Digital Storytelling for Social Justice: Impact assessment, Producer Approach, and Strategic Communication in an age of New Media

This study aims to evaluate and measure the impact of a Canadian produced documentary, I am Rohingya, A Genocide in Four Acts. By critically analysing the intended and unintended outcomes of this award-winning documentary, producers whose aim is to enhance their socially minded production process, can learn how to improve their techniques through feedback and by comparing their experiences to scholarly literature. Additionally, through a comparative analysis of Canada’s market of funding for social justice themed digital stories, producers and scholars can gain a better understanding of what requirements and accountability structures exist within a Canadian context that focus on the relationship between media practitioners and vulnerable populations. This study will be mindful of the importance of communication, networks, and the political spheres surrounding social causes in an effort to better understand if building ownership throughout the production process can increase distribution and change.

Faculty Supervisor:

Wendy Rowe

Student:

Gary Hayes

Partner:

Innerspeak Digital Media Inc.

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Information and cultural industries

University:

Royal Roads University