I was asked about the role of storytelling in civic participation at the Futures of Entertainment Conference.

I don’t think the average person typically connects policy or legislation to their daily lives.  They probably don’t know that Section 2704 of the recent 2,074 page health care bill prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition.  But they can relate to the story of the family who lost their house because the pre-existing condition wasn’t covered by insurance.  People can relate to such stories on an emotional and human level.   And I think that emotional connection is what often inspires civic participation and activism.

Technology and social media are changing the game because people now have the opportunity to tell their own story and don’t need to rely upon traditional media to do it for them.
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I’m in Boston for the Futures of Entertainment Conference at MIT where I will participate in a panel discussion tomorrow about Transmedia for Social Change, moderated by Henry Jenkins, director of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program.

The panel will consider the cross-over between the forms of collective activity that mark participation in transmedia narratives and other forms of collective activities that harness entertainment media for social good.  We will also discuss the relationship between the kinds of engagement courted by entertainment franchises and the kind of engagement required for active citizenship.