Ira Glass Storytelling Videos

Prior to watching the Ira Glass interviews about storytelling I had not thought about the importance of the anecdote in broadcast journalism. The anecdote is something that has been discussed in several mass communications classes, but Glass explained its significance in thought-provoking terms. For example, in th first part of his interview, he describes an incredibly anti-climatic story about a man walking around a very quiet house at night. As Glass says, while the story is rather boring, the audience is stilling willing to listen to it if it is told action by action. According to Glass, each description of the man's movements keep the audience in suspense because they want to continue listening to the story to find out why the man's house is so quiet. As a viewer listening to the interview as I typed up notes, I found that I was honestly intrigued by Glass's short story as well. This was mainly due to the action sequence in which it was told. I also realized that in real life I am more likely to read a series of feature stories than straight news, as the personal stories keep me interested.

I also thought Glass brought forth an interesting discussion about the pitfalls of storytelling in the final section of his interview. He says that it is important for storytelling beginners to bring their own personalities when they share information, rather than mock that of someone they've seen on TV. He follows that statement by adding that when in an interview, don't add talk too much about yourself or you will be seem as having to the inability to tell two-sided stories. I like that Glass feels that every individual has the ability to creatively tell a story in the way they see best fit. Rather than constantly mocking someone you admire, individuals should feel inspired to add their own touches to a story. I also feel what he said about presenting yourself as an engaging storyteller by not talking excessively about only yourself in an interview is important. Often, students are taught that they must brag about themselves and show confidence to have any chance of impressing employers while trying to land creative jobs. Glass says that you should listen and react and that in turn will prove that you can tell a story, simply by engaging others.

This interview was Glass's way of proving to his listeners that he is a truly great storyteller. By addressing issues the listener will encounter, as well as throwing in his own personal anecdotes, he shows the audience that recounting stories, even about yourself can be intriguing.