Telling China's story more important than ever

Abram Sitzer

Director of Original Content at Discovery Networks Asia Pacific

When telling a story, so many people immediately dive into details — details about what and how, how has this change been possible, what changes have been taking place to allow this economic growth, how many unicorns does China have, what industries are growing. But if you focus on what and how, you are missing the bigger picture — the why.

Facts about growth are impressive, but they are not inspirational. For the world to understand the true power and potential of China, the key I believe lies in why. Why is China able to achieve more than any other nation in this period of time? It's about the vision of this country and its leadership. A dream, a vision is what pushes us higher and farther. A vision has the power to make change, reduce poverty, improve the environmental protection, reduce public and private debt and rebalance the economy to focus on consumption and services.

Understanding why opens a window into the hearts and minds of the Chinese people. It's the key to their inspiration and dreams. What is the reason for success? Without why, without vision, there is no mission, there is no story, and we likely would not even be here today.

The world wants to know why this change has been possible. Today people all over the world are no longer looking to the US for a vision of the future, they are looking for a new dream to follow. I think if you show us China's past, China's present, and most importantly its future, the world will listen.

Second is first-person storytelling. People seek discovery not just because of the stories, but because how we tell them. People want to hear what has happened from the people it’s happened to. A father who wants to create a life for his family, or a tech innovator who has a vision to revolutionize e-commerce, or a leader with a new path for his country. The power of all these stories is hearing them from the mouths of the people that have experienced them.

First-person storytelling makes things come alive. Because experiences are filled with passion, emotion and meaning. The world wants to hear the voices of these visionaries and what their dreams are, with their path that led us where we are today and into the future. So the more first-person storytelling you have, the less narration you have, the more impact and influence your story will have. And that's what we want to hear.