Facttelling

Facttelling is a communication approach that prioritizes the presentation of facts, evidence, data, and verifiable sources to inform an audience. It emphasizes transparency and traceability over persuasive rhetoric or invented narratives. While the term is used in various domains, it is most closely associated with data-driven communication, journalism, science communication, and policy reporting. Some use facttelling as distinct from storytelling by foregrounding what is known and how it was established rather than focusing on narrative arcs.

Applications include reporting of research results, business intelligence and dashboards, risk assessments, and public communication about policy or health. Practitioners aim to present data in accessible formats alongside explanations of methods, limitations, and uncertainties. Visualizations, tables, and concise summaries are typically combined with clear sourcing and, when appropriate, comparisons to baselines or benchmarks.

Techniques center on source transparency, explicit uncertainty, and contextualization. Even within a narrative structure, facttelling seeks to anchor claims in evidence, show data provenance, and avoid cherry-picking or overgeneralization. It often pairs quantitative data with qualitative context to help audiences interpret magnitude, significance, and limitations.

Critics note that facttelling can be perceived as dry or overly technical, and that data quality, selection bias, or misinterpretation can undermine credibility. Ethical practice emphasizes accuracy, completeness, and respect for audience needs, including accessibility and clear communication of what remains unknown.