We are bombarded with notifications, social media snippets, and breaking headlines. The 24/7 news cycle can feel overwhelming.
Without context, news feels like noise, facts float in isolation, and stories lose meaning. Clear background and framing show audiences why events matter and how they connect to their lives.
It is what makes audiences understand, remember, and care.
How to cut through the noise
Stories that provide in-depth background, visual structure, and clear connections help audiences see why events matter.
Whether it’s an election, a policy shift, or a global climate event, thoughtful reporting that reveals the bigger picture makes topics approachable.
Explainers have become essential examples of this.
Whether written or in video format, the combination of narration, graphics, and timelines connects today’s news with past events and possible outcomes. Audiences can get a sense of the full story without hours of research.
Producing this type of content demonstrates skill and editorial judgment and the ability to simplify complexity without dumbing it down.
While Craig Newmark’s J+ executive director Marie Gilot predicts the death of explainers in 2026, as they have been slowly replaced by short AI-powered summaries, I believe the audience still needs to make sense of the world by getting human-powered context to breaking news as they happen.
Making sense of the world
Understanding how ideas connect across fields is crucial.
The Guardian covered how video essayists use long-form content to explore all kinds of topics. In an era of short attention spans, those who find an audience build communities of highly engaged and loyal viewers.
These video essays combine storytelling, theory, and cultural analysis, giving audiences the tools to understand deeper patterns and meaning.
Vox’s Explained series on Netflix, and all of the videos they produce for other platforms, are another strong example of evidence-based deep dives that feel like mini-documentaries, easily digestible.
The videos break down complex ideas in science, culture or politics, helping audiences see the patterns and systems behind everyday events.
Through video essays, long-form writing or podcasts, explainers give commentary, structure and meaning.
They help audiences connect dots, recognize trends, and engage with ideas in a way that feels informed and relevant.
Practical storytelling strategies
Strong storytelling doesn’t happen by accident. There are concrete ways to make complex ideas appear clear, engaging, and memorable.
Use visual aids: Timelines, maps, charts, and infographics help audiences see relationships and patterns at a glance. Even light annotations on images or data visualizations can turn abstract ideas into something understandable.
Offer layered storytelling: Start with a brief summary or key takeaway, then give audiences optional deeper sections. This works for articles, newsletters, videos, and social posts. People can choose their level of engagement without feeling lost.
Create recurring explainer formats: A regular series builds trust and familiarity. Weekly or monthly content sets expectations, builds loyalty and lets audiences know they can return for insight and perspective.
Connect stories to daily life and broader trends: Link topics to real-world experiences, social impact, or global shifts. Showing why a story matters to people’s lives makes it relevant and actionable.
Experiment with multimedia storytelling. Combine text, audio, video, and interactive content to reach different audience preferences. Videos can complement a written article and graphics can bring data to life.
Use analogies and narrative structures. Metaphors, comparisons, and story arcs make complicated topics relatable. Explaining a tech innovation as a familiar “problem solved” helps audiences grasp abstract concepts.
Highlight human voices. Case studies, interviews, and personal stories anchor information in real experiences. People remember stories about individuals more than abstract facts.
Focus on repeatable patterns. When audiences can see trends, systems, or recurring factors, they better understand implications. Highlighting cause-and-effect relationships or historical parallels builds mental frameworks for understanding future events.
These storytelling strategies turn information into understanding, guiding audiences through complexity and giving stories lasting value.
The pay-off for context-focused content
Context drives engagement and builds trust. Stories with strong context educate, inform, and give audiences more than headlines. They provide understanding, perspective, and a sense of why the story matters.
This is the kind of storytelling that resonates with an audience. They invite people to think, reflect, and act. That depth is what turns fleeting attention into insight audiences can carry with them.
Oriol Salvador 