TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAKING IT REAL
EFFECTIVE STORYTELLING IN TOBACCO CONTROL

GREETINGS FROM DEARELL
Data . . . we eat it, breathe it, and live it in tobacco control. It is what drives the credibility of our efforts. But, these same critical data cause a different reaction outside of the tobacco control community. As pie charts emerge and statistics run roughshod at legislative sessions and budget meetings, the reaction is often glazed eyes and perplexed looks all around.

The challenge is to make the data real, for how we communicate is sometimes more important than what we say. That’s what we’re getting at in this issue – communicating in such a way that people feel the full impact of what we’re saying.

Tobacco control is at an important juncture…we observe waves of success, and yet continue to see major cuts in program funding. There is also lingering resistance to invest dollars and develop the necessary policies to reduce the use of tobacco. Let’s take it to the next level and give the data the consideration they deserve…through the art of storytelling.

“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel,
but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.”
 
-- Ursula K. LeGuin

THE BIG PICTURE

Throughout history storytelling has been used to share wisdom, experiences, information, and humor. In today’s world, stories surround us: we read them in print media, hear them on radio, watch them on TV, and experience them on the Internet. Stories are powerful tools for shaping perspectives, altering thoughts and actions, and building communities.

In this issue of TTAC Exchange, we explore the art of storytelling with Andy Goodman, of the communications consulting firm a goodman; Liling Willis Sherry of the Western Tobacco Prevention Project National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network, CIRCLE Project; Ann Houston and Scott Proescholdbell of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch of the North Carolina Dept. of Health and Human Services; and Dee Sanfilippo Solindas at the Missouri Partnership on Smoking or Health—finding out why stories are important, what elements really make them sizzle, and how stories are being used in tobacco control to make it real.

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PREPARING THE CANVAS

Why tell a story?
 
Andy: There is a maxim in public speaking that holds true whether you’re addressing five people or five hundred: in a two hour speech, people will remember a two minute story. For thousands of years, we have been conditioned to learn important lessons from stories, and our species has survived because these lessons were passed on to succeeding generations. Today, we read stories to our children beginning at very early ages, implicitly teaching them a narrative structure, which helps bring order and meaning to life. But, as adults and professionals, we stop telling stories and, instead, immerse ourselves in pie charts and fifty-page reports. To make these data truly meaningful and useful, however, we have to tell the story behind the numbers. The story is ultimately what people remember.

Liling: We tell stories for many reasons. In American Indian and Alaska Native cultures, stories are critical for cultural preservation. Stories promote imagination, they inspire creativity, and they preserve language. Stories tell us the rules of conduct and serve as guiding principals. They also tell of our history and our future.

Parents and elders use stories to provide lessons for young people, empowering them with strengths from their culture. Oral tradition and stories are part of our spirituality and our being.

Dee: Stories were the first teachers. Before we had cities and towns, laws and degrees, books and the Internet—we shared our lives through stories. In oral tradition in nearly every race, stories passed between generations, helping us to understand both world and culture. They form bridges of understanding and commonality.

Everyone is a storyteller. Our memories arrange themselves as stories within our thoughts, emerging as stories when we share them. We learn community through shared experience, expressed as stories.

With all stories, we listen and it reminds us of events in our own lives, bringing us closer together and helping us understand. When you have a story, you long to share it . . .

"There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you."
 
-- Maya Angelou

Why is storytelling important for tobacco control?
 
Dee: In early tobacco brand marketing, stories were woven into every message. The characters in cigarette commercials were more relaxed, sexier, more successful and more glamorous than the rest of us. Advertisers created stories about the benefits of smoking, movies kept the tales alive, and we learned to make smoking a key part of our culture. In the business of tobacco control, our job is more than just changing behavior. It’s also about changing culture—the stories we tell and the messages we share.

From every perspective in tobacco control, we have stories to share. In our work, we hear them all the time. They live as shared experiences, struggles with quitting, problems with access to nonsmoking facilities, personal accounts of love and loss and longing. Every emotion can be captured—anger, hope, despair, longing, loneliness—and we’ve all heard stories that drew us to work in this field.

Andy: Tobacco control is a very large, abstract field. Storytelling can be used to make the abstract concrete. For example, tobacco control advocates in a city pushing for a clean indoor air ordinance should hear and use the stories from other cities that have passed such an ordinance to learn from their strategies. Interviewing a restaurant owner and publicizing his story is far more memorable than statistics on customer volume. Likewise, storytelling can be used as a coalition building tool and break down barriers if members share their stories with other members. Storytelling will not solve all the problems, but it can be used as a very effective tobacco control strategy.

Ann: We all have stories. Stories motivate us, they rejuvenate us, and they re-commit us. I emphasize stories in my work because there is still a certain shame that people who suffer from the ill effects from tobacco feel, as though the rest of us are thinking “he did that to himself”. We have to get past this in tobacco control and work to legitimize people’s individual stories and their struggles with addiction. It is the stories that connect us and move us beyond public health and into the realm of community.

Why is storytelling particularly important for tobacco control efforts in American Indian and Alaska Native cultures?
 
Liling: Some tribes have been terminated and members have been relocated to Chicago and L.A., for example, where they are trained to be mechanics and electricians. When these individuals returned to their communities, it was clear that they lost many of their own stories when they assimilated into their new environments. Now, many tribes are being reinstated, and the members are arming themselves with culture. That is, they are reclaiming their stories and, to do this, they are looking at other tribes to help fill in the holes. It has been truly amazing to witness this type of collaboration between tribes, as well as the collaboration between medicine people and herbalists, for example.

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CHOOSING YOUR PALETTE

What are the elements of a good story?
 
Dee: For me, the basic elements are message and medium—the tale and the telling. A good story communicates quickly and persuasively, drawing the listener in. When hearing a good story, the listener joins us in the telling, playing out his own version of the story in his mind. We tell stories to connect, often living vicariously in the process.

Andy: Good stories rest on a solid structure that has been used for thousands of years, throughout mythology, religion, and history. (1) There is a clear protagonist who has something “out of balance.” (2) The protagonist has a goal, a desire, something he needs to get his life back in balance. As he tries to reach his goal, he encounters barriers. The more twists and turns and surprises there are, the more interesting the story becomes. (3) The protagonist reaches his goal. It may not the goal he originally desired, but the protagonist will have learned some important lessons along the way.

A good story also has certain qualities. Generally, a good story: is “lean,” in the sense that there are no extraneous details; is unpredictable; engages the emotion of the listener; and will “ring true” to the listener—giving the story meaning.

Liling: A good story has colorful characters, transformation, humor, and teachings. A good story is a living entity, changing and evolving.

How do you ensure that your stories stay relevant?

Liling: We encourage people to think broadly when it comes to partnering: consider groups that are outside the realm of where traditional tobacco control points. For us, this includes herbalists, medicine people, historians, and people who grow traditional tobacco. There is a broad spectrum of resources available to us. Interestingly, there has been a resurgence in native pride within our communities, which supports our efforts to maintain meaningful stories. Our communities are taking charge of our history and our future, and our future includes a community free from commercial tobacco products and problems. This rediscovered pride provides a very natural segue for tobacco prevention work.

How do I know when I have a good story?

Dee: A good story is one that makes the listener think, and the best stories inspire action. They highlight the known and reinforce it, building in new understanding as they are told. A good story is one that is told again and again, and they get better with the telling. It’s one that people remember having heard.

I really love this quote, describing good stories as forever in search of the right teller:

“Australian Aborigines say that the big stories—the stories worth telling and retelling, the ones in which you may find the meaning of your life—are forever stalking the right teller, sniffing and tracking like predators hunting their prey in the bush.”
 
—Robert Moss, Dreamgates

When I hear a really great story, I feel changed by it—almost a sense of ownership. I think: That story could be MY story.

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CREATING A MASTERPIECE

What is story banking?
 
Andy: “Story banking” is an innovative best practice for communicators who are serious about using stories to advance their causes. In essence, it is the systematic collection, verification, and cataloging of stories to be used for future telling. At a minimum, it will have dates, contact information, and a brief description of the story. Some public interest organizations have established sophisticated methods for cataloging stories to enable quick distribution to reporters and the media. Whatever your goal is, it’s a good idea to consider some form of story banking for your organization.

Why is story banking important?
 
Liling: Oral history and story banking are important because we are on a path. We need to know where we came from, and it helps us as we turn the next corner.

American Indians and Alaska natives have long relied on storytellers. Sherman Alexie and Leslie Marmon Silko are excellent examples of modern American Indian story tellers. Other contemporary Native storytellers have stories of health and they have stories of tobacco prevention. They are people like Gerry RainingBird (on staff here in Portland), Earl Polk III (in the Bethel, AK area), Don Carufel (in the Great Lakes area) and Jane Dumas (in California). Other human resources are people like our tribal health educators and Native parents.

How has the story of tobacco changed over time?
 
Liling: Tobacco companies took the medicinal plant and turned it into a poison. They changed the story and made profit by it when they made it about manipulation and death. We all have been subjected to their version of tobacco’s story through glossy ads and promotions. Their characters are coyotes and ravens; they are the likes of Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man.

The story we have now tells us that American Indians have the highest rates of smoking among all races in this country. We are now looking at the story of tobacco to aide us in making changes.

We are encouraging tribes and Indian people to revisit their ancient tobacco stories and find guidance that will help improve their health. It is appropriate that Native people re-claim the story of tobacco and are involved in tobacco prevention.

How do you use storytelling in your work?
 
Scott: In North Carolina, we have partnered with the Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program ona project called the Community Change Chronicles. The goal of this project is to tell our success stories in journalistic form. Data helps drive decisions, but is not always enough. It’s often the stories that people rememberand this helps to bring about health-related change.

 

What type of stories are you documenting?
Scott: We document policy changes that occur in the community, such as restaurants, schools, and worksites going smoke-free. We document community programs, especially those happening with youth education and advocacy.

Is this done on a formal basis?
Scott: We are in the process of formalizing it, making it a part of our routine evaluation work. Too many times we finish a project, but don’t bother documenting what we did. The strategy used and lessons learned soon become lost if it is not quickly documented.

What type of information do you document?
Scott: Our Community Change Chronicles focus on three areas: 1) The process of creating change 2) the importance of change, and 3) the lessons learned. We also document the type of change, the location of change, the reach of change, and contact information.

How do you use the Chronicles?
Scott: Our goal is to make these Chronicles available for public dissemination, on our website, and in brochures and newsletters. We want to make them available to public and private policymakers as well. Positive peer pressure works, and dissemination of success stories helps others travel the same road. We presently use the stories for evaluation purposes, and to justify continued funding of projects.

What other tips do you have for writing these stories?
Scott: My biggest tip is to write the story as soon as possible. Do it to gain a little perspective on the events and before people forget, or move on to new activities. Use quotes and photos when possible. Use the Internet for valuable background information, like the size of a business chain. Confirm all facts. And then distribute them in a way to promote the policy change to others.

Ann: In my work with youth groups, I encourage everyone to tell their story. Nearly everyone knows someone who has died from tobacco use, or is struggling with addiction or bad health. By sharing their story, feelings are legitimized and they are given permission to mourn, which needs to happen for these folks to move on. We have a particularly poignant ceremony, which was introduced to us by Delmonte Jefferson , called the “pouring of libations”. This ceremony is based on a long-standing African ritual, in which participants call out the names of “ancestors” -- family members and friends -- who have passed away. For each of the names called out, water is poured out of a vessel. This “pouring of libations” recalls them in our spirit and our community.

Of course we encourage folks to share their stories with the media and through the Internet. We have an organization in North Carolina called S.A.V.E., Survivors and Victims of Tobacco Empowerment, at www.tobaccosurvivors.org. This is a model program, which enables survivors and victims to provide their testimonials on how their lives changed due to tobacco. Another website has a Memorial Wall, at www.stepupnc.com, where we encourage teens who have lost a loved one to tobacco to remember their life and spirit by writing their story and posting it on the “wall”. This website is also a place where folks can submit their own tobacco-related songs, artwork, stories, jokes, PSAs, ads and videos to share with others. A guestbook at www.tobaccosurvivorsunited.org is designed specifically to give a place to tell your tobacco survival story.

Dee: In Missouri, we encourage folks to tell their stories in personal testimonials. We use stories in writing grants, in doing evaluations, and include them in newsletters. In the future, I want to create a website for people to tell their personal stories.

Liling: We use storytelling to enhance the wellness of our communities by providing culturally appropriate tobacco education and prevention. We use it when we invite traditional people to be part of our trainings or technical assistance sessions, when we work with youth, and when we invite participants to tell the story of their first experience with tobacco.

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RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT -- SUSTAINING SUCCESS
An interview with Meg Gallogly, Research Associate, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Sustaining Success is a new resource developed by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, with guidance from the Legacy Foundation, ASTHO, CDC, TTAC, and state program managers. Representatives from these groups came together to think about concrete, innovative ways for tobacco control program managers to help educate the community, the public, the media and decision makers about their successes. Sustaining Success tells people not just what to do, but how to do it.

Sustaining Success has been distributed to all state and territory program managers, some local grantees, Smart Talk advocates, and Smokeless States.

Why is Sustaining Success especially important now?
 
Budgets are being slashed left and right. State and local tobacco control program managers need to find creative ways to promote their programs. Throughout Sustaining Success we reinforce that these activities should be institutionalized.

What will we find in Sustaining Success?
 
The resource is divided into 5 sections, with each one containing recommended examples and stories of activities to help educate the public.

Briefly, the resource is organized as follows:

  1. Collect information you need to tell a story: Includes data on tobacco prevalence, information on tobacco-related behaviors and attitudes, and stories from community members that illustrate the program’s impact
     
  2. Increase public awareness: Includes examples of how to keep tobacco and tobacco control programs in the media
     
  3. Involve and educate policy makers: Contains information on the most direct and effective ways to reach policy makers
     
  4. Develop partnerships: Encourages you to diversify the types of people you partner with and to diversify the support you receive. This is particularly important for long term sustainability.
     
  5. Establish your program as the “go to” resource: Recommends ensuring your program’s sustainability by making sure that legislators, journalists, decision makers, and others see you as an invaluable tobacco control resource

How much of this is already taking place?
 
It varies from state to state. Many states are doing bits and pieces along the promotion continuum. We want them to think of story collection not as an extra task, but rather as part of their everyday routine. Some states have already been doing this for 5 or 6 years, others are just starting with it, and some have not yet begun. But it’s never too late to start.

What would you say to folks out there who have a success story to share?
 
Let us know about it. Sustaining Success is a living document, meaning people should add their stories, ideas, and promotional materials to it to keep the resource current. You can send us your stories at sustainingsuccess@tobaccofreekids.org, and we will gather these materials and disseminate them to the tobacco control community. By working with each other and by sharing promotional materials and stories, we can learn a great deal and can establish a comprehensive collection of templates, examples, and resources that can be used to promote our programs.

Is the resource available to people who read about it in the newsletter? If so, how can they get a copy?
 
Binders can be ordered by emailing sustainingsuccess@tobaccofreekids.org, or by calling 202.296.5469 and requesting to speak with either myself or Soon-Ah Fadness.

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WHAT TTAC CAN DO

TTAC has access to a large cadre of consultants and can readily link your program with those who specialize in community organizing; in developing communication plans, stories, and leadership; and a variety of other areas.

For more information:

W: www.ttac.org/request/int.html
E: ttac@sph.emory.edu
P: 404-712-8474

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RESOURCES AND LINKS

COLLECTING AND TELLING PERSONAL STORIES IN TOBACCO CONTROL

STATE PROGRAM EXAMPLES

  • Fight with Fact
    Wisconsin’s Fight with Fact youth advocacy campaign encourages Wisconsin youth to “be heard.” The web site includes a FACT activism peer resource page for youth share tips and ideas.
     
  • Maryland: Smoking Stops Here
    Maryland’s media campaign encourages residents to tell stories about how they have addressed tobacco-related problems in their community. The stories are displayed on the web site to share with others.
     
  • NJ REBEL
    The New Jersey REBEL web site posts real stories submitted from youth across the state.
     
  • Stand Online
    Ohio’s youth advocacy campaign encourages youth to speak out on its web site. Youth can share what they are doing through web diaries and submit personal stories.
     
  • Step Up NC: Memorial Wall
    The Memorial Wall provides a place for family members and friends to remember loved ones who have died as a result of tobacco-related causes.
     
  • Tobacco Quit Line
    Washington State Department of Health’s quit line web site includes quit success stories. The site also includes personal stories from the cessation specialists.
     
  • Trytostop.org
    Trytostop.org produced by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health includes a section where former smokers can share quitting tips and “success stories.”

‘HOW TO’ GUIDES

  • Storytelling for Empowerment
    The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention provides a training and participant manual for a workshop on using storytelling as a prevention strategy.
     
  • Telling Your Story: A Guide to Preparing Advocacy Case Studies
    This guide developed by the Advocacy Institute discusses the importance of using case studies for advocacy projects and outlines the process for preparing the case studies. Includes examples of case studies.
     
  • The WHEEL Council
    The WHEEL Council is a non-profit organization that provides training and curriculum. Its mission is to prevent substance use in young people by combining storytelling, the arts, and cultural empowerment with scientific research. The Council distributes guides for youth and adults on using storytelling for prevention.
     
  • Using Personal Testimony
    This section of the Community Tool Box outlines how to prepare personal testimony for effective advocacy. Examples are provided.

GENERAL STORYTELLING RESOURCES—BEYOND TOBACCO CONTROL

  • Center for Digital Storytelling
    The Center for Digital Storytelling is a non-profit project development, training, and research organization dedicated to assisting people in using digital media to tell meaningful stories from their lives. Their focus is on developing large-scale projects for community, educational, and business institutions. The Center’s web site includes case studies of digital storytelling and articles on digital storytelling.
     
  • International Storytelling Center
    This center explores the power of storytelling to promote learning, advocacy, and research, and development. The organization sponsors National Storytelling Festival.
     
  • National Storytelling Network
    These organizations are dedicated to advancing the art of storytelling—as a performing art, teaching aid, and cultural transformation process. The organization produces a magazine and newsletter for members. The network’s web site includes a links on a range of storytelling topics.
     
  • Storyteller.net
    This site for storytellers offers news, articles on storytelling, and stories.

What’s your favorite resource?

TTAC wants to hear from you…Please let us know about any resources you have found particularly helpful, so we can add them to our website. Send suggestions directly to: ttac@sph.emory.edu

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TTAC Exchange EXPANDS!

In August, TTAC will publish the first issue of Exchange Extra!—these special editions of the newsletter will focus on applications of the latest research at the local level, linking you directly to information and resources contributed by your peers in the field.

Next month in Extra...
Now that we can access Tobacco Industry Documents, what should we do with them? The initial issue of Extra! shares proven ways to use these documents in countering tobacco industry tactics.

We want to hear from you…Send a ‘letter to the editor’ to exchange@ttac.org
Selected letters will be featured in upcoming issues.

Coming in the September issue of TTAC Exchange: Countering Industry Sponsorship

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Meg Gallogly
Research Associate
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Mgallogly@TobaccoFreeKids.org

Andy Goodman
a goodman
agoodman@globalcrossing.net

Ann Houston
Director of Communication
Tobacco Prevention and Control, North Carolina Dept. of Health and Human Services
ncs1395@mindspring.com

Scott Proescholdbell
State Tobacco Epidemiologist
Tobacco Prevention and Control, North Carolina Dept. of Health and Human Services
scott.proescholdbell@ncmail.net

Liling Willis Sherry (Inupaiq Eskimo)
Director
Western Tobacco Prevention Project
National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network
CIRCLE Project
lsherry@npaihb.org

Dee Sanfilippo Solindas
Director of Communication and Training
Missouri Partnership on Smoking or Health
dsolindas@smokingorhealth.org

TTAC Exchange Staff:

  • Aliki P. Weakland, Editor in Chief
  • JoAnn Weiss, Staff Writer
  • Lisbeth Klau, Staff Writer
  • Samantha Helfert, Information Specialist

 
TTAC is funded by the American Legacy Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to provide technical assistance and training to tobacco control programs at state and local levels.
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