Listening to BBC World Service this morning there was a feature about StoryCorps, a new project in America where people are encouraged to volunteer to have a conversation between them and a loved one recorded.
The project has been immensely successful, there have been conversations recorded in every American state and 99% of people have agreed to allow their conversations to be archived in library records, a far far higher figure than was originally estimated. The results of these conversation have been touching and often poignant. The ‘best’ ones are broadcast on American National Public Radio high profile morning slot every week and have pulled in incredibly high listening figures.
The orchestrators of the project must not be able to believe their luck. Clearly they had an idea of their objectives and what they would like to secure from StoryCorps, but really with such an endeavour its success depends on the people who contribute to it. It seems that the organisers may have underestimated the desire many people have to tell their own story and for it to be remembered.
There was some discussion on BBC World Service about whether such a programme could succeed in the UK. The argument was put forward that such openness is perhaps unique to American society and may strike other Countries as somewhat sentimental. This is a fair argument and has been proven true by other American initiatives.
StoryCorps founder Dave Isay defended accusations of intentional emotivity and said we can make stories powerful in the media and we don’t have to apologise for it. In this case though its the stories that are powerful in themselves and the media input can in someways detract from that. The absence of music allows the words to speak for themselves.
One story which stays in my memory is that of John Vigiano , a former firefighter whose two sons, a fireman and a policeman, died in the September 11th bombings.
Perhaps there should be a UK version of StoryCorps. If journalism is about bringing stories to the world then this is it at its best.
