Disinformation, Misinformation, and Fake News Teach-Out

Storytelling is a powerful communication tool

In this step, Brian Zikmund-Fisher, Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, discusses the power of storytelling and the pitfalls with relying on stories as a representative source of information. He offers three key points in this segment:

• Stories can be powerful and persuasive
• Main characters are often unusual
• Follow the story’s explanations and question where they came from

Action Activity: Find a story in the media and reflect on Professor Zikmund-Fisher’s three key points.Think about:

• Why is this story powerful and persuasive?
• Who are the characters in the story? What makes them unique or unusual? Why is their story being shared?
• What explanations were given as part of this story? Are the characters experts on the topic or are they offering personal stories and narrative to persuade?