Technical note: We experienced a few hardware issues while recording this episode, which is why it doesn't sound as crisp or polished as our usual work. Do not adjust your headphones.

Australians are deeply concerned about climate change. They’re also ready to take action to address it. But does that commitment extend to caring about climate justice?

A lesser-known aspect of the climate debate, climate justice is all about ensuring that those who’ve contributed the least to the problem – developing countries and disadvantaged people everywhere – aren’t lumped with the most extreme impacts of climate change.

The good folks over at Oxfam Australia have gone all-in on the fight for climate justice. But they’ve also run into a problem: Most of their supporters view Oxfam as an international aid organisation, not an environmental agency. Oxfam realised they needed a story to draw a link between climate justice and caring for the disadvantaged. But they didn’t know how to tell it.

Enter Fireside Agency: a comms agency for those doing good in the world (and, as it happens, publisher of StoryCraft).

On this week’s episode, we look at a recent project that Fireside undertook to craft Oxfam a narrative – one that would make people care about climate justice. We sit down with Oxfam’s Nina Crawley, who asked Fireside to develop a story that inspired people to take action. And we hear from Penny Burke, of Whereto Research, who shares some hard-earned insights about behaviour change campaigns.

Looking for more on the art, craft and science of storytelling? Check out our sister website The Story – a free resource for anyone interested in honing their storytelling skills.

When faced with a crisis of hope in the wake of the devastating Black Summer bushfires, Claire O’Rourke felt compelled to act.

Recognising that millions of other Australians also felt overwhelmed by the scale of the climate crisis, she filled her first book, Together We Can, with hopeful stories of people taking action to preserve a healthy and habitable planet for future generations.

As an exercise in storytelling, Together We Can tackles the most critical communications challenge of our times – how to discuss a complex, overwhelming and scary problem like the climate crisis in a way that inspires people to become part of the solution.

In a frank and wide-ranging interview with StoryCraft host Ben Hart, O’Rourke outlines the rise of ‘constructive journalism’, where stories that empower audiences with solutions to problems are prioritised over breaking news and drama. Backed up by a belief that anyone can create the conditions for positive systems change, O’Rourke outlines the pathways for all of us to become better climate communicators, and how to avoid falling into common traps.

Listen via the player above, or subscribe to StoryCraft on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Links:

• Paul Hawken: Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation
• Damon Gameau: The Regenerators
• Cate Blanchett and Danny Kennedy: Climate of Change podcast
• Positive News

If you consume any Australian media, you’ve probably encountered Van Badham. Whether as a guest on Q&A, a columnist at The Guardian and New York Times, or as the co-host of her Week on Wednesday podcast, Badham has carved out a name as one of Australia’s most visible political commentators. It’d be enough to keep even the most prolific writer busy. Yet in 2021 Badham also found the time to write a book, QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults.

In this wide-ranging interview with StoryCraft host Ben Hart, Badham talks about delving into the murky world of digital conspiracy theories, and why she now believes it’s not enough to combat fake news with facts. She also discusses her background as a playwright and poet, shines a light on the work that goes into quality opinion writing, and examines the perils of dishonest political discourse. 

Links:

• The Story
• QAnon, fan fiction, and the blurry line between reality and fantasy – article from The Story, Feb 2022
• Qanon and On – book, 2021
• The Week on Wednesday – podcast
• Fireside Agency - learn more

Subscribe to StoryCraft on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.