I haven’t read Mr. Dunning’s book, but I was thinking about storytelling as it relates to developing web site content the other day.

I was trying to define that central skill, or awareness, or ability that perks up your ears when you hear something and makes you think “that should be on the website.” Or to bloggers, that click in your brain where you know you’re going to blog about what you just read / heard / experienced.

This was in the context of a church website, but it’s the same challenge in any organization - business or non profit.  Given that you own a little chunk of the internet, what do you say there?  How do you learn to recognize things in your day to day routine that would make for good content on your website?  There have been times when I wanted to either act as or hire a reporter to nose around within the organization, and dig out good stuff for the site - by listening in on meetings, hanging out near the office printer, and answering the incoming phone calls.

I’d choose a reporter, because finding that great content seems to boil down to that “nose for news” ability to recognize a good story, and being able to retell it on the web.

But any good reporter knows what their audience is looking for - so this internal reporter would have to have a good handle on the audience for the web site as well - being able to frame the search for interesting and valuable content within the interests and needs of the site audience would be critical for success.

The question I’m left with is, in most companies and organizations there is never any budget for such a position.  How do we develop this “nose for news” ability in people who aren’t naturally bent that way?  Can it be taught and developed, like Mr. Denning suggests?