There are many ways in which to tell a story--through speech, writing, art, performance, and even experience (anecdotes). I don't know that any one way is more powerful or effective than the other; I think it just depends on the subject matter. Some stories have an purposeful and intended meaning, while in others the story is provided by the audience. Have you ever looked at a painting and provided a story for it in your head? Have you ever witnessed an interaction between strangers and provided your own subplot for their actions? Stories are all around us, all the time. In fact, social media provides the mechanism for each of us to share our own mini-stories daily with others, although they might not be extremely exciting or thought-provoking at times.
A modern storytelling model is NPR's StoryCorps. StoryCorps is "an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives." They have recording studios in certain locations and a mobile recording booth that travels to you to record your story. Of course, you have to make a reservation. According to their website, they've have collected more than 40,000 interviews, which they archive and broadcast weekly on NPR's Morning Edition and on their website.
Here is a story told by Nathan Hoskins to his friend about growing up gay:
Nathan Hoskins and Sally Evans | StoryCorps
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