As a politician whose campaigns have been closely
scrutinized, U.S. Senator Cory Booker learned and adapted the lessons of
storytelling not only as a defensive measure, but also as a valid way of
strengthening his reputation and credibility. Throughout his political career
from his days as one of the youngest members of Newark’s city council, the
freshman senator from New Jersey has packaged a compelling and tightly wound
narrative of who he is, where he came from, and what his morals, motivations,
beliefs and values are.
He has been able to do so by a variety of platforms in which
he engages audiences of different stakeholders and interests to tell his story
and he has been fortunate – and admittedly in strategic calculating ways – in
demonstrating in action, and not just words, what matters to him and who he is.
In some respects, his rise in political profile parallels the trajectory of
President Barack Obama’s formative career.
Booker has tangibly proven his intellectual fitness for
public office by attending top universities in the U.S. and abroad. He attended Stanford University at the
undergraduate level, Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and Yale University where
he received his law degree.
In the years before his 2013 Senate campaign, many were
captivated by stories highlighting Booker’s humility, public spiritedness and philanthropy
when he chose to work and live in some of the poorest neighborhoods in New Jersey
after graduation, instead of joining a prestigious law firm like many of his
graduating colleagues. His passion for
bringing as much goodwill and philanthropic value was on full display when he
convinced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to donate $100 million for public schools in Newark. [1]
And, as he prepared for his 2013 campaign, his stories
dominated and framed the media coverage. Perhaps following a result of a
combination of luck and carefully deliberated timing, Booker had compelling
stories outlining acts of bravery and compassion, with some in the media
dubbing him a “superhero.”[2] In
one instance he was able to save a neighbor who was trapped in a burning
building.[3] On another occasion, just after a blizzard
that dumped up to two feet of snow, Booker was out shoveling snow with the
employees of the Newark municipality tasked with that responsibility.[4] They fit the enduring values of what makes
news such as prominence, uniqueness and events of compelling detail.
However, those stories for a high-profile national campaign
also presented significant challenges, as reporters covering Booker wanted to
find concrete proof for them. Learning that his stories could be (and were) tested
seriously by meticulous media scrutiny, Booker “spent about a year conducting
dozens of interviews, cross-checking each version against his own of the major
events that have shaped his career in politics. The vehicle for much of the
research was his memoir, published this spring [2016], United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good.”[5]
As a communicator on a daily basis, Booker has also been
very effective in conveying his story directly by utilizing several communications’
platforms to connect with diverse demographics. He is especially active on the
speaker circuit, giving speeches to organizations, schools and universities
about his life’s journey and dispensing valuable lessons and advice. He also appeared
in an Academy Award-nominated
documentary film called Street Fight (2005) which chronicled the then 32-year old Booker’s
mayoral run against Sharpe James, the incumbent.[6]
Additionally, he was among the earliest political figures to
use social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram on
an extensive and highly frequent basis – so much that he was dubbed the “toast
of social media,”[7] and
the “social media senator.”[8] This
has allowed Booker to reach a global audience (a significant achievement for
someone who has only served in American national politics for three years).
This visibility has led to a wider, broader, and deeper cross-section of
constituencies to hear and learn his story, such as this essay writer who hails
from Georgetown, Guyana.
It is not just the stories that make him an effective
storyteller but how he tells and frames them. Booker uses many quotes and
anecdotes about his life, including from those of his childhood and parents. He weaves all of these elements in a coherent
fashion describing how one event led to another, while dispensing valuable
messages for his audiences to consider. The events of the 2013 campaign also
have chastened him, as he now ensures the stories he tells have multiple
sources that are readily corroborated. It is wise advice for any public figure
who is being scrutinized continuously by traditional and social media.
Senator Booker has been able to capably and effectively tell
his life story by utilizing many communications’ platforms to dispense his
message while doing so cogently and accurately. Additionally, he has been able
to let his real-life actions amplify a legitimate platform to share the core
themes and values of his life story.
[1] Mark
Zuckerberg announces $100 million grant (2010). Retrieved from http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/mark-zuckerbergs-big-announcement-video.
[2] Carbone,
N. (2012). Cory Booker reminds us all he’s still a superhero. Time. Retrieved from http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/13/cory-booker-reminds-us-all-hes-still-a-superhero/.
[3] Newcomb,
A. (2012). Newark Mayor Cory Booker
rescues neighbor from fire. ABC News.
Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/newark-mayor-cory-booker-rescues-neighbor-from-fire/.
[4] Newark
Mayor Cory Booker hits streets to shovel snow. (2010). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-12091176.
[5]
Cramer. R. (2016). Cory Booker gets vetted, by himself. Buzzfeed. Retrieved from https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/cory-booker-gets-vetted-by-himself?utm_term=.inB6g88lg#.pm3KYbbzY.
[6] Street
Fight (2005). POV. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/pov/streetfight/.
[7] Yakowicz,
W. (2014). Cory Booker: see why this politician is the toast of social media. Inc. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/senator-cory-booker-innovation-entrepreneurship.html.
[8] Wilkinson,
S. M. (2016). How he built it: Cory Booker, the social media senator. Retrieved
from http://reputation-communications.com/you-online/how-he-built-it-cory-booker-the-social-media-senator/.
