BBC World Service: How a bicycle tripled one woman’s income
www.bbc.co.uk/bicycle
CJ-Story?
A few criteria are met
Comments and insights based on individual story elements and their connection with CJ 3 pillars:
Character (The main character is vital to the development of the story)
The main character in the story: The bicycle seller
(+) The character encountered an idea that helped others to find quality solution for their daily life challenges
(-) The size of the problems that casually discussed in the story are way bigger than the resolution
(-) The bicycle seller is portrayed as a hero, while women in the community were portrayed as beneficiaries in a stereotype setting
Insights
Ask yourself, is the main character the best person to tell this story? And why? Sometimes someone behind the scenes is more appealing than those in obvious positions
RetroReport: Could a simple Intervention fight a suicide crisis?
www.retroreport.org/suicide-veterans
Comments and insights based on individual story elements and their connection with CJ 3 pillars:
Theme (The theme is what the story is really about. It’s the main idea or underlying meaning. Often, it’s the storyteller’s personal opinion on the subject matter)
The theme in the story: The power of Human Care and connection
Tip:
Mental health is the topic
NPR: Donkey are finally getting more respect
www.npr.org/donkeys
Business Insider: How Banana Waste is turned into rugs, fabric and hair extensions
www.youtube.com/businessinsider
CJ-Story?
Almost all criteria are met
Comments and insights based on individual story elements and their connection with CJ 3 pillars:
Context (The world of the story)
The context of the story: Bananas are one of the world’s most wasteful crops. Farmers typically burn them but that pollutes the air. One company in Uganda pulverized them into fiber.
(+) In the first 30 seconds of the video we understand the size of the problem and its implications worldwide. It’s also positioning the solution within its local context.
(+) The context is clear about highlighting a relatively big international problem while presenting one solution model that is still challenged by the nature of the problem.
(+) The context underlines that the problem affects all of us directly and indirectly, which creates public awareness and advocates for action and response. It opens the door for many possible players to engage and participate
Insights:
This is an example where ‘the context of the story is more important than the story itself’. What if the context was a small Banana farm somewhere and a successful recycling project leader who succeeded in getting rid of his own seasonal waste!?(This would be a solution oriented and happy ending story without the major problem being acknowledged, addressed or resolved)
While the ‘Setting’ is a set of facts, the context is the many faces of these facts and its implications on your stories. When focusing on the context that highlights the problem and the solutions, ask yourself: am I accidentally or deliberately ignoring other context matters without studying its impact on other story elements!?
ImpactHub media: Kibera ropes project keeps children out of mischief, supplements families’ income (article)
www.impacthubmedia.com/kibera-ropes-project
CJ-Story?
A few criteria are met
Comments and insights based on individual story elements and their connection with CJ 3 pillars:
Setting (Where and when the story takes place)
The setting of the story: Its 2pm in a compound in Kibera 42)
(-) Started with a setting/time when the solution is taking place then later introduced another setting/time describing the problem that in size actually more complex than the solution
(-) There is no mention anywhere in the article that this event is taking place in Kenya – Nairobi.
(-, +) The setting indicates that its 2pm, when most of the parents are actually still at work but the writer later included testimonies from parents and authorities.
Insights
Ask yourself, apart from the concrete time and place, which other information that you need to share with your audiences to acquire a better
sense of your story e.g. night – morning, winter – summer, school time – holidays, over a course of 3 months, etc.
Hechingerreport: Trying to improve remote learning? A refugeecamp offers some surprising lessons (article)
www.hechingerreport.org/trying-to-improve-remote-learning-a-refugee
DW: Uganda’s rugby kids
www.dw.com/ugandas-rugby-kids
CJ-Story?
A few criteria are met
Comments and insights based on individual story elements and their connection with CJ 3 pillars:
Topic (The objective explanation of the subject matter of your story)
What is the topic of the story? Rugby sport in Uganda OR Children access to sport OR Aspiring raw model
Tip:
Covid19 is a context in this example. Your topic always exists, despite the context
(-) Without a clearly defined topic, viewers aren’t able to efficiently locate the problem or evaluate the significance of proposed solutions
(-) Undermined topic divide the attention of the viewer
Insights
Use a straightforward approach to define and explain the general subject matter of your works.
BBC: What is ‘Green Cake’ and why did this woman invent it?
www.bbc.com/news/green-cake
The National News: Reeling it in: Egypt’s fishermen exchange the Nile’s plastic waste for cash
www.thenationalnews.com/egypts-fishermen
DW: Queer photographer in Uganda
www.dw.com/en/delovie-kwagala
BBC: People Fixing The World: the vehicle that got a village smiling – The simple solution saving mums’ and babies’ lives
www.bbc.co.uk/Solutions+Story+Tracker
The National News: n the age of social distancing, Sudanese open their homes to Ethiopian refugees
www.thenationalnews.com/sudanese-open-their-homes-to-ethiopian-refugees
DW: Coronavirus and the end of globalization?
www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-and-the-end-of-globalization
DW: In Egypt, online group Qawem saving hundreds of women from sextortion
www.dw.com/en/egypt-online-group-qawem
BBC: The Bricks Helping to Rebuild Gaza (Podcast)
www.bbc.co.uk/gaza
BBC World Service: Norway’s plastic Waste Solution
www.facebook.com/BBCScienceNews
DW (Plant A): How Bangladesh beat Europe at fighting floods
www.youtube.com/Bangladesh-fighting-floods
Palestine TV
www.facebook.com/PalestineTV
A good example for taining, as it is missing the limitations. It’s from Gaza about beaches accessible to the disabled in Gaza.
AJ+ (on twitter)
www.twitter.com/ajplus
DW News: COVID and the global wealth gap: What can be done to fix it?
www.youtube.com/COVID-and-the-global-wealth-gap
BBC People fixing the World: Dad school: How to be a better father
www.bbc.co.uk/dad-school
CJ-Story?
Bad CJ, hero story (bad filming as well)