Unlocking the power of story mapping: An essential guide for journalists.

For every journalist, producing jaw-dropping stories that leave the audience yearning for more is the ultimate dream.

But to produce such pieces, a journalist needs to engage in meticulous research and planning to flesh out a coherent storyline. They would have to visualize what their stories would look like, and how they will be able to organize or structure them in the best way possible before they come to life. This is called story mapping.

One can almost be certain that every journalist has used this method although the steps might be slightly different. Story mapping is also a fluid technique:  It can be used before, or after pitching your ideas. Or, somewhere in between reporting.

With story mapping, a journalist is able to accomplish a number of things:

  • Identify the core themes in their story
  • Develop a clear narrative
  • Organize and break down complex information
  • Connect the dots in the story
  • Identify the missing gaps.

Add to that, story mapping also saves time and facilitates teamwork and collaboration among peers working on projects such as investigative reporting.

So, this brings us to this question: How do you map your way into producing a compelling story?

Below we have shared a simple story-mapping guide that every journalist can use in their reporting:

  1. Actors
    Before embarking on any reporting, you need to ask yourself this: Who are the key players in the industry? If the story is about a new form of technology that is enabling communities to purify drinking water, you need to list down all the actors involved: Who is the manufacturer of the product? Who is the target market? Who are the regulators? Who are the consumers?
  2. Actions
    You need to understand what activities taking place: What are the activities taking place? What is the latest trend? Is the new product being launched? Are new regulations or policies regarding the use of the product?
  1. Consequences
    Still, going by the example of the water purifier, reporters need to ask themselves: Is the uptake of this new technology high or low? Why is the uptake like that? What is it that is being done to address or enhance these outcomes?

 P.S. One can tell a story from the perspective of any of the stages—”actors,” “actions,” or “consequences” – depending on what they are working on.