Feature Stories and Empathy: The Importance of Storytelling in Immigration Media

Abstract

In the digital age, our smartphones, computers, and other devices flood with news updates and instant access to information. This immediate connectivity brings into question the value of the feature story and the relevance of reporting focused on deep human emotion and individual experiences. This study examined if feature stories were connected to a reader’s ability to empathize with the story subject, and the role of media outlets in sparking reader empathy. Twenty-five stories about immigration issues from U.S. mainstream media outlets were analyzed. To gauge the empathy of readers, the comments, reactions, and shares for each story on the news site’s Facebook page were examined. After analyzing how readers interacted with the articles, there were two consistent factors that seemed to impact reader empathy: story subjects and media framing. More controversial figures, like immigrants, had lower reader engagement than feature stories that focused on less controversial figures like humanitarian aid workers. Secondly, the vocabulary used to describe the subject of the feature story correlated with the percentage of positive versus negative comments about the article. This study shows there is a connection between feature stories and increased reader empathy. It also highlights the continued importance and long human tradition of storytelling to connect us, even in the age of instant connectivity.