Digital magazine The Story launches
Digital magazine The Story has launched, edited by former Smith Journal editor Chris Harrigan.
The announcement:
Some of Australia’s best writers and journalists appear in the first edition of The Story, a new digital magazine about the art, craft and science of storytelling, which has just launched.
Edited by former Smith Journal Editor Chris Harrigan, The Story is aimed at a core audience of professional storytellers in the media, communications and marketing sectors. But it’s also designed to appeal to a broader audience: anyone interested in stories and in finding out how well-told stories can help them in their work and life.
Featuring original writing from Clementine Ford (Fight Like a Girl), James Hennessy (Business Insider Australia, Pedestrian) and Rachel Withers (The Monthly), The Story bills itself as the home of storytelling about storytelling.
“The Story is for journalists hoping to tussle with their profession’s big issues, communications and marketing professionals wanting to dive into the latest thinking about storytelling, media junkies looking to see how the news sausage is made, and anyone who wants to know how telling better stories can make them better at what they do,” Harrigan says.
He says the magazine takes a ‘slow journalism’ approach to publishing, prioritising thoughtful, in-depth and useful coverage to service a diverse audience.
“It’s a place to dissect great stories to see how they work, interview professional storytellers to learn about their craft, and wrestle with the issues facing the media and comms worlds today,” says Harrigan.
The Story is funded by (but editorially independent of) Fireside, a storytelling-led communications agency founded by former journalist Ben Hart (Herald Sun, ABC RN). With The Story, Hart hopes to create a space for “stories about stories” and deeper discussion about the role narratives play in our lives and world.
“The idea came to me when I was looking for an engaging place to read about storytelling and was amazed it didn’t already exist,” he says.
Designed by leading Melbourne freelance designer Michael Precel, The Story also provides a home for StoryCraft, a podcast hosted by Hart exploring similar themes, which debuted in late November.
Harrigan points to James Hennessy’s article on QAnon as an example of The Story’s breadth.
“James’ piece looks at QAnon through the lens of storytelling, asking how much the conspiracy theory has in common with fan fiction. It’s a creative angle on a familiar topic, and indicative of how wide-ranging The Story’s remit really is.”
Harrigan brings a decade of editorial experience to his role as The Story’s editor. At Smith Journal (frankie press), he executed an editorial vision that Pedestrian TV said “challenged ideas of what a men’s mag could be”. He is also a published writer, having appeared in Junkee, frankie, The Age, New York Magazine, The Guardian and Buzzfeed.
Source: The Story media release
