Narrative journalism: how Anjan Sundaram makes his stories relatable
Anjan Sundaram is a frontline journalist who has been called “one of the great reporters of our age” by the BBC. He is known for his work covering conflicts and crises in remote and dangerous regions.
His approach involves immersive, on-site reporting, which he then translates into books and articles. His works provide detailed, firsthand accounts of the situations he witnesses.
Anjan has written multiple books, published countless articles, given his own TED talks, and presented TV shows. He has opted for different techniques to draw audiences in and help them connect with distant, foreign conflicts.
One of those methods is narrative journalism, a style he adopted for his books. So what’s this approach about? And how exactly does he do it?
On the very first episode of TOP Journalist, Anjan Sundaram discusses his methods and techniques. Let’s break it down!
Making stories personal
In his books, Anjan includes himself in the story as a character. He recounts the conflicts and situations from his own point of view.
As someone foreign to the countries and communities he reports about, readers can relate to him and use him as a bridge to situations they may otherwise know nothing about.
Anjan creates a different type of intimacy where the audience doesn’t just get accurate, on-site information on what’s going on, but also a real person’s real thoughts and feelings toward it.
When a conflict might seem too distant or hard to relate to, having a narrator people can connect with and use as a humanizing tool helps the stories feel engaging and important.
Showing the full process
Anjan Sundaram’s first-person narration goes a step further to help humanize the events and stories.
He doesn’t just go into full detail on the matter at hand and all its implications. He tells the story from the very beginning. The point where he himself barely knew anything about the story.
Anjan gives readers the full picture. How he got to know about the conflict. What piqued his interest. Why he became invested. How he researched for it. What steps he took to become involved. Why he follows the stories he follows.
In his own words, he uncovers “the process of how the sausage is made.”
This helps him humanize his recounts even further. He tells readers, “Hey, just like you, I knew nothing about this, but it interested me and I became invested.” He invites them on his journey and takes them step by step.
The audience gets to see how the picture builds piece by piece, instead of just being showered with previously foreign information. They can see that, if they took the time and made the effort, they too could go on that journey.
The story becomes more real, more relatable, it hits closer to home. And all because of Anjan’s role as a bridge.
The difference with articles and TED talks
Not all formats call for or allow for the same type of reporting and storytelling style.
Anjan makes a clear difference between the narrative journalism he employs in his books –featuring full-story in first person– and the more utilitarian techniques required by articles and TED talks.
These two formats, unlike books, can’t go on forever. They’re limited by space or time and have the duty of capturing audiences’ attention quickly, often to drive engagement.
Articles and talks are generally straightforward and specific about the subject of the story and need a strong hook. This might mean not being able to give the full picture and choosing only one angle or perspective because it’s an easier access point for fleeting readers/listeners. Or it just might be more clickable.
Anjan knows how to adapt his journalism to different mediums and target audiences.
Building bridges
Anjan Sundaram’s narrative journalism has allowed him to work as the link between distant conflicts and his unaware readers.
He tells the story from his first-person point of view, sharing both facts and his own thoughts. He merges real events with subjectivities and relatable experiences.
And he writes about the full journey, from the moment he hears about the situation, through his research, to his on-site involvement. Readers can embark on the same expedition with him.
Anjan has set a standard for engaging, immersive, and humanized journalism. So, the next time you read a report on a distant conflict, see how relatable you find it.
You might just make Anjan Sundaram your go-to source for news.
Ever thought about creating your own thought leadership content? At TOP Thought Leader, we amplify new and established voices so they can become pioneers of their generation. Get in touch with us and embark on your journey!
Get notified every time we post an new episode
