Personal stories v facts
Anna Tuzova is a behaviour analyst and refugee from Ukraine. She left the country when she was in danger because of the war. Watch her video to hear her personal story:
Video not working? follow this link: https://vimeo.com/1054054474/ed108d0350
Now look at these facts:
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Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, over 10 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee.
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An estimated 1.3 million Russians have sought asylum in other countries since the invasion of Ukraine.
So...
Which do you think shared the news about the Russia-Ukraine war better: the personal story or the facts?
This poll is now closed.
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Comments (136)
in my opinion the best way to share the Russia-Ukraine war is through peoples personal experience about the war, because it seems more realistic when it comes directly from the victim or the person who has experienced the war first hand.
I agree because its a personal experience and lets us get a real look into what's happening. Because sometimes the facts and statistics don't tell us the full truth and its twisted depending on what country your in. An example is that in Russia they began making their own textbooks and saying that what is happening in russia isn't a war its a special military operation trying to make it seem like its not big or serious.
I do not completely agree with you because i think that facts or statistics from third parties can change the global perspective on a war because when we depend solely on the personal stories of people involved in the war we can not be sure of the fact that their belief has not been influenced by the ideology that their government has spread especially when countries like Russia prioritize ideology.
I see what you're saying, and I believe that we should have a mix of both. But I feel that the stories of people from the war are more reliable, and we should trust those more because those people experienced everything—the pain and suffering. The only thing is that third parties must have a reliable source because otherwise, it could just be twisted facts we hear from them, as you pointed out there could be government interference, towards the people but I belive its towards the facts because they don't want the whole world to know what they are trying to do.
Imaginative_concept you raise an important point. Do you think that both personal stories and facts/statistics from a third party can be impacted by bias?
I feel that personal stories or facts coming from a third party can be impacted by bias since it would actually incline towards the nation whose real insights are surfing the internet rather the one being actually impacted and not on the internet. This third party can be an influential individual who doesn't play a role rather just supporting whats surfacing the internet. However if it would be a country it would choose sides that would benefit itself and strengthen the diplomatic relations rather than understanding the story of the other side. These third parties can indulge in the war without really interfering and present the facts and stories that serve as their definition of "right" . Once third party is involved in this fame game it becomes less of the war and more of who is supporting whom.
I agree because if this the story is just shared through facts and statistics, people will most likely just brush it off as boring news. Instead, using personal stories and anecdotes will bring the attention of the masses, fueling strong emotions and support.
I agree because a first hand experience could really show what the war had done to ordinary people and not how politicians or the people not in the war see it, this would also give a better picture of what the war has done to it's surroundings.
What if the personal experience was not real and not accurate?
I agree because when personal experiences are shared,they show the emotions and feelings of the individual or the victim who has been affected by the incidents occuring.Also the personal experiences give a more personal touch and cast a greater effect on the audiences.On the other hand the facts and statistics may seem authentic but they might be biased by the informator who supports either side.When the personal stories are shared,they are not about spreading propoganda about their own country or blaming the other one,Instead they are about the sufferings of people from their own mouths.For eg as discussed above Anna Tuzova,a Ukrainian refugee has shared her story about their hardships which includes no propoganda and clear facts and consequences of this kind of brutal wars.
To conclude i would just like to say that I feel that personal experiences and stories would cast a huge impact than just biased facts.
I disagree because...
Personal stories come from what a person thinks about the other group/fraction which is a single story. These stories are often times untrue despite many people believing in them. Most single stories are stereotyped or "single storied". which makes people think wrongly about things. I read in a quote by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie stating that when people hear one thing over and over again, that is what they become. This means that if people hear something that is not true it can still spread like wildfire and people will believe it. It also means that people often act the way people look at them. For example someone who says that Russian and Ukraine government all care about their personal growth but not about the people losing their lives. Which is not entirely true some people in the government care about the people losing their lives and do what they can to help them. But many people believe these false perception. Another example of untrue peoples statement is "Africa is hot and sunny all the time" which is not true but many people believe it. Meanwhile Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa is one of the highest with snowy mountains.
In conclusion personal stories look at one side of a view they do not cover everybody's view. It also rubs off people's dignity and emphasizes on how different they are rather than similar (which can lead to inequality).
Thank you.
Honest_personality you raise some important points. Do you think people are more likely to take into account that it is the person's point of view if it is a personal story, versus a fact or statistic that is more neutral?
I agree with this because the personal experiences say more details about the war. The part of experienced the war first hand is better.
I agree because through personal stories you get real evidence about this and through personal experience you are able to talk about the truth.Facts and data don't cover what really going on through closed doors.They don't compare to physiological and physical trauma than numbers and data on a screen.
I totaly agree with you. Hearing personal storys from those affected can help people who aren't affected by the war to understand the cruelty the war is causing them to go through. However, I do think that facts are important as well. You need facts and numbers in order to be able to also see the rational facts and to get an overview of the whole situation. I just think it's easier for those who aren't part of the situation to empathize if you see actual people sharing their personal stories and experiences.
I would say that the best way to say it is through personal stories because it is their stories, they saw it first hand, it happened to them. Telling the stories shows us the emotional trauma they went through and it helps to put us in the picture. We get to see what happened through their eyes and it helps us make a connection with them and because we are able to have that connection we can understand and empathize with them. On the other hand, we might get the facts and statistics but it might not get to people who hear about it as would a personal narration of what happened.
Do you think there may be other ways that we can get a balanced view of the war rather than just from one person's perspective?
Yes their could be other ways.
I think there are several ways we can get a more balanced view, for example we can get the news from different countries and regions. This can help tell us how different governments and people view the conflicts, though these might come with some levels of biases. We can also get firsthand information from health workers, humanitarian organisations, civilians, military personnel, and even government sources. In all I feel news should always be fact checked, nobody needs to swallow it hook, line and sinker. It is important to listen to narrations from all the parties involved in the war, and we also need to understand the history behind the war, wars do not start in isolation. I believe we all have our biases be it nationally or internationally we must never let blur our sense of judgement.
Great points reflective_swan. Do you think by getting multiple perspectives you are more likely to understand the objective "truth"? Or do you think it would actually make that harder as everyone has their own point of view?
According to me, for getting a balanced view of the situation we should listen the perspectives of the citizens of other countries. As various nation are in support of Russian government and also various of them are in support of Ukraine. So , let's hear from them that what made them to support these nations
Well yes if soldiers or anyone on the field who is having abusive relationships with the government should be able to speak out about it.However one perspective might tell us multiple perspectives.We can listen to different perspectives its just the fact that sometimes people are afraid to talk the abuse they endured.It isn't easy to speak up about you vulnerable and in an uncomfortable position that requires to endure or go through something you don't want to.So in a way 1 perspective can change the world on the subject.Sometimes person says how they treated everyone else during whatever scenario and not just government in general.This can be emotional, physical, or physiological abuse.Mostly physiological abuse being to worst one out of the 3.So we don't need other perspectives but its nice if we get a very 50/50 understanding on the relationship between people and the government.
i disagree with you because I think that there is no way to verify the events of a war through the voices of the parties involved because in a war everybody has varying views. For example Ukrainian stories will depict the Russians as the villains and vice versa so i believe that the most credible way to get information about a war is to get facts and statistics from an impartial third party
Succinct_signature can you give some examples about what an impartial third party would be in this instance? How would we know they are impartial?
I strongly agree with you because when hearing stories on first hand you can understand what went on fully , but when it comes to facts it only gives you the important information.
I think the answer is B because the facts will tell us how the war started and how it is still going on, the number of casualities and through the stories, we can see different perspectives from different areas. But with personal stories, we see only one perspective. When journalist make reports and bring out the facts and show us the statistics, I feel they will be objective, they will help us understand how big a conflict or war it is, they will give the background story and will help us understand the implication on the countries involved and the world as a whole.
I agree with you that facts are better than personal stories because facts are events or happenings that have been proven to be true that is because they actually took place. Facts therefore help you understand more about what is going on in an environment. Personal stories on the other hand are based on personal perspective and understanding and sometimes might not be based on what actually happened. I believe we should not rely so much on personal stories for example what if the person telling the story has suffered a memory loss or what about if the memory becomes distorted or stretched, this could lead to inaccuracies in the stories shared. Some people might intentionally change some parts of the story or even exaggerate to make the stories more appealing.
I'm not sure about this because while the facts can show all sides, personal stories can highlight some of the things that the media doesn't promote to the front pages.
This caught my attention! Can you explain how you think newspapers choose the information they share on their front pages?
I think most times newspapers choose what to put on their front page based on interest for example the editors might put things on the front page based on the interest of their readership, the landscape of a place or a local newspaper might focus on the things happening around the community. Sometimes what they put on the front page might be based on stories with strong photographs, in all newspapers will put the most important news and the ones that will attract their target audience based on what the editor feels should appear on the front cover.
I see your point about facts and statistics being important in understanding war. They provide a broad vision, about how a conflict was started, the number of causalities, and its overall impact. However I respectfully disagree and believe that personal stories are even more useful in truly understanding the war.
While facts and figure give us information, they can be sometimes influenced and controlled by governments. In may cases, statistics are presented in a way that supports a particular narrative, making it difficult for us to learn about the full truth. Governments may alter numbers or may even highlight only certain aspects of a conflict to shape the public opinion. This means that while reports and data seem objective, they are not always completely reliable.
Personal stories however come directly from the people who are affected by the war. they show real emotions, struggles and experiences that can not be manipulated int the same way. A statistic might tell us how many people lost their homes, but a personal story helps us understand what it truly means to loose everything.
So while objective reports are important , personal stories allow us to see the war through the eyes of the people who are living it. They help us not just to understand war but also care about the people who are affected by it.
I understand your point , but I disagree because the personal stories are more supreme. They give us more details on what happend. The facts and statistics might be true , but they won't give you the details about what happens. Like for example when I heard Yulia Starostina's story it showed that some of the facts state that if they give false information they may get poisoned but they don't give detailed on what other things they got punished with. I also felt this way when I heard Ilya Andreev's personal story. Facts tell the story, but personal stories paint a picture.
The most effective way to share the Russia-Ukraine War is through personal experiences and stories told by both sides, as statistics and facts are often put aside when not accompanied by narratives, not to mention that most of us understand people more than numbers. These stories and personal views can usually support more effective and innovative ways to address problems and create solutions because they are so inclusive. Before I wrote this comment, I knew little about the Russia-Ukraine War, but I did some digging and found a series of transcribed phone calls between a Russian soldier in Ukraine and his mother, and it was honestly eye-opening. His name is Leonid, and he became a soldier to earn more money as he was in debt and didn't want to rely on his parents. Leonid's unit in Ukraine started to face difficulties, leading him and his comrades to loot and drift farther away from their moral compass. The descriptions of the violence and war going on, along with his responses to it as he sees more and more, are saddening. I suggest you read it on your own, as I can't describe it all here, but it's truly eye-opening. The article is called "‘Never saw such hell': Russian soldiers in Ukraine call home." All in all, seeing these personal stories honestly makes me more aware and motivates me to do more for the people of Ukraine, and I think it will inspire others to do the same.
Hey, I totally agree with your perspective. I also think that the personal stories help us to empathise better with the Russia-Ukraine war. We not only get to know how the person who is telling the story is feeling, but also how other people feel because many have the same or similar problems and worries. Although, I do believe that facts can also be interesting and helping if you are for example interested in statistics or just want to know general information, like how many hospitals have been destroyed in Ukraine for example. Sometimes it also depends on the topic, there are some topics which you can understand better with a personal story but in other topics it is important to have some facts and just more general information and numbers to understand it better, but still in almost every case a personal story can always be very helpful and interesting to listen to.
Thank you for sharing the article’s title. I’ve read it and I agree with you, it is so impactful. Since February 2022, I’ve watched news about the Russia and Ukraine conflict, about how many Ukranians have fled to other countries and specifically, one in which Russia accuses Ukraine of launching a bomb in their own territory. But it’s not until I read people’s stories and saw photos of them trying to leave their country that I could empathize and understand all of the pain and suffering . And it was not until I read those russian soldier’s phone calls that I understood Russians’ points of view about the war and understand what russian soldier’s are doing and why. Many soldiers are very young (around 20 years old) and went to war for the money. They were told that the invasion wouldn't take much time, and that they were going to be considered heroes, but nothing turned out to be like that, at all. I think that facts and personal stories are both equally important, because facts provide objective information, they tell you what is really happening, and personal stories are what allow us to understand those facts, they complement each other.
I checked some other articles in the same website (AP News) and I found one that provided pictures of the first day of the invasion. I found it really interesting and helped me to understand this topic even more. Here’s the link (the title is: “First day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine captured in images): https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-invasion-photos-c29de69eb68a2bf3a7bcafb2b01a4d8a
I chose facts and statistics because I think that news about the war between Russia Ukraine has to be shared in careful balance between accuracy and accessibility. Thanks to my research I found out that 71% of UK adults consume news online for the best first-time surpassing television, this largely includes social media. US adults rely on Facebook and YouTube for news access.
One challenge could be disinformation that could happen by manipulating videos and photos to distort events. Social media allows information to go out faster, but often at the expense of accuracy, which is why fact-checking is important.
to get correct information could be by watching trustworthy sites or even TV channels like BBC, Reuters and much more.
Introspective_lychee your point about how people consume news is really important. How do you think the platform impacts the reliability of the news that people are consuming?
Hi Amanda, I'd love to answer this interesting question of yours! The platform does impact the reliability of the news that one is consuming. Some people follow certain news channels and believe whatever they say blindly, not even knowing that the news is accurate or not. For example, the media and platform always show things that are eye catching and popular so that people get attracted to the news which can spread misinformation quickly. The headlines or content don't even cover up the information, it's short and catchy which leaves a lot to imagination. So, in my opinion, balanced reports or platforms that are authorized and trusted (means they are accurate and have less chances of spreading misinformation) can be reliable!
I personally believe the platform people use is the main determinant of the whether the people are getting to read actual and correct news, or they are not. Social media, for instance, and other news platforms are good for dispelling news quickly, but the concerns to a great extent surrounding their reality may not be the priority. So, as a result, reporting by using explicit images from films, which might not have happened, may easily overtake the truth. To me, I couldn't imagine anything more terrifying than seeing videos and using photos simply for purposes of reshaping the whole story.
On the other side, the old more serious media such as BBC and Reuters are not only the most well-known brands, but also the most credible ones because they have high standards and use fact-checking methods. Nevertheless, some people argue that these sources can be biased though, which is according to their political outlook. Consequently, this is why I advocate for the cross-verification of information from different resources.
In my view, the media companies should take more necessary measures to ensure that the spread of misinformation is curbed. However, at the same time, citizens should educate themselves on how to fact-check. What's your point of view on this matter: should social media do more or does it depend on people to authenticate what they access from the news?
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I disagree because the facts and statistics may give us facts on the war but they don't compare to the personal stories. I say this because the statistics give us mostly the percentage which can show us the amount of something that happening. The personal stories actually give us particular information and important details.
In conclusion I understand you point , but I think personal stories.
I think that it depends on what type of person you are. I know that a lot of people like to research and find data, statistics and facts, instead of listening or reading personal stories. There are a lot of people who prefer listening to these personal stories because it allows them to envision what these people go through in their daily lives and feel sympathetic. This also relates to a topic we recently discussed in my ELA class, where we discussed the three persuasive appeals, ethos (credibility), pathos (emotions), logos (reasoning). I personally think I am more influenced by personal stories and experiences. I have seen multiple stories of children and adults alike who have told their stories about living through this war. I feel terrible that there are people who have lost their children, or children who have lost their parents. It is horrendous that these tragedies have to happen.
Trustworthy_gooseberry - great point about how people might like to consume information. Do you think that people can come to the same conclusion or learn the same things about the war through personal stories versus facts/statistics based on their preferences?
I think that people can learn the same things about the war just to a certain capacity. I think that when given facts and statistics, you are able to see the numbers of how many people have passed away, but with personal stories, you learn more about who the people who've passed away were. I think that this can make more of an impact rather, than just referring to these people who have stories and families as "just another number" I think it is important to learn more about who they were or what they did in life.
I agree with on the fact that personal stories can provide bigger emotional impact rather than statistics that are "just another number" because they show the human side of a tragedy. However, I also think that facts and statistics are CRUCIAL for understanding the scale of an event. Without the broader picture like knowing just how many casualties there are or the extent of destruction it's easy to lose sight of reality. While personal stories touch the pathos persuasive appeal, Ethos and Logos appeals like facts and statistics give us a foundation to grasp just how wide reaching the war truly is. Thus I truly think that BOTH are necessary for a deep understanding rather than it depending on a persons preference because both can bring different knowledge to the table, when all three persuasive appeals are present, this gives way for true true understanding. This way, people can acknowledge the emotional power of personal stories while also emphasizing the importance of facts and statistics for a more deeper view.
This is exactly what I think! I believe that if we use both facts and personal stories combined we can create a report that affects people around the world both emotionally and retrospectively. Facts and statistics wouldn’t work on their own because people would get bored of hearing them and their attention would go elsewhere as it was very tedious. However, I don’t think that personal stories would work on their own either because there are no real evidence to back the point up. So personal stories bring the creative and personal side, whilst facts and statistics bring the realistic and in-depth side. It would be great if we used them both together!
In my opinion, combining both is the best answer. Simply using one is not enough. The facts (on their own) are just numbers that may desensitize us to the real situation, the real threat to actual human beings. While using personal stories on their own doesn't help us fully visualize the chaos.
So, I think that we should find a way to integrate both personal stories and statistics into our discussions about the Russo-Ukrainian War. For example, the facts on their own don't tell us HOW or WHY individuals are displaced, mixing them alongside stories to explain HOW and WHY these individuals got displaced will fuel the cause and public opinion towards Ukraine will increase.
Anna having to leave her country by force (disregarding her national pride) is powerful and motivating but only on a small scale that won't reach the majority of people as raw statistics reach more people and cause more effect. So, having Anna's QUALITY of effect alongside the statistics QUANTITY of effect is crucial to accurately measure the situation.
News outlets can begin acquiring fame from the public that eventually spirals into real protests made by people who actually care. Imagine starting off with Anna's story then delving into the statistics (this is the same tactic used in the Hub post). And then delving into other subjects regarding the war (political prosecution for example).
In conclusion, while personal stories have the higher quality effect, raw statistics have reach and quantity. Mixing them together results in effective news that reaches everybody.
You have really written a very nice comment shy_meerkat!
Could you answer whether, is it possible that the emotional impact of personal stories could sometimes overshadow the necessity of cold,hard facts in shaping long term change?
I find your question intriguing and your opinion about how personal stories impact the facts, however my perspective varies when you state that - "emotional impact of stories could sometimes overshadow the necessity of cold,hard facts. " I do understand your concern over how the emotional aspect of stories can overshadow the harsh yet true facts but its these stories that help us in getting a better insight to what is the situation at hand and what exactly are the people going through in real life, facts and statistics however might be very refined by the media and show only war from the perspective of a president or an army chief or from the view point of diplomat which makes it hard to trust them in the long run while personal stories share the true happenings of the war and how it affects the people . It helps us build a connection powered by empathy with those whose lives have been turned upside down due to war . In the long run personal stories coming from both the sides can be more impactful and trustworthy rather than refined and sugar coated facts, since a lie told 1000 times can sound like the truth but never be one. Similarily trusting only these "facts" would hamper both sides since the masses would decide their biases by only these facts while no one would try to understand whats truly behind all these numbers.
I think that your perspective is interesting, and I agree. To get a better understanding of the war, you need to see the personal hardships of people and the overall facts of the war. I especially see why you said that numbers may desensitize you to the real situation. From my perspective, since the statistics of war are such high numbers, it is to a point where I can't fully understand the grand scheme of war, only to the point where I know a lot of people are affected. Numbers and statistics may also make it feel like the real people involved are just numbers, and something you can't empathize with. So, seeing the personal stories alongside the numbers lets you get a full picture of the war and its effects.
In my personal point of view, I believe that sharing the Russia and Ukraine war through the personal experience of the people who lived the war is something great and ideal. Here are some ideas about why I think like that.
Firstly, it is significant and important to hear the views of people who lived in war because they own a direct and concrete experience furthermore, they may provide us with a deeper vision about the war and how they were affected by the war. They can also tell us about their effects on their life and society. Secondly, hearing the views of people who lived the war can help us to understand them and they make us know that this war is not just a political or economic event but a painful human experience. I also chose that option since the facts and information posted and published on social media can be fake moreover this is extremely harmful.
To conclude, when we hear the views of the humans who lived the war, this will help us to know how effective the war is on members and civilizations additionally, we will learn from them how to stop wars. Also, this will decrease the spread of fake news.
THANK YOU.
This is a good comment. Do you think there could also be some fake personal stories ? How could this impact views?
Dear Tracey @ KPMG, thank you for replying besides appreciating my comment and giving it a star. Your question will be answered at the moment.
I believe that some people that live in war can publish and post on social media fake personal news that are more horrible about their situation consequently people can sympathize with them furthermore people will send to them money, food, supplies and goods.
This is extremely effective. It can affect on how people think about the conflict. People will be confused about it since some people tell fake news however others tell what really happens to them during the war or conflict. This also can change the people's opinion and point of view to the worse and also this affects the public opinion.
To conclude, when humans hear someone's personal story, they must make sure if the speech of this person is true or fake not to take a terrible decision or not to Chage a point of view to worse.
THANK YOU, Tracey @ KPMG and I hope you gain the information.
I think that personal experience is the best because factual evidence might help to find out how people died but they might not see what their last words of who they love. But the personal experience might make you understand the concept even deeper. For example, 9940 people have been killed but you might not know their experience of how they got killed, their last words, or the moments before they have gotten killed.
For me it's a close vote but the logic never lies even though the voice of the people matter, but while people are at war we need the cold hard truth. On the other hand, the option to her people's personal opinion is valid since the feeling of it happening to you or around is great, but that is only if you're looking for a first hand experience of the war, not the background of why it happened because only logic can give that answer.
I agree with your opinion it is such a hard question to answer. I have heard people that say that most of the first hand experience are lies or exagerating the truth. The war has been going on for such a long time, some facts could become foggy in ones mind, im not denying that. But even if facts are incredibly important but I belive the peoples voices telling all their strugles and hardships are more important than any fact or stadistic
I choose that the best way to share the news story about the Russia-Ukraine war is something else. Personally, I think that the best way to convey a news topic like the war is to see both the facts and personal stories from people. Knowing the personal stories of someone like Anna Tuzova, who was affected by the war, gives personal insight to the effects of war and how people feel it should be handled. However, knowing the facts of war is just as important, as it gives a bigger view on the effect of war, and the scale it has affected people. Either way, both are important to conveying the Russian-Ukraine war.
Do you think there may be others ways that a balanced view could be conveyed? Are there any other options?
In my opinion I think both facts and personal stories help people understand what is happening. Providing both experiences (as in telling your personal story) and facts and statistics will tell the full truth and give people a broader picture of what is happening or what has happened.
Experiences tell people what others are going through and what they think of the situation. The problem with experiences is that they are sometimes twisted with perspectives and opinions that are not always true, but that is where facts and statistics come in to provide stone cold evidence on problems and situations but even though sometimes they don't also provide a big enough picture.
Personal stories and facts and statistics support each other by giving a unique and wide spectrum of thoughts and ideas, at the same time giving people the truth.
I think that it is through their personal stories and experiences because those who share their experiences and their personal stories to others tell them maybe where to go or how often they should come out of their homes, they also tell them how dangerous it is in some areas. For example, if a journalist comes and shares how unsafe areas are and warn people with their experiences so that more people can be safe or not receive attacks unexpectedly in certain areas, this will help reduce loss and help save lives.
Another reason why I think people should share their experiences is that it will help people to know more on what is happening, like me I didn't know much about Russia and Ukraine but after I heard some people's personal stories I learned much more about the war.
I think through personal stories because...
Personal stories come from people who have experienced these things. They are the most important because these tell people who have not in their place, they would be able to tell people the inside story about the area. For example, when the state I live in was suffering from attacks, many people thought a lot of people had left the state but when personal stories were being heard people discovered the state only lost less than a 100 people.
Also when you hear personal stories it is coming from authentic information from people who have been there and have been eyewitnesses to the war. Personal stories most are true they come from what people see it will also help people will show empathy. Personal stories also help people say what they have been through.
I think statistics and facts and personal stories are both effective when sharing the news, but I think personal experiences have a more powerful impact. For example when I watch the news I always hear about Ukraine and how many soldiers died and how millions of Ukrainians fled the country and this is emotional, but not as personal stories. My uncle is actually friend with an Ukrainian woman that came in Romania in the summer of 2022 as she was running away from the war. And since then she started to learn Romanian so she could speak with us and two years have past and now she speaks very well Romanian. She tells us stories how the Russians blew up her house and how she was forced to flee as fast as possible so she wouldn't be captured by the Russians. She had to left behind most of her personal stuff and even her dog. When she told us this story, my mum cried and this is why I think personal stories are more affective than statistics and facts.
Statistics are important too, but personal stories are more emotional, especially when you hear the story from the person talking in front of you.
Thank you for shared your personal experience and perspective. What your family's friend went through in Ukraine sounds awful but I am very glad that they have found a home in your country and a friend in your family.
Yeah, it was very devastating for her to leave behind her house and all her personal stuff and also her dog. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for her to lose everything that she has worked for. She literally had to start her life from zero. It was also very hard for her to accommodate with life in Romania as she didn't know the language and no one would hire her because she couldn't talk Romanian. The last two years were very hard for her, but recently she got hired and actually bought an apartment. She managed to rebuild her life from scratch which is very impressive because she did this in a short amount of time.
Not long ago, she visited her native city, Mariupol which is occupied by Russian forces. She told us that when she arrived there her building that she used to live in was in ruins as the rest of the city. After she saw this she said that she will definitely remain in Romania.
My family was happy because this woman is a very good friend of ours.
First of all I am truly sorry for this experience. However, your perspective is very meaningful and well articulated. Your example demonstrates how personal stories touch human emotions and leave a long lasting impact.
Your uncle's Ukraine🇺🇦 friend's experience is really heart breaking💔 and tragic. While statistics help us to understand the reality of war, only personal stories allow us to grasp the human side of the reality. The fact that your mum was burst into tears upon hearing her story shows how person experience can profoundly affect and influenced people's mind and soul.
However, I believe that the most effective way to share news by combining a person of stories with factual data.
Statistics and information help us understand the biggest picturesque. While personal stories bring that information to life on a human level.
For many, like yourself, personal story may feel more powerful because they can't directly with emotions. I also believe that statistics help us see the boarder reality when we don't just hear about one person's tragedy but recognize the sufferings of many...
....thankyou....
I think facts expresses what is going on better. Facts can give more details on what is going on or what has happened. If we use people's stories only or their perspective that means it will only give their opinion on what the people think, feel, heard or even perceived to have seen and sometimes what people hear or their perspective might be bias. This can give false information or misleading information because it is coloured by the way you perceived the story. Take the Russia and Ukraine war for example people have different perspectives and stories based on the angle they saw the war from but the facts state categorially the number that fled. The fact gives us the number of healthcare centers destroyed. People's stories can't put a figure to what is happening but facts can.
I understand. Hearing just one's person perspective can often be misleading as that's the only point of view we see the conflict going on, but it's not true that people's stories can't put a figure to what is happening, because they can. This can be a good opportunity for more people to come out and share their story! I think it would be interesting just watching a video of multiple people that have experienced the war to tell their story as in doctors, fighters, children, students, parents, teachers, and so much more. This can be really eye-opening to many people, as they are open to more perspectives. before stories by these people were released, I would've had no idea what it was like to be the Ukrainians fleeing their country, students falling behind because the war interfered with school work, and so much more. Stories can be so much more than just one person's perspectives. It's also the perspective of many other people that had to go through the same challenges as them.
I would like to disagree with you, because in India people value personal stories more than anything. To understand this better, we should consider:
1. The age of the target audience and their interests: India has a massive middle-aged population, which tends to value stories more than statistics. Similarly, the younger generation focuses on descriptive comments by popular entities rather than tables of data.
2. The government's efforts to hide its mismanagement: The government has often offered controversial explanations for disasters. For example, during the Kumbh Mela, a major river-dip festival, a stampede resulted in 48 reported deaths. However, locals claim nearly 200 lives were lost. This was a preventable accident. Another example is a railway station accident, where two overcrowded trains arrived simultaneously, resulting in another deadly stampede. This demonstrates the mismanagement of the railways. To convince the people of India, the victims are often targeted by the media, as they attract viewers and force the government to take action.
This element is applicable to both short and long-format news. During scrolls on platforms like X, people are attracted by famous quotes or people's experiences. I am not saying that facts are useless, but they also provide a unbiased image. The government's control over what is presented as fact can affect its utility. Countries like Russia and North Korea are very strict regarding the facts that their media report to the world. Yeonmi Park is strong example, as her personal stories depict the lives of North Koreans.
I know a refugee from Ukraine and it is inspiring how they do not show how much they are hurting on the inside. This person has lost a lot of hope of ever seeing their family again, they prefer not to talk about the war and try to forget everything about it. I support this person and home they will eventually be reunited with their family, thank you.
I choose A, personal stories because it gives first hand details of what actually happened from individual's personal experiences and not just speculations. It could help people know what is happening and how to go about things in times of danger, another reason I say so is because most fact that are said, some people might not believe it. Most times experiences are good because it allows us to learn and gain wisdom, and it also helps in creativity and makes people know the effect and impact of certain happenings and events. Actually I didn't know the major things about the war in Russia but now through peoples experiences I have gotten some of the major things, I didn't know.
Thank You!!!
In my opinion I think option B, facts and statistics. The reason why I chose this is because option A which is people's stories about their experiences is not the best option to choose because peoples stories might not always be true for example A Ukraine solder killed 10 Russia solders and starts to brag and tells lies that he killed a million Russia solders so that would not be true and that is why option A is not the best option to choose and option B is practically the best the best option to choose in my own opinion.
THANK YOU FOR READING
In my opinion, the best way is to share personal experience about the war because this happened really to someone so it is more better because you express your own feeling about your adventure and what is happening there in the war and it makes you it makes feel your are in the war with them because you show your emotions that comes from inside you really and you see that when someone do a video about what is happening in the war when it is just a fact that you know or something really different when someone do a video and he/she is talking about something that happened to him really and this person is not thinking while talking because this person is saying his own words for inside with reall feelings because he was just in this experience and finally this is my opinion.
In my opinion, people’s personal stories are more important. I’m not saying that facts are not important but maybe not as much as their experience. Facts bring us some general information but I think they don’t give us sympathy as much as personal stories do. I also think people’s personal stories make us think more about their life and situation.
I say we should go with people's personal stories, I say this because people have been forced to leave their country, both the Russians and the Ukrainians. It would be more helpful to know personal stories because that would help people to know the good, the bad and the ugly flanks of both sides and alter any perspectives that people have based on stereotypes.
Also, the war affected not only Ukrainians as most people think but it also affected the Russians because since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, over 10 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee, but an estimated 1.3 million Russians have sought asylum in other countries since the invasion of Ukraine. They sought asylum because they were against the war and they did not have a voice to speak for themselves against the government so they decided to leave and not be a part of what their government was doing to the Ukrainians.
In my opinion the best way to share news about the Russia-Ukraine war is by sharing personal experiences about the war because when people share their stories, other people can pick some points on how to avoid all the troubles that is happening in the Russia-Ukraine war. When people share their personal experiences, it teaches some lessons on how we can all work together to stop the Russia-Ukraine war and other wars outside the Soviet Union. We can make the world a better place filled with love, kindness and peace only if we love and forgive each other.
In my opinion, I think that, both personal stories and facts plays an important role in sharing news about the Russia-Ukraine war. Personal stories, like Anna Tuzova's, help people connect emotionally and understand the human impact of war, making the crisis feel more real and urgent. On the other hand, facts and statistics provide a broader picture, showing the scale of the crisis and helping people grasp its significance.
The best way to share news is by combining both, using personal stories to create empathy and facts to provide context. This balance ensures that people not only feel the impact of the war but also understand its full scope.
In conclusion, both personal stories and facts are important in sharing news about the Russia-Ukraine war. Personal stories creates emotional connections, while facts provide a broader understanding. A balance approach ensures people both feel and comprehend the impact of the war.
In my opinion, I believe that personal stories are better. They connect with the person reading it, and especially me. When I read just facts or statistics about a captain topic, I'm not really affected. It's just common for me to see facts that I've probably already seen. I'm not sure about other people but I think that it's very interesting to read personal anecdotes from people who first-hand experienced the situation. It gives me an idea of how hard life really is for other people and how fortunate and privileged I really am. I enjoy reading diaries of people who have a story to tell as in Anne Frank. I find these types of stories to be far more interesting that the data stuff. I didn't really have any idea of the Russia and Ukraine war until I watched videos and read stories about how much it affected lives as in home lives, school lives, work lives, and so much more. This is why I think personal stories tell the issue better. If it weren't for me stumbling upon a short video on how it affects people in the war, I would've barely known anything about the conflict going on.
I pick facts because...
Facts are most times true and give a possible estimation on the number of what is happening, it is also real and confirmed to be true. For example more than 900,000 people have fled both Ukraine and Russia this is an estimated fact which is true.
Also personal stories can come from one side of a place it will not be able to cover the entire place, while facts are gathered information from journalists, etc. Personal stories most times have stereotypes coming from opposite groups because of what they have heard and seen. For example people from one fraction can say the other group do not want us to be independent, which might not be true.
I fully see the perspective you have on facts vs. opinions. Facts can give a very wide scope on the effects of war, giving us estimations of the number of deaths, refugees, and injuries. Facts also convey the ongoing problems straightforward, without bias, so it is easier to understand the war and create your own thoughts on it. However, I feel not all personal stories come in with bias, or at least the ones shown here. They talk about their personal experiences and struggles of the war. Despite not getting the full scope, I feel these personal stories give a more selected scope into how the war has affected people. While most facts give the broad scope of what has happened, personal stories can convey how that has affected people. Like your fact, 900,000 people have fled from Ukraine and Russia, give a scope of the magnitude of the war, but a personal story, like the journalist's on here, show the details of how it has affected her. I fully agree with your perspective, but I think this is something to consider.
Russia - Ukraine war has been going on since years. Though, it is necessary that people get all the news related to it. In my opinion, both personal stories as well as facts help to get news about it. Both have their own advantage, like if we hear to personal stories, we can get emotionally connected to people and understand what and why something happens with them or any other, as humans. On the other hand, if we shift to facts, they tell us the whole system ; the exchanges with other countries, the injustices being done with people like Ilya Andreev, the attacks by the country, and many more. So, hereby I think that listening to personal experiences is a more efficient and useful way to get to know about something. Although facts cover all the points and spread information from the depth of the news, they cannot be relied always, they are not always true and can be biased.
Whereas, personal experiences share all the information and can be relied as they are shared by people who have suffered and gone through it. This allows people to get to know whole of the story and nothing is left untold.
I believe that the best way to learn about war firsthand is to hear people's stories and personal experiences. Although facts and statistics help to shape quantitative data (such as how many people have been injured, how many people have been displaced, etc), it does not shape the qualitative data. Statistics fail to acknowledge the things that go on behind the scenes, alongside any personal difficulties. For example, simply saying that someone was injured does not declare how they were being injured. Personal narration help to emphasize the matter of things that occur and how it felt.
In my opinion facts are more valuable than personal stories. For example, a person may say there have been a certain number of people have died when really that number is much higher or lower. However, facts don't lie. So, I think facts are more valuable especially when attempting to gage the severity of a conflict.
I think using facts is the best way to navigate something. If you will use the facts rather than the personal stories you will be more informed as facts don't just depend on someone's experience about something. It uses statistics and numbers even some expert's conclusions and what happened from the early beginning of the topic for instance Russia and Ukraine. A personal story will tell you what they experienced but not what they didn't unlike facts that tell you the whole story; as well, facts don't use any emotional language that could change your opinion ( it is just what happened ) unlike the personal stories that "mostly tell what happens emotionally so this could even change your side or thought about the topic.
I think the most important is facts because
Many facts are 90% true because they come from journalists who have been through a lot to give of stress and pain to get us information.
Also personal stories are over exaggerated, which can cause people to hear fake news. It is also the same thing has fake news received from fake journalist.
Personal stories can rasist because of where they are from. For example someone from Russia would say that Ukrainians hated the Soviet Union and want to
Personal experience would be the best possible option because we would really get to see what's happening to the victims of this war victims from the Ukraine and Russia. And overall we would get a vivid imagery on what would be going on instead of facts and statistics because they don't compare to a persons in real life story and what they have experienced because this is in real life this a person speaking on their story and how they got victimize .
The best way to share information about the Russia and Ukraine war is through personal experiences and thoughts. Asking someone with personal experience would be more beneficial because it would come from a first hand source and from someone who is actually experiencing. When finding more about the war, facts and statistics could also be helpful but someone with experience would be able to elaborate and communicate more about the war, whether its about their daily life, the scenes that they see, or the procedures that they do.
Personally, I believe that personal stories do a better job at sharing news about the Russia-Ukraine war then just listing facts alone. When we hear individual experiences, it becomes easier to understand and connect with the real impact of the war. For example, hearing about a family who had to leave everything behind and flee from Ukraine makes us feel empathy and realize the human cost of conflict. Facts can be important for providing context and understanding the scale of the situation, but personal stories make it more relative. It's like putting a face to the numbers and showing how the war affects people's lives in different ways. These stories remind us that behind every fact, there are real people going through challenging and emotional experiences. So, sharing personal stories alongside facts helps us get a more complete picture of what happening in the Russia-Ukraine War.
the best way to share it to other is by sharing the experience with others we can learn more and understand about what they went through that way we can help them by sharing it to others.
I know that England has 254000 refugees at the moment and i see them everywhere and they are nice people why is Russia hurting them? There are stories about peoples houses being bombed along with their family members and all of this just for land? What are your opinions about this?
I think that news about the war should be spread by personal stories, as statistics are just numbers of terrible things that have happened, it would not be as touching as personal stories of people that saw these things happened and saw their family gunned to death, their comgrades killed ,and their home destroyed.
I personally believe that using people's own stories and experiences is the best way to share news about the war. Facts and statistics can only tell you so much about a situation, and majorly leave out how it feels to be involved in such a conflict. People's own stories and experiences can help us put things in perspective. We are able to see the events through their eyes, and are therefore able to understand and sympathise. However, I do understand that some views can be biased, and it is sometimes better to rely upon facts and statistics that are proven to be true, for example in a news article or show.
I believe that the best way to share news about the Russia-Ukraine war is through personal stories because as it can show first-hand the actual affect that the war is having on the people trying to live their lives. You can simply read some numbers about casulties and destruction, but hearing a story about how it actually affected someones life can evoke sympathy and horror in the recipiant, making them care more about the war, helping and donating to charities to make sure that that experience does not happen to anyone else.
The personal stories have more human emotion in them- you feel more hearing a story about someone that you know by name suffering a tragic fate and hearing the saddness in the story-tellers voice than you do hearing a number of people dying. You do not know any of the people part of that large statistic, so you care less. The statistic has the shock factor, depending on how large it is, but the personal experiences have more of an emotion connection for people to care about.
In my opinion, the awareness of peoples personal stories is the best way to spread awareness about the war that has been raging on for 3 years now.
I believe this because personal accounts are much more impactful than sharing statistics and percentages. This is because something that is personal has much more importance as it can impact people more due to the emotional connection that these stories have, allowing us to empathise with those that have suffered during the war.
However, percentages can still be important and be very moving, stories with a personal touch are much more powerful.
Furthermore, facts and statistics can be twisted and not show the full image, making something seem less of a big deal. This further strengthens that personal accords are stronger than facts, as they show the trauma that the war has made people go through. They also allow the full truth to be shown and not shadowed and hidden.
I chose option C because to me, both facts and personal stories are equally important for sharing news about the war.
Facts and statistics are an objective way of viewing what happens in the war, although depending on which country the statistics are from, the information will be different. For example, the news in Russia talks about the war as a special military operation, as they focus on ideology. In addition, sometimes it might be fake news which is spread, which has incorrect information about the number of casualties, the scale of destruction...
Personal stories from victims of the war are more touching and are much easier to empathise with rather than a bunch of figures and digits. The people telling these stories talk about how the war has changed their lives, ended those of their friends or family members, destroyed their homes. They are the first-hand experiences of people who have seen and are living in hell, an insight into what is really going on in Russia and Ukraine. However, some people might make up their stories or exagerate some details, so they are not as reliable as facts.
In conclusion, facts give an objective view of the war, but can vary depending on which country they come from; and personal stories share the experience of the people whose lives have been ruined, which makes people listen more, even if some of the stories are fake or exagerated. Both ways share information about the war, whether factual or personal, they are important to get a better understanding of what is happening.
I think option (A) is the best , Because it makes us feel their struggle.it might helps us to understand more about their personal problem and can understand their hardship caused by the trauma in the war . We can also get to know about the physical condition of people and about the country . Facts can't give a clear statement , it can also be made up by the country's perspective but the stories told by people is real and explained clearly . And some people don't rely on facts. if they hear peoples speaking about their situation it would surely make them believe the news.
I firmly believe that the news related to the war should be shared through facts and statistics. Regarding one's own known stories, they may be just a 'story', with maybe barely any truth, but facts are actually real which tell us about the situations without any biasness to let the reader be a critical thinker and know the accurate conditions, as its human tendency to be biased at moments and tell everyone the facts from theirs only point of view, where at the same time the facts provide a larger point of view.
Do you think that personal stories can be useful in helping people understand the impact of a situation, even if statistics provide a more objective view?
I strongly believe that facts and personal stories are the same in this case. As for facts, some facts about what is happening during war between two countries, are not very " agreeable". This is because some facts are only showing what is happening in one side of the battle, so they sometimes seem biased to the other one. But that does not mean that they are inaccurate, they are just a small portion of the real truth. In addition, facts are mostly very "general" in a way that is not very effective in the viewer's thoughts about the war, I am extremely certain of this, as some facts I have read on websites about different wars DO accurately share the truth but in a very general way, unlike live news reports or videos. On the other hand, personal stories do share the whole truth, since they are real documents of real people who experienced this, BUT the critical question still remains... how do we know that the person who is sharing their experiences are genuinely telling the truth, they are perhaps faking it just to seem innocent in some way, this could be easily detected by the way they are expressing their feelings, like using body language or eye contact= strong expression of "real" feelings . But there is still a concern about this... how do we know that the person that is using these techniques of expression are not just simply acting? And how can we detect this? What are your thoughts on this?
I think that a way that we can share the story of Russia and Ukraine is by personal stories.. Because personal stories has more details and adventures, an example is when there is a show on TV and its about the war of Russia and Ukraine so you will see that they have got people who experienced the war and what has happened . Also I think personal stories has facts but facts doesn't have personal stories or opinions , so I strongly and without being hesitated I choose personal stories....
Hello everyone !
Sharing personal stories about the Russia-Ukraine war is incredibly powerful. I mean, when we hear about the conflict through the eyes of those who've lived it, we connect with them on a deeper level. It's no longer just a news headline; it's a person's life, their struggles, and their hopes. I think that's what makes it so impactful.
In contrast, just listing facts and statistics, as presented in Option B, doesn't quite have the same effect. Don't get me wrong, data is essential for understanding the conflict, but it can feel overwhelming and detached from the human experience. When we focus solely on numbers, we risk losing sight of the people behind them.
That's why personal stories matter. They put a face to the statistics and remind us that there are real people affected by this war. By sharing their experiences, we can create a more nuanced understanding of the conflict and its impact on individuals and communities.
Thank you !
In my opinion, I feel that the personal story about the Russia-Ukraine war is better. Although the facts and statistics might tell you about how many people fled that country or how many people have been affected by the war it is not the same as personal stories. The news for example, yes might use facts and statistics but also uses personal stories to help the viewers at home better understand whatever is going on. It is true that facts and statistics give you the numbers but personal stories can evoke emotion to whoever is hearing it which could cause that person or country to want to help the citizens there just like in the Russia-Ukraine war where some countries are allowing Ukrainian refugees to come into their country. In the end I personally feel like personal stories about the Russia-Ukraine war are better than statistics and facts.
I think that both the facts and personal stories have their unique advantages and disadvantages so let's navigate each one :
Facts, have a lot of outstanding advantages such as that the information you get is objective; hence, it offers a great understanding of the topic, it covers more various aspects of the topic resulting in a more comprehensive view and they are accurate and reliable.
However, it also has disadvantages such as complexity which makes it challenging for the reader to get all the information and its non-emotional language which makes it hard to connect to the audience making it easier to understand.
Personal stories offer emotional connection making the topic more relatable and human, they provide information from the experiences of people in the war highlighting their struggles and so on. It also provides engagement as personal stories are more engaging and memorable making people aware.
Nevertheless, it also has its disadvantages that are :
They are only focusing on individual perspectives not showcasing the whole context of the war.
They are subjective and may not provide the war or the topic comprehensively.
To conclude they both show unique features; as well as the choice returns to the reader about what way he/she needs to get information, subjective or objective.
I heard a lot of knew about the war between Russia and Ukraine. It's very powerful and it's continuing up to now. I have a lot information about this war and facts that some people didn't hear about it.
1- Russia and Ukraine are two countries that share a border and have a long history of friendship and arguments. Over 30 years ago, Russia and Ukraine were part of a much bigger country called the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was so enormous and powerful. This worried some other countries, including America the most powerful country now in our world, so these countries set up a group called NATO(the North Atlantic Treaty Organization). The countries in NATO agreed to protect each other and stop the Soviet y
I heard before some news about the war between Russia and Ukraine. It's so strong war and let many people to die. I have a lot information and facts about this powerful war that some people didn't hear it before.
1-Russia and Ukraine are two countries that share a border and have a long history of friendship and arguments. Over 30 years ago, Russia and Ukraine were part of a much bigger country called Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was a enormous and powerful . This worried some other countries including America the most muscular country now in our world, so these countries created a group called NATO(the North Atlantic Treaty Organization). The countries in NATO agreed to protect each other and stop the Soviet Union from invading them.
2-In 1991, more than 90% of Ukrainian voters chose to become a new country, independent from the Soviet Union had spilt into smaller countries. Russia, which was the largest member of the Soviet Union, was not happy. The Russian government wanted it's old Soviet neighbors to remain close friends, but Ukraine became friendlier with America, the European Union and other NATO countries.
3-In 2014 Russia used it's military to take control of a part of Ukraine called Crimea. NATO said that this is illegal but today, Crimea is still under Russian control. On February 24th 2022, Russia launched a full scale invasion on Ukraine. within a month, Russian forces captured their first major city in Ukraine, Kherson. Many countries have helped Russia and Ukraine in different ways during the conflict. Russia Ukraine up to this moment is fighting to life
Great knowledge independent_rabbit - can you tell me your opinion on sharing the news on the Russia-Ukraine war through personal stories, or facts and statistics?
While facts and statistics are crucial for understanding the scope and scale of the Russia-Ukraine war, personal stories offer a unique compelling way to connect with audiences on an emotional way and convey the human impact of the conflict, which is often absent from purely numerical data. Heres why personal stories can be more eefective in certain ways than relying solely on facts and statistics:
-Facts and figures, while informative, often lack the emotional depth to resonate with audiences.
-A single personal story can illustrate the broad consquences of war more effectively than any number of statistics. The lived experience of refugees, soldiers, or civilians caught in the crossfire provide a tangible understanding of the conflict's human cost such as trauma, loss, and the challenges of rebuilding lives.
It is more important to see the actual facts about a conflict than the often embellished personal stories that are offered from both sides. It is often that the personal stories can get weaponized in misinformation campaigns and used to do historical revision from a biased angle.
in my opinion if people share they personal experience it may deter people from wanting war and it is appalling to think that in the 21 century that we have war this should not be happening
When we talk about what can tell a story better, we don't need to exclude one method and dismiss it as irrelevant and incapable. Rather, we should focus on how the two methods can be used in symbiosis to impressively tell a story.
Numbers are a great tool to give a general overview on how many people are affected. However, they have one thing that they lack in. People reading a story might not be able to grasp the scale at which an event is affecting people. This is where personal stories come in: using personal stories generally makes the reader more able to sympathise with the people affected. If people read about the personal story of one human affected, they can, in combination with numbers, grasp how severe a situation is. If I read a number, then I always have to tell myself that there are stories, individuals behind them.
And this is why it is important that we use both methods in symbiosis: We need to make people aware, that each human of the one million, that stands in the news, stands for one individual, one tragedy.
And it also works the other way around. In the grand scheme of events, one personal story is nothing. Buy if we know, that there are thousands, even millions of similar tragedies out there, we might be able to understand the situation a little bit more.
Only then can we even begin to grasp the full scale of a major event and how it is affecting people, like the russian invasion of Ukraine.
I think that the residents personal stories and opinions give us a better understanding of the situation in the hand and what is really happening on ground. These stories provide us with a better insight in the the situation of the people and help us to connect with them apart from just numbers or facts. While 10,000 deaths or 1500 injured might just sound to us as mere statistics, its through these personal stories that we get to know that these 10,000 or 1500 people are actual people with a family like us and live normal lives like us, these stories helps the audience to build a better connection and empathise with the residents and provide them with morale support .
First, there’s a **personal story** about a woman named Anna Tuzova. She had to leave Ukraine because of the war. Her story is real and personal, about how she had to leave her home and start a new life in a foreign country. It’s scary and sad. You can feel her fear, and it’s like you’re walking in her shoes. That’s how personal stories work—they make you feel like you’re right there with the person.
But then, there are **facts**. For example, over 10 million people from Ukraine have been forced to leave their homes because of the war. These facts are important because they show you how many people are affected. But facts are like numbers on a page—they can feel a bit distant. You know they’re true, but they don’t really make you feel the pain or fear that the people are going through.
I think the personal story is way better! When you hear Anna’s story, you connect with her. You imagine what it would be like if it was you, or someone you loved, in her place. It’s not just numbers or a distant war anymore; it’s someone’s real life. That’s how stories work—they pull you in and make you care about what happens to other people.
Of course, facts are important too. They tell you how big the problem is. But while facts tell you the *what*, stories tell you the *why*. They make you understand why those numbers matter.
So, yeah, the personal story is the one that tells the news better. It’s not just a number. It’s a life. What do you think—can we truly understand the impact of something as huge as war without hearing the stories of the people it affects?
Great comment. Is there a risk that a personal story can be so moving that people are convinced by it even if the facts say something different?
Hello Henry, you know a story like Anna Tuzova, the woman who had to leave Ukraine because of the war. It’s not just a boring number, like "10 million people had to leave." No, it’s HER story. It’s like she’s right there in front of you, telling you how scary it was to leave her home behind. You can feel her fear, her sadness. You can almost feel the cold air and the fear of never knowing when or if she will be safe again. That’s what makes personal stories so special—they make everything real. You’re not just hearing about a "situation." You’re feeling what that person is feeling.
But what about facts? Facts are like numbers—big, cold, and kind of hard to understand. "Over 10 million people fled Ukraine," they say. That’s a HUGE number, right? But it doesn’t make you feel anything. How can you feel the pain of 10 million people all at once? It’s just a number. But Anna’s story? It makes you feel the weight of that number. You see how it’s not just a statistic. It’s real people. People with hopes, dreams, and families.
Sometimes, facts can seem too far away. But a personal story? It brings everything closer, like you’re walking right beside that person. So, yes, the personal story is like a magic key that opens up your heart, showing you why the facts matter. Without the story, it’s just numbers. But with it? You *get* why it’s all so important.
There is a risk that personal stories can be so moving, convincing people even if the facts contradict them. The real problem is the quantity of personal stories required to convey something. I believe that a personal story is like assembling a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, hence many such stories are needed to analyze the multiple dimensions of the war. For example, watching stories of teachers, doctors, and journalists only makes our thinking oriented toward specific causes, so we neglect other issues, such as those of students. Another problem is that these stories can generalize one's opinion. There can be instances where stories are only outliers, or they elicit empathy from the listener without the context (dangerous for those who lack context) of the real situation, making people believe them.
With the new generation liking short-form news, facts can act as core statements that present a rounded image instantly, without requiring them to find reliable sources. One perk facts offer is their wide range of comparisons, from literacy rates to several indexes. A solution to prevent the negative effects of unreliable stories is to choose the right media outlet. Many news reporting channel has an agenda to promote; for ex, I have observed that some news channels in India provoke or support the current government. One should alternate between these outlets to get the best of both worlds. My father once advised me never to have a favorite news channel, as it can have bitter consequences in the future in situations where you and I have to make decisions that shape our countries.
In my opinion, it is thanks to real facts as well as testimonies that we can share information about the war. Because a person who has experienced the war and all the horrors that make it up is the person best placed to explain it to us. I think it is also possible to share information via facts because a fact transmitted by a media can be much more precise because there can be more figures and data on the war but the media will convey to us differently the thoughts of all the people who lived through this war. The only negative point is the fact that the media do not always have the freedom to say everything they want and therefore they will transmit information wanted by the leaders. This is exactly what happened in Russia. The president has seized information to avoid creating panic in the country and perhaps even an overthrow.
SInce the war began, terms like "sanctions", "invasion" and "refugee crisis" have been filling the headlines. But what's the best approach? The cold-grounded facts? Or the stories in the beating hearts of individuals? Which resonates with people? Which has the best impact?
I'd like to begin by saying that numbers carry WEIGHT and they don't really lie or have bias. True, statistics may be factually incorrect but the chance of that is lower than someone misremembering an event or painting one side as the clear heroes. If you ask a Russian deserter about his opinions of Russia, of course he isn't going to be fair to Russia. Same goes for both sides.
But numbers can feel displaced. What does "10 million displaced" mean? Imagine a grandmother in Kharkiv, clutching her granddaughter's hand as they board a train to Poland, not knowing if they're ever going to come back home. Picture a Russian student in Georgia, whispering faint apologies to her Ukrainian classmates over coffee. Grappling with the guilt of the war. Personal stories turn statistics into faces, names and voices.
But they are not mutually exclusive. Data without humanity risks numbing us. Stories without context can oversimplify. When we hear about a Russian asylum seeker, do we dismiss them as part of "1.3 million" or do we wonder how we they got there? Maybe they're a journalist, maybe they're a parent. Knowing the sheer number helps but the image of a child's stuffed animal abandoned in a bomb crater is what truly makes change happen. Always remember, every number is a voice crying out for freedom.
In my opinion, I think facts are better than perspectives. I said this because many times peoples perspectives are not always the same and if people rely on personal stories, they might not know the true story and they might over exaggerate and you might react in the wrong way.
Using the education in Ukraine as an example, the information in students notebooks are written down from the government's perspective. People won't look at the long term effect this might have on them but actually if the students aren't told the real story, when they grow up the truth won't easily slip through but it will take a while. Most times, facts widen your understanding but hearing peoples opinions don't paint a broader image. This is why I say fact are better than personal stories.
I think the personal perspective of an individual is the most important way to share the Ukraine-Russia war because the facts may come from somewhere else, instead of the person or persons who actually experienced it. For example, If there is a fact that comes from someone that lives in Europe, then they wouldn't know exactly what happened or how it may have truly effected people, but someone who actually lives there will know exactly what happened and the impact it had on them as well as others.
I think the best way to share the Russia-Ukraine war is through a personal perspective. I say this because not all facts are true but some of you guys might say, ''But what if the personal perspective is not accurate?'' Well how could it not be accurate if the person had actually experienced it! Not just that, but we have learned that in Russia people would not be able to speak the truth which can make some facts inaccurate. However, perspective is something you can not alter. It is an account of how you feel or how you have experienced things and what's not real about that.
I agree with personal perspectives because I feel like it's better to know how people feel about the war and their dislikes. Facts are important but nothing beats someone's personal experience. It can seem more believable when it comes from a person who has experienced that event first hand. Perspectives can also provide information as well , and probably give you more information than a newspaper. Facts can be seen as information thrown at you while personal perspectives can clearly state not only how they feel but can also provide facts while still expressing their emotions.
In my opinion. I think personal experiences are the greatest option because even though some might not be true. It's good to see people talk about their past and how it was we can use lie detectors on lying people and for the honest people we can believe on heart rate and sweating . These can help us on information on Ukraine and Russia.
Can you explain a bit more about what you mean when you say using a lie detector?
The reason why I choose the person's perspective is you can get more facts from the people who felt and seen what has actually happened than the local news or papers. Facts do provide you with information but if you think about it, doesn't someone's perspective give you the same thing. The only thing is someone's perspective tells you what they felt, while yes fact tells you what is going on everywhere, facts can be changed while a person's perspective can't be changed because they saw and felt it. That's why I said a person's perspective and not facts.
I believe that the personal perspective of the people in those countries share the news better. In the videos we discussed in our lesson, we saw that journalist were reporting that the government was lying about what was really going on in the Country. They were even told to not call it a war, so that means the government is providing false facts. So, if you were to look something up about that country or look in a magazine or newspaper, you would be given false information or limited information. If the government is telling lies about what's going on in magazines and or newspapers, you cant trust them. However, you can trust the peoples perspective because they have been through what's happening in the country and know the truth first hand.
In my opinion people's personal experience on the war is more important because I think it is a lot more believable coming directly from a person that experienced the war first hand or the victim.This can also give you an inside look on the war and the reality of the war and what is really is happening or happened that most people probably don't know about.This can also change the perspective of a person not in the war that believes something different.
In my opinion personal perspective is the best way to learn about something. Yes there can be liars and fake journalists and people not telling the truth but why would they lie about something important happening in their country? They are using their own voice, someone who has a high reputation or lets say BBC the news channel is talking about the war and their"s gonna be somebody from that country saying what they said was wrong. Personal perspective can have liars but they can help change somebody facts and help understand the situation more that can change their point of view, and we can't change that but with somebody's opinion they might realize what they did and tell their opinion.
I feel like the personal perspective of a Ukrainian or a Russian can explain the conflict between Ukraine and Russia better because the facts that are given to us from news writers or journalists outside of the war may not give detailed information about it. This is not to say they don't give information at all, but to show that information is limited in facts. However, with the perspective of people actually experiencing the war, the limit is raised a lot higher. This is because they actually live in the country and are therefore affected by most of the things happening IN the country. They are able to gather more detailed information than the facts of an outsider could. Most of you may say the facts may come from inside the country, but then this would technically be someone's perspective. So the perspective of someone in the war is more accurate than facts about the war.
I think option C in the pole, in my opinion, would be correct as I believe that it will take a bit both of the options A and B togather to be the real reason or true news about war between Russia and Ukraine. The reason behind me having such a kind of vision is that every person does have a feeling of patriotism, whether it be in the depths of their mind, but still they would definitely have a soft corner for their country. So a mixture of personal experiences, on ground reports and facts would be the ideal mold for the truth behind the situations and conflicts between both the countries.
Thank You
In my opinion, I think that facts are more important than personal experience because facts are true about the war and personal stories are opinions. as a example: what if there was a bomb siren and the place where you live you would mostly die because if you're in the radius you could die, brain damaged and half of your body disappeared, but facts are true that says something true unlike personal stories it is personal opinion. Facts are more important than personal experience but personal stories are important but not that important.
In my opinion, I think the personal stories are the most important, because with them, people and countries not involved in the war will know how people is suffering and maybe this countries could help them by letting them staying in their country.
Also, I think the facts are very important because with this facts people will know what is happening, like knowing how many people have died.
I think I'd go with personal stories; as well as, my evidence will be divided into a list :
It shares the news of the war from someone's point of view letting us know the feelings of being in the war and the experience.
It describes everything in detail making the story more interesting.
It has emotions such as courage and fear, connecting the reader with the story.
It has quotes from the person himself making the story more authentic.
Provide some information about the war so the audience understands what is happening.
It respects privacy as no story is said without the acceptance of its owner.
It mostly uses pictures or videos that are real making the story more engaging and realistic so you can continue it.
To conclude, personal stories or experiences are very special as they interestingly share the news with emotions, showing the human side of the conflict, not just numbers.
I believe that facts were better because of reasons such as they were understandable yet quick, also having a better chance of being true. quick and didn't really give an opinion so you could have your.
Firstly, they were like 10 words that made loads of since while taking me 5 seconds to read like I'm pretty sure the longest one took 20 seconds to read, while with the opinions by the people sometimes it was hard to understand what they were saying and it takes like 2 minutes each and they try as hard as they can to make you like one side.
They also have a better chance of being %100, but human opinions have a better chance of having it around %70-%90 correct but I am not calling people liars but it better to choose the more trustable sources.
Also a does not have an opinion on stuff it doesn't come up with stuff unlike people who pick a side and try to convince everybody because we can make up stuff but facts don't fight about it they tell the truth without making people mad.
While I understand your point I am going to have to disagree. While the information and facts on a topic may have a higher chance of being true that does not mean they are not biased or exclude information. For example, my Japanese friend talked about how in Japan the teachers teach WWII like Japan was minding their business and then suddenly the US decided that they wanted to nuke them which clearly excludes the attack on Pearl Harbor or the many war crimes that imperial Japan committed. This information is clearly biased however it is taught in school which is known for teaching CREDIBLE information. I am NOT saying that all facts are biased however from what I see facts and statistics are more biased than personal stories so personal stories are superior.
Question: Which do you think shared the news about the Russia-Ukraine war better: the personal story or the facts?
I think that perspectives shared more news about the Russia-Ukraine war. I think so because, the personal stories show the person's viewpoint and it can change throughout each opinion so you will get to see what other people think about the conflict. If we used facts only it would only give us 1 viewpoint so we may not get what other people think about the conflict. I also think that many viewpoints make your opinion better. In conclusion, I think perspectives shared better news about the Russia-Ukraine war.
In my personal point of view, I believe personal stories and experiences are the best way to learn.
When I thought about it more, I realized that if people who lived through a war shared their stories about traveling, escaping, or surviving, it would help us understand what really happened. It would also help us to learn more about their country, which will get us to the part of facts and statistics. And not just that! it would be better if we listened to their experiences. But why???
It helps you know their viewpoint and feelings so you can be delicate when writing or to just know their point of view in way to learn.....
But let’s go back to personal stories and experiences to finish. For me, telling people’s stories about war is really important because it gives us real facts. At the same time, we learn what happens there and how people travel, escape, and survive.
Thanks for reading! ☺️
I chose answer choice C, or something else because, I think both facts and experiences share news about the Russia-Ukraine war really good because, personal experiences can help us see how life as a military soldier, or how the war affected many schools and families. Also, facts help us learn about the topic, and explain what is going on about this topic. As Anna Tusova stated, many schools were affected and destroyed by the full scale war, and also how she had to flee from Ukraine to Poland, just to stay safe. Also, the news was helpful to explain that many Ukrainians were affected by the full scale Russia-Ukraine war, and how 1.3 million Russians have sought asylum, or seeking for international protection.
I believe that facts are more important than perspectives in the Russia Ukraine war because some people's perspectives can either be fabricated, or forced by the government to paint themselves in a good light, and not as they are in the wrong. On the other hand, facts are the truth and cannot be changed or forced to be biased.
I disagree because there is a way for everything in life to be fake we don;t spend our lives stressing out over whether or not anything is true ,but also they can use facts to check it. I know there is always a possibility but they can be prevented and prof checked .
In my opinion, I think all personal stories, experiences, and facts are the best way to share news about the war. Experiences dive deep into what actually happened behind the war and can show what the people are doing. Facts can show what happens outside of the people and show what is happening inside the war in depth. Now if we use all the advantages of the experiences and facts we get the best way to share news about war.
In my personal opinion, the best way to share news about the Russia-Ukraine-war is through people who are experiencing the war. It's good to have facts and statistics but personal stories of people who know what is happening is a better news source than any facts. But this also backfires when people can tell inaccurate stories that may not be what is happening, sadly there is no way to prove if they are giving accurate stories or not. In conclusion, it is good to have personal stories, but since you can't be sure about the truth, backing the story up with facts is a good idea.
From my point of view, sometimes we need personal stories to truly understand facts. If we only pay attention to facts we can underestimate reality or not appreciate how serious or important something is. For example, if in a terrorist attack 2 people are killed, we may think this event doesn't have a lot of importance because it can be a ''low'' number compared to other cases, but we are still talking about two human lives with families, friends... To understand completely a war or an event we may have to think beyond the facts and hear the personal experiences of people to see how things really are and not see people as numbers or life as facts and events. Sometimes, to understand why something happens or someone does something we need to know their perspective, objectives and background. Nothing is really a coincidence and everything has a cause.
I believe that people's personal stories and experiences are the most powerful way to share news about the Russia-Ukraine war. While facts and statistics provide important context, they often feel distant. Personal stories, however, make the war real, emotional, and relatable. They allow us to see the impact through the eyes of those who are suffering, helping us understand not just the numbers but the human lives behind them.
Hearing firsthand experiences from refugees, soldiers, and civilians gives a deeper understanding of the human cost of war. A Ukrainian mother who had to flee with her children, leaving behind her husband and home, makes the crisis feel real. A Russian journalist forced into exile for speaking out shows the impacts of censorship and fear. These stories evoke empathy and make the war more than just a distant conflict.
Personal experiences help the world see war through the eyes of those affected, making the new more impactful. While facts provide accuracy, personal stories connect emotionally, making them one of the most effective ways to share news about the Russia-Ukraine war.
I think that people's personal stories and experiences shared the news of the Russia- Ukraine war better because the facts we see and read in news might not be absolutely true because of censorship. We can get false news but mostly personal experiences are not false. Like, government of Russia can always share news against Ukraine and vice versa.
I think both, facts and personal stories, are essential for sharing pieces of news. On one hand, facts tell us about what is happening with numbers or statistics and they talk in a general way.
On the other hand, personal stories reflect the real life of a person and how they feel. Just for the way a person tell their story, you can notice the reality in their eyes or in the way they talk. Even though I think both are important, personal stories have a huge impact in everyone's way of thinking about what is really happening.
I think that the best way to know what is really happening in the war in these two countries, Russia and Ukraine, is with the first person testimonies of the people, since nobody is going to tell it or have the same experience and feelings as them. Apart from this, as a main part, statistics could also be added in order to observe how the war is developing and to calculate it´s possible future consequences to try to start looking for a solution for them
In my opinion the personal stories explained the Russia-Ukraine war better. I say this because the facts don't explain as clearly as the personal stories. One of the facts says (since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, over 10 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee). Sometimes facts don't give the true meaning. It's just based on statistics. But, when hearing their personal stories, I had a better understanding because I wanted to know what it was like to experience it first hand. Unlike the facts, the personal stories can give more details in the end because they experience it in action. In the end I say the personal stories explained the Russia-Ukraine war clearer and provides more details by explaining what it was like. This in the end gave me a better understanding of the war.
In my opinion I believe that for factual information you’re gonna require both personal perspectives and facts. The reason I say this is because without both personal perspectives and facts you wouldn’t actually be able to gain truthful information. Using both sides of the story and point of views but also with the facts that help back it up will help people draw easy conclusions and be able to come to an agreement on some topics with the proper unbiased facts and hearing from the people actually in the situation and combining them together.
With using both of these in effect this could bring more understanding for certain situations within the war, with using both methods of research it could bring out the actual truth from hearing both sides of the story and putting that together with already known facts that’ll help you realize the actual deep rooted truth behind the war and the impacts.
In conclusion I believe that using both facts and personal perspectives in effect will actively help you reach a fundamental understanding of the war from an outsiders point of view on what actually is happening in the Russian and Ukraine war.
Personal stories and experiences to me seems like the most appropriate and effective choice.
A person who conveys their own personal experiences is truly expressing the stuff they have been through. Unlike facts and statistics which are not certain to be actually true, a personal story or event someone has been through is more likely to be true.
With a personal story, people are more likely to be persuaded and create a greater perception of rationality. Personal experiences allows people to new perspectives and lets people to see stuff from a different point of view. If a person is influenced to help and make a change regarding Russia and Ukraine.
However there are a few drawbacks to personal stories as it cannot be used as evidence for journals and news reports.
I think personal perspective and experience are better because in the video I watched it said they had to lie and say it wasn't a war it was a military experience.If they didn't lie they would be imprisoned.
From my point of view, the best way to be informed about the war is through personal experiences. When we listen to someone's story about the war, we don't only have a real perspective of it, but also we can see their feelings, their struggles. When a refugee from the war tells you their story, you can realize how hard is their situation, but if you only care about the facts that news give, you would never understand what is the real suffering of people.
I think the best way to share the Ukraine-Russia war is through people's personal perspective. As long as it's not the government of each country from the war (Russia and Ukraine) says something, it most likely would be false. That's because inside the video I watched, a lady who was a journalist said that if she said something that was the truth she could go to jail or exile. I believe that some people who experienced the war could possibly be lying. But if they left Ukraine or Russia then that tells that they don't want to be involved in the war. Meaning they possibly would tell the truth about their own stories as long as the country they were from didn't see it so they wouldn't go to jail or exile. That means it is a 50/50 chance it they tell the truth or not. Also the people in the war was forced to fight. One of the Russian war fighters didn't want to fight but the other people in his group because of that. Which means he was forced to fight. Also stating that some people from the war would tell the truth. I know I said that quite a few times already but I'm just telling examples. This is why I think that the personal perspective is the best way to share the Russia-Ukraine war.
I choose a-people's personal experiences because,like the Russian journalist said,they can't tell the truth about what is happening or there we go to jail.But similarly they both are being forced to to fight during the men who fought bough said they were forced to fight in the war.It all really comes down on who is hiding the information.Which is the government so we all know who is doing this.The government started but doesn't want to end it.But we all know both of them are struggling to manage.
In my opinion, I believe that B would be the best choice. I believe this because, option A states " Through people's personal stories about their experiences." And yeah you would like to hear from somebody's point of view that has had experience in the war but, you don't know if that person is lying or not. For example, today in class, we were watching this video and somebody stating their experience and their perspective on and in the war, and they said that " This fight that's going on between Ukraine and Russia is not a war, it's a military experience." And we know that they are going through war because almost 30,000 people died in this war. That doesn't sound like a military experience to me because if it was, they would be trying out something new like a practice. And sometimes people are forced to lie because the government doesn't want anyone to know what's going on and when these people decide to tell the truth after the government told them to lie, they would be imprisoned and no one wants to go to prison, so they have to lie. And for C this question is for you, if you were to pick C what would it be?
I chose personal stories because most times facts and personal stories line up. And these personal stories can be backed up or proven with facts. When people hear stories that are from important times in history from other people, they feel a sense of empathy and pity. These personal stories can also help fix or solve problems by spreading more awareness and information about the topic. Overall I do think that both facts and personal stories work great together .
In the poll, I voted for the personal experiences over facts and statistics. I'll admit, facts and statistics do provide us with more insight on the war in terms of specific numbers but they don't allow us to know just how much it's ACTUALLY affected the people. Facts and statistics are words and numbers but when you hear personal stories it's more than just words, it's human emotion. You can read about the amount of houses destroyed all day, but that was just read... in your own head, in your own tone, but...when you hear someone telling you about their homes and neighborhoods being destroyed you get struck by more than just shock, you get sympathy, you FEEL and connect with the person who shares the story. It's way more valuable to hear the truth from those who have LIVED it than from those who report on it. The emotion poured into them is different. Whenever I read about the Ukrainian and Russian war, yes I do feel sympathy but NOTHING compares to when I hear the stories of the survivors, the refugees, the soldiers. They'll draw tears to my eyes because their spoken words are more than written words, they're like daggers piercing my heart. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but only the truth was spoken when I say that I'm left with more of an impact and knowledge of the war if I hear it in a personal story like the ones provided by Topical Talk than if I were to read it on my own. Stories like those of Anna Tuzova, Svetlana Tomlin, Yulia Starostina, Roman Kuziv, Alexander Vanyukov, and other people who have experienced the war firsthand had informed me more than facts.
My opinion is that we learn more from the personal stories of these people rather than the facts, yes the facts show us the statistic of what is happening, but the statistics don't tell us about how these people have been affected and how they feel about the situation at hand.
Medical care in Ukraine has been forced to adjust through giving medical care underground because of the hospitals being damaged and destroyed. Teachers in Russia have to really watch the things that they say about the war because they aren't sure of what the parents would think, should the child go back and repeat what they've heard. Not only that but how the Russian government has begun changing the textbooks to influence the children into their ideologies.
These personal stories tell the people outside of the conflict about what they experience, what they feel, how much things have changed due to everything, and we are even told the stories about those who are seen as 'deserters' providing further insight into how they were actually treated in the army and why they left.
I believe that the best way to learn about the Russia and Ukraine war is to hear about people experiences as it is straight from the source as they have been put through these situations so only they will be able to describe in detail the effects and events that have happened or are ongoing.
It’s creates a deeper more emotion impact on readers as it is raw emotion from war goes meaning that it means the public will take it more seriously.
I think sharing about war through personal stories is more attractive which means many more people will come to know about it and by knowing facts basically we will see the past about which we can’t do anything but by personal stories we can see how war is affecting the pillars of country which are citizens and also refugees. Personally when I heard Ms. Anna’s story and when I read the facts so of course I liked the personal story more because I could imagine myself in her place and feel the struggles but facts are something about which I can’t practically do something but by personal stories at least I can be empathetic to refugees and other citizens.
According to my personal perspective, the personal stories share news about Russia Ukrain war better.
For instance, Anna Tuzova's strory helps to create an emotional connection to the conflict and also purs a face to statistics. Also by sharing her experience, Anna humanizes the war and makes it more relatable to people.
On the other, the facts, are although very important and are informative but can't make people personal and atached. Facts cannot evoke strong emotions like personal stories.
Personal experiences like of Anna help to:
Make the issue more relatable and make conflict feel more concrete and real.
Create empathy and a sense of connection to affected people.
Highlight human impact in a more direct and personal way.
But by combining both personal perspective and facts we can have a comprehensive and better understanding of Russia Ukrain war and its effect.
Since I was young,my parents always taught me that we need to know the history so we,humanity,don't repeat the same mistakes.Well,here we can see an example of how some people seem to have forgotten it.Writing this comment from my personal experience,I've always been a fan of history books: war,politics,and the worst things that either instincts,power or money have led a human to do.For this reason,I am really concerned about what has been happening on this border for several years so far..What speaks more by themselves, personal stories or facts? Which is the goal we are really trying to persuade when hearing to these stories, this data?Are both of them at the same level of importance?
First things first:sometimes,it is really difficult to differentiate this terms.For instance,and as you probably know,a lot of Russian journalists have been imprisoned for "not thelling the truth",so, even if the arguments you may think are facts are wrong for a lot of people, are they still correct? Who is the one worthy of deciding what is or isn't a fact?Today,we can also appreciate how too much power concentrated in only one person (like Putin)makes things even more confusing.For this reason,I think that people living away from these conflicts need both things:a wide variety of facts and stories.While experiences allow us to empathize in a more personal way,facts are vital to surround us with evidence. Having the right quantity of both will make it easier to understand the situation of all these citizens and to remember that we are not talking about numbers,we are talking about people.
I feel that as more misinformation is spread in this world, people will spread their own news about certain events such as this very war, which wont work. So, with that point, personal stories would be the right answer, which is also incorrect. They should be a mix. Using true stories from victims and escapees of the battlefield and what the government knows will mix into complete true news instead of trying to fight to choose what's real and what's fake.
I like to hear other people's stories about this because it makes me empathize more. When I watch the news everything is always about what the presidents do about this which, is important because they are the ones that can stop this conflict, but I would say we never hear about the people. The only thing the news tells us about the victims of this war is that they die, isn't that sad? It's like they were "only numbers" but they actually were real people with a life, a family, goals... It worries me a lot to see all the people who die everyday because of this, people who could have been important or fulfilled their dreams.
Also, I don't know if this is only in some places, but I have noticed that less news about this are shown and I don't understand why. The war still goes on and there are still people out there fighting. As I said before, I like to hear all these personal stories because it makes me empathize more and shows the truth of this: the citizens.
Both the personal story and the facts share the news in different ways, but I think that personal story is more powerful. When Anna Tuzova talks about her experience , it feels real and emotional . Instead of just reading numbers , when we hear from someone who have lived through the war , it becomes easier to connect with her struggles . Her story makes the crisis feel personal and helps us see the human and real side of the war. While facts show the scale of the issue , they do not always create the same emotional impact. A personal story helps people understand , care and empathize those , who were affected.
However , facts are also important because they provide a clear scale of the crisis . They help us understand how many people have been affected . Without facts, a single story might feel like an isolated case , but the facts and numbers prove that it is a part of a much bigger problem. Still , numbers don't always create the same emotional impact as a personal story . While facts share information but they don't make people feel connected to the issue.
I think the best to share a news is to combine both facts and personal story. Facts give us full picture and personal stories bring those facts to life. In the end people might forget numbers , but they will always remember a real life story that is connected to them and stays in their heart and mind.
I think that A- to tell personal stories- is the best way to share news about the Russia-Ukraine war. By choosing A, we can tell others what has happened in a way that will make them listen and prove that it could happen to them. If we decided on B- facts and statics- it could be quite boring to listen to that and no one would pay attention. On condition this occurs, no one would be interested and it wouldn’t spread as much as it could because it was found tedious and full of facts that didn’t make us fascinated. However, true stories from people who have suffered from the war, like Anna Tuzova, will make us listen because that could’ve happened to us. In addition to this, these stories could be from friends, not from some news reporter we don’t know, and we want to listen to friends. Presuming that we choose A, everyone will be fascinated and astonished and spread the word quickly. Therefore, I believe the best option is A because it all depends on whether people will listen; with A they will definitely listen.
In the poll, I chose C- something else- because I believe we should accomplish both A and B combined. True and personal stories help us realise that this is happening to the beloved people in our world and could’ve happened to us so it need to stop. Also, B tells us how much this is happening using facts and statistics that show us this is real life and we need to do something about it. So, if we do them both together, people will know everything about the war and will be influenced to stop it. With B, they will know that approximately 1.3 million people have left Ukraine to seek out answer home in another country. As well as this, they will known that over 10 million citizens have been forced to flee Ukraine. This tells us in a factual, important manner what exactly has happened with no mistakes. A is a more creative way that shares stories and lets us know that this is happening and they wish it would stop but it doesn’t. So in conclusion, I believe that we should perform A and B combined!
HELLO
I personally think that personal stories are the best to know about the culture of the country. As we saw in the "what should be done to protect journalist" tab.
1. If the reporters are not allowed to report freely and the facts that are published are regulated by government, they no longer are facts but a piece of info we need to process without thinking. Well then the question arises, what if someone lies about their personal stories? I think nobody would. Not just because of their moral but their fears. We already know what happened to journalists who reported freely so nobody can ever dare to tell a made stories about countries like Russia.
2. The personal stories depict deep emotions of the narrator and make us attach to them. We can never attach this deeply to just simple facts. Now you will be like attaching or not to facts make no such difference but they do. When we attach to something we find similiarities and differnces between us and hence get a sense of motivation or responsibility to help them, to change the circumstances.
3. info facts provide is general like how many dead or injured but we never know how many assaulted, traumatized or forced to give up life. And we also know with facts how deep a problem is like- there can be 2 wars and the same amount of people die. We would never know if 1 war's effect on people was deep on people than the other war. ex- in finnish winter war and iraq-iran war almost same people died but finnish war lasted almost 100 days and people were not to terrified and iran war lasted a decade leaving people traumatized.
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In my opinion, I feel like the best way to share the Russian and Ukraine war is through personal stories and experiences about the war. I feel like this is true because yes we can find out everything through facts and statistics, but at the same time, we can have a better understanding and also better communicate if we just get the personal stories and experiences of those who had to flee or even people still living there. Another reason why I feel like the best way to share the Russia-Ukraine war through personal stories and experiences is because we can help or comfort people who have shared their stories and experiences. Whether that's by commenting on their videos, seeing them in person, or even calling or text, we can comfort those people who have shared these stories and experiences. And finally, one reason why I feel like the best way to share the Russian and Ukraine war is through personal stories and experiences is because we can learn a lot of things about this war and what is happening through these stories and experiences. For example, Anna Tuzova shared her story about why she had to leave Ukraine. And as a result, people learned more about what is happening in Russia and Ukraine. So in conclusion, I feel like the best way to share the Russian Ukraine war is through personal stories and experiences.
In the poll I have voted that facts and stadistics but I think personal stories can also help us to understand what they are living there. When I so images I feel so sad and think how people is suffering. When the world started lots of people wanted to help families and children but now it is like they "forgot" about it and the war is still there. If we research about facts we could see that around 280.000 people counting soldiers and civilians had died in the war. Then we also need to listen to personal stories, there are people who have lost their family, lost their houses, their friends, their hole lifes... We need to continue helping them because they might have some traumas and it is a difficould situation. If we now this personal stories we could put in their skin.
I think personal stories are better because we get to see what's been happening to all the people in the war both Ukraine and Russia. I feel like the people who share personal stories have more feelings and details about what they have been through. This is why I think personal stories are better.
I believe that the most effective way to understand what is actually occurring in the war in these two nations, Russia and Ukraine, is by the first person accounts of the individuals, as no one is going to recount it or feel the same thing and way as them. Aside from this, as a central section, statistics may also be included in order to see how the war is progressing and to determine it´s potential future impact to attempt to begin seeking a solution for them
I think Anna’s personal story is way better at sharing the news about the Russia-Ukraine war! It’s like reading a really exciting book where the character is you. Numbers and facts are important, but they’re like dry bread without butter – they’re just numbers. Anna’s story is like a warm, hearty meal that makes you feel all the emotions of the situation. When you hear what someone actually lived through, it hits your heart in a way that facts just can't.
The facts about millions of people fleeing are scary, but they’re just statistics on a page. Anna’s story, on the other hand, is like seeing the war through her eyes, which makes it come alive. It's like seeing the world in color instead of black and white! When you hear about her escape and the danger she faced, it makes the war feel real. It's no longer just something on the news, but a personal story that you can’t forget.
Facts are like a map, showing where things are, but Anna’s story is like walking down the path and seeing the places for yourself. Which one do you think helps you understand the war better – the facts or the personal journey?
That's a great way to describe the differences. Thanks for sharing!
I feel that in my opinion personal stories are more powerful and impactful on the masses as it gives a personal touch and makes the crisis and hardships feel personal.The personal stories are the news by the people's own mouths and are stated by the victims.Also personal stories give us a good view of the situation because most of the affected people don't blame a particular country but blame the conflict taking place.
Although I feel that facts are equally important as well.This is because facts give more precise information about the conflict and give accurate information about the casualties and the crisis taking place.
To sum up,I feel that Both facts and personal stories are important as they together give a balanced report but in my opinion personal stories are more impactful and cast a greater impact on the viewing audiences.
In my opinion the best way is the personal opinions, just, because it tells the truth about something that happened to them, their family, nation, their country… This helps us to empathize with them , to see for everything they've been through. And it also can help us know how it's to be in their shoes. All the things that are happening to citizens beyond the screen, and moreover the things we see in the news and in the newspapers.
On the other hand we have facts that also inform us, but it is definitely not the same, facts can be completely manipulated for it to tell whatever people want . For example in Russia they changed the text books, the news are different too, and it tells mostly only what the president wants, and they even said that this war is just a military operation, so this demonstrates that even facts can be used to spread misinformation and this also shows that facts as so as statistics can change depending on the country you live in and depending on what people want to hear. But personal opinions are the story of a person that has been through a real situation, either a good one or a bad one. It helps us to see what is truly happening in the world, how people are living in these conditions, and it also helps us also to better understand the society around us, as I said before, beyond the screen and the facts that are on it.
In my opinion, the best way to share the russia-ukraine war throughout the news is to give real facts and statistics, because real statistics and facts can be from both countries. But if you had to use opinions one country could lose power during an interview or they could be busy fighting for their country which means we would not have all of the opinions. To conclude, the best way to share the russia-ukraine war is by real facts and statistics. What do you think?
In my opinion, I believe that the Personal experiences shared news about the Russia and Ukraine war better. I think so because not everything you see on the internet will be true. the statistics will probably not be accurate and are probably just estimations. Their personal experiences on the other hand, are what they went through therefore, they know that it is true. Their personal experience can show what happened during the war, how things played out, and the reason they did what they did. sure, facts provide important information about the war, but personal experiences show more about what happened. Overall, I think that personal experiences inform people better about a war than facts.
I think that if you want to understand which is the situation of the war is better the personal opinion of the soldiers that have been there and can give you their experience but also can tell the truth because sometimes the journalist have to lie because if they tell the truth maybe they are going to be killed, also when you see a table of facts you only think "wow its a huge number" but you don´t get really interested in the story behind all those facts, all the people that are suffering inside this war all the people that have to left their houses these things a lot of facts didn´t tell you.
I believe that something else is the best way to tell the world news; but not quite something else. Both personal stories and facts combined will help the world see that we need to do something about what is happening on the planet.
If we only used one of them- facts, for example- people of the world wouldn’t be so fascinated by statistics and it wouldn’t stay in their minds or motivate them to do something about it. This goes the same for personal but true stories. Presuming that news is spread by only that, we will think that because there are not facts it might not happen to us as we have no real evidence just stories.
However, if we combine them together news will be shared in the best way possible. Personal stories will make us realise that this is happening in our world to our friends, relatives, strangers or even ourselves. Then adding facts will make it more realistic- like we know that over 10 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee or an estimated 1.3 million Russians have sought asylum in other countries since Ukraine began to invade. We know this is happening and we have to share the news: with personal stories and facts.
I believe that option B, is the most efficient way to share news about the Russia Ukraine war. From personal stories, we can learn the different perspectives of individuals who saw it first hand. All stats and statistics you see when browsing through the internet have a high chance of being untruthful. Hearing from people who have experienced war helps us visualize a concept of how deep the matter really is. In the video, Anna Tuzova states her dream of the end of the Russia Ukraine war, teaching us that maybe most people don't want this war to continue.
One of many personal stories is Ilya Andreev's. He is a journalist that escaped the Russia armed forces due to poor treatment. He explains how he's in debt and was told from a recruiter that he will get benefits if he conscripts in the military. He was told that he will work far from the action, and will have generous signing on bonuses. Then, there was a bomb that struck several meters from where Ilya was sheltering. As a result, all officers were killed. From this personal story, we can learn everything that occurred more specifically than facts do. Usually, the facts only tell us about how many people died at this incident.
However, in the end, it depends on what type of person you are. Some people enjoy researching and looking at facts rather than listening to interviews about other people's stories. But, I believe that listening to personal stories helps us better understand topics.
Personal stories are the best way to share news about the Russia-Ukraine war because they make the conflict real and relatable. Hearing directly from those affected helps people connect on an emotional level, making the crisis feel immediate and urgent. When someone shares their experience of losing their home, being separated from family, or struggling to rebuild their life, it resonates in a way that numbers alone cannot.
Personal stories help people understand the human cost of war. They bring out emotions like empathy, sadness, and even anger, making people more likely to take action, whether by donating, spreading awareness, or pushing for political change. Facts and statistics are important for context, but stories make us care.
For example, think about how powerful a refugee's firsthand account is, describing the fear for bombings, the struggle of finding food, or the heartbreak of losing loved ones. These details help the world see beyond numbers and understand the suffering and resilience of real people. Personal stories also give a voice to those who might otherwise be forgotten, ensuring their experiences are acknowledged and their pain is not ignored.
Ultimately, while facts provide information, stories create understanding, and that is what truly drives change.
The best way to share news about the Russia - Ukraine War is through people's personal stories about their experiences. The reason I say this is, facts and statistics don't tell the full story. For example 12.7 people have been affected by the war. This does not tell us how the people were affected by the war. But someone's personal story or opinion after being involved in the war, can give more details and give someone a real understanding of what's happening.
I think personal stories is the best way to share news about the Russia- Ukraine war as if we look into facts which are published in the news could be fake because of a big problem - censorship. Government could just refuse the media to publish certain facts which is against them. But, as for personal stories, they just share their own experience and perspective which most probably is always true and reliable. The personal experiences also reach us with a sense of empathy which is actually a great thing.
Personally, after reading the information and watching the videos provided by the Hub, the one that had the biggest impact on me were the personal stories rather than the facts; because when I hear someone narrating their experiences, I feel a sense of connection and empathy to them that I wouldn’t normally feel when reading data. From my point of view, the facts are, psychologically, just numbers to us, and it is not until we hear the events from someone who went through them that we feel like their reality is truly dawning on us.
In my opinion I think sharing the story of the Ukraine- Russian War using the personal stories and experiences of the people. We can use the story of "Anna Tuzova". We know that she had to flee her country Ukraine due to the violence. If a journalist were to be interviewing a citizen of Ukraine about the people leaving, it is sure that some of their words could be fabricated and twisted up due to "censorship". Instead of letting the truth out, lies are told instead. So again in my opinion, I think that using the personal stories and experiences of the people for news reports would be better, as their stories would be accurate and give people stories of their experiences.
I think people that had experience shared it with others by telling the news and family members who shared it. Furthermore its important to share it because we can help by getting the right supplies to the people that live there
I think, it is better to tell what is going on with the war through people who had gone through the war. This is because when people talk about it from their perspective, they can tell how they felt, what they saw, and many more very detailed experiences. People who had actually been in action can have a more reliable source of information, rather than statistics and things like that.
In my opinion, I think that the best way to share the Russia- Ukraine, war is through people's personal experiences. Firstly, I think this is because, facts are just telling you what is going on and most news channels tell how people feel without knowing how they actually feel. Secondly, people's personal experiences actually give more detail, give feelings, and give opinions. So maybe interviewing people more often is better.
I think the best way to share news on the Russia-Ukraine war is through personal experience because it can give you information that facts may not be able to provide. It also shows direct information which happens to be factual more often. It provides a direct source which tends to be more specific.
I believe that using both personal stories and facts is the best way to share news. My personal example of war in Ukraine is that lots of my family live in Poland. One of my relatives, who owns a successful business, helped Ukrainians by sending food and daily necessities to survive. When they evacuated Ukraine, she also employed them so that they can earn money and have a job. I think this is really influential to others because it makes you understand what is going on in the war and that the citizens of Ukraine should have help. The fact is that sourced information that Polish people have been helping and still help Ukrainians, however, it is backed up with a personal story so it sounds very inspiring.
In my opinion, I believe that the best way to learn about this topic is to listen to people’s personal stories and experiences.
When I think about facts, I think of numbers: the amount of kids who had to switch to online education, the amount of families that had fled from their country. But we mustn't forget that all these numbers are people.
I believe that when we listen to someone’s story, we open up our minds in unbelievable ways.We think that everything that’s happening all around us is not real- but it really is.
Anna Tuzova’s story has made me realise that war affects everyone in the country,and it’s not fair that so many people have to go through so much pain and feel so much fear. Her family, and many more, have been deeply affected.
By listening to other people’s stories, we build empathy, and this emotional connection makes us truly understand what’s going on out there..
In times of conflict, it’s really easy to focus on facts, data and political debates (which is important as well), but behind every war there are millions of people with a story to tell, young and old. By listening, we will learn about what they've been through; and maybe, this is the first step towards a better future.
Personal stories are the most powerful way to share news about the Russia-Ukraine war because they transform abstract statistics into deeply human experiences. While facts and numbers provide essential context, they often fail to convey the real suffering behind them. Hearing that over 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes is overwhelming, but without personal stories, it's just a number. When we listen to an individual's journey, the fear of escaping war, the pain of leaving loved ones behind, or the struggle to rebuild life in a foreign country. Experiences like this make us connect on a human level.
Stories like Anna Tuzova's make the war feel immediate and personal. They create empathy, making people more likely to care, take action, and pressure governments to respond. Public awareness drives humanitarian aid, policy changes, and support for refugees. Facts alone can be ignored, but a personal story lingers in the mind and sparks real change.
While statics provide scale, they do not inspire action the way personal stories do. A number can be forgotten, but a human experience stays with us. Personal stories make war real, urgent, and impossible to ignore. They remind us that behind every statistic is a life forever changed, and that is what truly compels the world to listen.
I think the best way to portray the condition of a country is VIA personal stories. They give us a deep understanding of the struggles & sufferings of the common people & embeds their emotions deep in us. Ofc we cannot believe if everyone is saying the truth but I think nobody will risk their lives to tell a lie about countries like Russia. The emotional connection we make from local experiences creates a bond that makes the news relatable & memorable. They make us care for the people & take actions for their sake. It helps us in understanding the news from different POVs. Personal stories somewhat forces the govt. to fix the problem as it may deface the govt. cause more people connect to personal stories.
Afterall how can we be sure if the facts are legitimate when we know government has a vast control over media & facts about the country. Facts don't engage us making it hard to focus. With facts we don't get the real picture of the happenings. Most facts oversimplify complem problems leaving us miring in confusion. We don't remember facts & they become of no use. When we only listen to facts we can be sceptic about the situation & not get a clear answer. A fact never inspires us but dissapoints & make us loose faith in humanity. Some facts about murder, war etc. can shake our souls & make our heart sink.
In conclusion I can say that personal stories are more effective to understand news. Even though the facts are important they have major flaws. Making them not as influential. So if we need a clear picture of something we should prefer personal stories over facts.
I think that the best way is through personal experience which gives us first hand information and they talk about they have gone through and not what others think they have gone through and because facts and statistics don't give out the full information about what happens to the people.They only give out the main information.Personal experiences give us what people think it the solution to the problems are.
In my opinion, I believe sharing the Russia-Ukraine war through personal stories is the best way to share news. Sharing news through facts is a wonderful way to spread information about a topic, however, that way of sharing does not go in depth of a topic. I believe in a situation as serious as war, sharing the personal stories of victims really illustrates the destruction and effects of war. Personal stories go in depth of how the people of those countries have to live their daily lives while being in the midst of war. And there's no better place to go, to get news than to the people who experienced it and are currently experiencing it.
It is a topic that has been very relevant in the last two years, we may hear less and less about the Russia-Ukraine war but this does not affect the importance in our world, it is important to know the data and information about what is happening in this conflict, the data helps to understand the size of the conflict but if we only investigate the conflict with the data we can't know how this people are feeling, knowing the personal stories helps us see everything in a more "sentimental" way.
I believe both personal stories and facts are important when we are talking about serious problems. Personal stories help us be in the other's shoes. For example, hearing about someone who lost everything in a war makes us feel sad and care more about the situation. But if we only share one person’s story, it might seem like it’s not affecting many others, these is because not all the experiences are the same.
That’s why facts matter too. Facts help us see a bigger picture and show that the problem is much bigger. For example, knowing that millions of people have been forced to leave their homes because of war shows how huge the problem is. Facts also help us understand how one event can cause many other problems. They make the issue feel real and show why it’s important.
When we use both personal stories and facts, we make our arguments stronger. The stories help us connect with the problem, and the facts show that it’s serious and affects a lot of people. Together, they help us see the problem clearly and make our arguments better.
i agree because the personal stories are good but the facts are also interesting because you get to know more about the war when hearing the facts
in my opinion i would say the Russia-Ukraine war should stop. from my lesson what the people said from the Russia and the Ukraine they both thought the same thing saying "i want the war to stop because I'm getting hurt and so are my friends and family." and since over one million people have been shot, injured or murdered and about 260 hospitals and about 300 health cares have been destroyed. What do you think the Russia and Ukraine war should stop or end?
It gives a better understanding from someone who has actually experienced the war than getting facts of google