Because Data Can’t
Speak for Itself
A Practical Guide to Telling Persuasive Policy Stories
A guide for how to tell clear, data-driven stories that will make an impact.
People with important evidence-based ideas often struggle to translate data into stories their readers can relate to and understand. And if leaders can’t communicate well to their audience, they will not be able to make important changes in the world.
Why do some evidence-based ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Because Data Can’t Speak for Itself, accomplished educators and writers David Chrisinger and Lauren Brodsky tackle these questions head-on. They reveal the parts and functions of effective data-driven stories and explain myriad ways to turn your data dump into a narrative that can inform, persuade, and inspire action.
Chrisinger and Brodsky show that convincing data-driven stories draw their power from the same three traits, which they call people, purpose, and persistence. Writers need to find the real people behind the numbers and share their stories. At the same time, they need to remember their own purpose and be honest about what data says—and, just as importantly, what it does not.
Compelling and concise, this fast-paced tour of success stories—and several failures—includes examples on topics such as COVID-19, public diplomacy, and criminal justice. Chrisinger and Brodsky’s easy-to-apply tool kit will turn anyone into an effective and persuasive evidence-based writer. Aimed at policy analysts, politicians, journalists, teachers, and business leaders, Because Data Can’t Speak for Itself will transform the way you communicate ideas.
Recent Praise:
Because Data Can’t Speak for Itself offers a joyful romp through the craft of policy writing that will inspire students and policy professionals alike to cut through the ubiquitous noise of the information age and infuse data with meaning, clarity, authenticity, and purpose—so we might see the forest for the trees through the power of story.
I glimpsed into the crystal ball and saw policy reports unafraid of complexity and contradiction; analytical writing that champions persistence, patience and honesty; texts tackling the tricky connection between data and interpretation with dexterity. How did we get to that much-needed future of better data-driven policy writing? With Chrisinger and Brodsky as our travel companions.
In Because Data Can’t Speak for Itself, Chrisinger and Brodsky make a compelling case for human-centered and impact-oriented stories using data; and they offer a hugely important lesson for anyone working in policy and social change—to lead with accuracy, honesty, empathy, and humility in using data to inform and persuade.