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Thursday Buzz: Storytelling on the Event Stage

The Financial Times is experimenting with creative forms of storytelling at the theater. Also: why you should ditch the prepared remarks the next time you speak.

Looking for a fresh way to tell compelling stories about your organization’s mission? You may want to head to the theater. One venerable publishing institution is doing just that.

The Financial Times is going beyond its famous salmon-pink newsprint and stepping into the limelight, reports Journalism.co.uk. The publisher recently partnered with People’s Palace Projects, an arts charity at Queen Mary University of London, to deliver short stage performances based on its reporting.

“When you have different opportunities to engage with people in a variety of formats, which is what both artists and journalists are doing, it gives the audience a much better-rounded, and even poetic, perspective about the stories that they are having contact with—the narratives come through in many different ways,” says André Piza, producer and theater director with People’s Palace Projects.

Go Off Script

Using a script may seem like an adequate solution for nervous public speakers, but relying on one really doesn’t do you any favors.

“Speaking directly from prepared remarks can make you sound dry and boring, even if you’re a decent writer,” says Anett Grant in a new Fast Company article. “That’s because speaking well is fundamentally different than writing out loud; your prose might ‘sound’ great on paper but not when you utter it.”

Grant adds that scripts can make speakers look insecure, weaken their gestures, and actually fuel anxiety.

Other Links of Note

If you noticed a drop in Twitter followers this week, it’s not because people are unfollowing you. Twitter is removing millions of suspicious accounts, reports the New York Times.

It may be time to reconsider launching a podcast. CMSWire reveals how podcasts can be a valuable tool in your marketing arsenal.

Your wishes have been fulfilled, Mac fans. After a longer-than-usual delay, Apple announced an update to the MacBook Pro on Thursday. CNET breaks down what’s new.

(Kesu01/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Raegan Johnson

By Raegan Johnson

Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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