When I tell someone I’m a storyteller, they automatically reply, “Oh. You’re a reporter.”

“Uh, no. I tell stories.”

“How is that different?”

A reporter relays the facts relevant to the current situation, focusing on having every fact relevant and accurate to the event while maintaining objectivity through words, video, or an online report. A storyteller will use these facts but pour emotions and creativity into the telling, making it an expressive piece versus fact-retelling.

I can use the facts and tell a story with them. A reporter only gives you the pertinent information and facts in an objective format.

Take the story of Jack and Jill, you know the kids who ran up the hill to get water from the well? Okay, so first, let’s look at that story from a reporter’s perspective.

Who? Jack and Jill.

What are they doing? Going up a hill to get water.

Where are they going? Up a hill to fetch a pail of water.

Why? Because they need the water.

So a reporter would say something along the lines of:

Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown. And Jill came tumbling after.

Now, a storyteller, on the other hand, may say something like:

Jack and Jill, brother and sister, took a trip up to the well because the animals needed water. Jack was the older of the two, and Jill was his baby sister, who he cared for because Mom and Dad worked in the fields. Jack grabbed Jill’s hand and took her to the well, a scary prospect because Mom and Dad didn’t want Jill to fall in. After retrieving the water, Jack started to run down the hill, tripping and falling head over heels, and Jill caught up in Jack’s feet, fell down also, tumbling head first. Thankfully, both children were okay, Mom and Dad arriving a minute after they fell.

So, which is better? I don’t have a preference one way or the other. Both do their job of conveying the story. But I like the story better because there’s more substance, essence, and emotion.

What do you like more? Reporting? Or storytelling?

If you had a choice and could have someone tell your story, would you rather a reporter tell it or a storyteller? Let me know in the comments.