Do as I say, not as I do: Documentary, data storytelling and digital privacy

Abstract

This article explores the intersections between interactive documentary and digital rights, across notions of surveillance, privacy and data. The collection of personal and sensitive data online increases exponentially, and individuals become a series of data points, only of relevance insofar as we are part of a larger group marked by similar characteristics. Yet somewhat contradictorily, we are also scrutinized completely. How might creative media production bridge this gap – recognizing our individual complexity while respecting rights to privacy? Documentary media offers one response – individual stories and voices can serve to flesh out a complex story while retaining links to a broader narrative. Interactive documentary, furthermore, can offer a reflexive form of storytelling that uses the very forms of technology in question to highlight the potential problems. This article presents case studies of interactive documentaries, exploring how the strategies of reflexivity and responsiveness can engender an understanding of issues of digital rights.