When Information Subsidies Go Live

Conceptualizing the Strategic Role of Personal Storytelling

Bibliographic Data

ID6457072
AuthorsKjersti Thorbjørnsrud (0000-0001-9431-8893, Institute for Social Research, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume30
Issue4
Pages1116-1135
Publication date2024-07-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe International Journal of Press/Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1940-1612 • E-ISSN: 1040-1620
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/19401612241257844
OpenAlexW4400919102
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited57

This conceptual article argues that the strategic use of personal storytelling to attract public attention and gain political impact is insufficiently theorized in political communication, journalism studies, and lobbying research. Claiming the need to study backstage relations among interest groups, professional communication workers, journalists, and decision-makers, it conceptualizes how lay personal stories, with strong moral appeal and claim to authenticity, constitute a powerful form of live information subsidy in both indirect and direct communication strategies to influence decision-makers. Extending the classic theory of information subsidies, the article unpacks the particular value of personal storytelling regarding credibility, legitimacy, and appeal and hypothesizes how and when interest groups select, craft, exchange, and communicate lay personal stories to create public support and influence political decisions. The theorization of strategic personal storytelling is based on the synthesis of distinct research literatures and abductive multi-sited field studies of Norwegian interest groups, government communication, and journalistic source relations, heading the calls for more mixed-method, cross-disciplinary research to advance political communication overall

Art · Business · Narrative · Political science · Storytelling · Subsidy · Management and Organizational Studies · Media Studies and Communication · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering

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