Viewed on their own statistics and numbers often struggle to connect with audiences. They rarely, truly move people.
We see it often, it’s only when figures sit side-by-side with real human experiences, that stories are brought to life and resonate with the public in a meaningful way.
Heard’s work with The Times & The Sunday Times, culminating in the publication of a powerful series of reports, is an example of this form of storytelling in action.
Here’s the background: In spring 2019, Heard initiated a collaboration, gathering together people from the newspaper’s editorial team and members of our Media Movers network. Media Movers supports young people with migrant backgrounds to improve media coverage of the issues they face.
During the conversation Times journalists heard about the experiences of young people in the network – including their aspirations for the future and the barriers standing in their way, like the rising cost of citizenship administration fees.
Moved by their stories, the interaction prompted The Times team to explore data surrounding the issue with the possibility of revealing a broader trend. It did, and a wider story emerged.
Media Movers continued to offer support as the team’s investigations developed, making introductions to partner organisations – experts in the sector – who helped connect them to more people affected.
Four months after the original interaction [August 2019] The Times published an in-depth investigative special looking into rising Home Office profits from immigration fees. The numbers reporters had uncovered were powerful, but the feature resonated because of the human stories at the heart of the coverage. That included one Media Mover network member who shared her story as part of the piece.
The article went on to inspire reporting elsewhere too, including from Channel 4 News.
The aim of the project was that it would be mutually beneficial. For The Times it was an opportunity to hear detailed and nuanced first-hand stories from a group of people they may otherwise not have interacted with – a meeting that would spark a series of original reports.
For Media Movers members it was a opportunity to tell their story, and to be heard in a major news outlet. Throughout the process we worked with them to ensure they felt prepared, supported, equipped and understood.
They also reflected on the collaboration positively, saying that the interaction had helped change their perceptions – an encouraging experience to work with mainstream media, rather than react against it.
This is based on an independent evaluation of Heard’s work involving a series of interviews with all involved. The full evaluation is available on request.
