MEDIA MATTERS: FROM OUR BLOG

Hula offers a powerful lesson about journalism

Another confession: My wife and I are infatuated with Hawaiian music and hula. At its heart, hula is about storytelling. Through dance, chants and music, performers can tell stories about anything from the courtship between two lovers to the epic myth of the creation of the Hawaiian islands at the beginning of time. And the best performers do it with an almost spiritual reverence to their history, culture and traditions.

Why we tell stories

Listening to stories can make you laugh, cry, snicker or soar. Telling stories can help you retrieve lost history, discover connections with strangers, and understand your deepest feelings. Sometimes, they can even help you heal. These were some of the points I drew from a conversation with three individuals who use storytelling in their work.

Bhutan forges its own path for journalism

I fell in love during my last business trip. But my wife needn’t worry. It was with the country of Bhutan and its journalists. I was a guest of the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy to help run a conference for about 20 prominent journalists, public officials and other leaders trying to grapple with the future of journalism in the country.