a more genuine response.
Next steps
Once you've captured the baseline information, it's time to start crafting the narrative. With this, it's always important to:
Involve the storyteller
The storyteller should always have the opportunity to provide feedback on the content and approve the final edit. Some storytellers may even want to draft, or co-write the story with you. This isn’t just a tick-box exercise. By giving people the chance to be part of their process, you are showing them you respect their experience and are committed to sharing an honest and authentic piece.
Echo their words
One of the best ways to keep a story authentic is by using the person’s own words. I do this a lot in my own work — even if it means breaking a few grammar rules. Rarely do I write in the first person (unless I'm ghost-writing an op-ed). It feels like I'm literally putting words in someone's mouth. Instead, I write in the third-person — taking care to use words and phrases that echo (or directly quote) their original interview. This makes it easier to capture someone's voice and experience, and makes the end story more authentic and real.
Be mindful of language
Words are the most powerful tool we have, and it's important to mindful of the ones we choose. My husband has diabetes. Rather than being referred to as ‘a diabetic’ he prefers to be described as a person ‘living with diabetes’. Yes, he has an illness. But he isn't sick, and he doesn't want it to define him. It isn't always easy to navigate these semantics, or know which term to use. Don't guess. It's perfectly okay to ask. Better that, than get it wrong!
Want to find out more? Read my blog on using person-language.
And finally....
Tell a range of stories
Different stories can highlight various aspects of the charity’s work. Whether it's personal growth, the importance of community, individual achievements, or overcoming challenges - by taking the time to showcase a range of experiences, you give the reader a fuller, more rounded picture of the impact your organisation is making.
It all comes down to trust
At the end of the day, ethical storytelling is all about trust. You are sharing stories to build trust with donors and bring them into your world. To do this responsibly, you need a trusting relationship with the people whose stories you're sharing.
This doesn’t end once you’ve gathered the information you need. Once you’ve published their story, take the time to share it back with the individual involved, and show them how it’s being used and received.
Because a story is a gift just like any other. So use this opportunity to deepen your relationship and understanding of the communities you work with. Trust me, your fundraising — and organisation — will be all the better for it.
Want to read more about ethical fundraising?
Why not give these a try?
BOND: Putting the people in the pictures first: Guidelines for the ethical production and use of content
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story | TED
Charity Digital: Charities mastering the art of storytelling
Ethical storytelling: Changing the way non-profits tell stories
Journal of Community Safety and Well-being: Ethical images and storytelling amidst differing expectations
Nel Taylor: 7 ways to tell stories ethically
Pip Desmond: Ethical storytelling | TED
Hi, I'm Jen, a writer and long-form content creator helping health and social impact organisations make a difference. If you like what you read and want to find out more contact me at copy@writtenbyjen.com
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