Human-First Narratives Help Public Institutions Rebuild Trust
By Brenda Duran
Published in Public Relations Society of America “Strategies & Tactics” Issue February 2026
When people see their own struggles, resilience and dignity reflected in the stories that public institutions choose to tell, they understand how municipal policies and programs intersect with their daily lives.
Indeed, stories that resonate with people and build connections with them should stand at the forefront of our public relations strategies.
After more than a decade in government communications, I’ve seen how important it is to prioritize people and their concerns in the stories we tell. Stories that reflect people’s experiences help communities understand government programs and who they’re meant to serve.
When people see their own struggles, resilience and dignity reflected in the stories that public institutions choose to tell, they understand how municipal policies and programs intersect with their daily lives.
Indeed, stories that resonate with people and build connections with them should stand at the forefront of our public relations strategies.
After more than a decade in government communications, I’ve seen how important it is to prioritize people and their concerns in the stories we tell. Stories that reflect people’s experiences help communities understand government programs and who they’re meant to serve.
An emphasis on experiences
When communications emphasize people’s real experiences rather than jargon, they invite people into a shared narrative — one rooted in humanity, rather than bureaucracy. During last year’s wildfires, the County of Los Angeles highlighted the people affected and helped tell their stories.
For example, in the series “Voices of Recovery: The Alvarados,” the story of the Alvarados, an elderly couple whose Altadena home of 50 years was lost to wildfire, was shared through various channels. “We moved in here in 1973,” Manuel Alvarado says, over footage of his wife moving slowly with a cane through the burnt debris of their former home. “We have five children, and they all grew up here,” he says. “A lot of memories.”
The video goes on to explain how Los Angeles County is helping the Alvarado family navigate the complex permitting and rebuilding process for their home. This type of storytelling was far more powerful than any press release or statistic could ever be.
A human connection
In the context of municipal or other government communications, stories that put people first start with a simple change in perspective: Policies don’t change lives, people do. When communications elevate people’s own experiences, audiences can see themselves reflected in public programs and understand how those programs intersect with real life.
When public programs have an impact, the public feels a sense of ownership in that success, and residents are inspired to help effect further changes in policies and programs. In local government, we often reach out to underprivileged communities. Such representation is particularly powerful.
When the communities we serve see their own challenges featured in a government story or campaign, it helps us reframe government not as a distant authority, but as a partner in community well-being.
For the past two years, I have helped collect many of these stories from grassroots organizations that have received Care First, Community First Investment grants from Los Angeles County. Their stories are catalogued on YouTube to show the impact the grants have had on local communities and nonprofit organizations.
Stories that put people first also help demystify complex government systems for the public. Unlike in the private sector, government PR professionals often must help explain budgets, policy initiatives and legislative mandates that would otherwise feel abstract or inaccessible.
Translating abstract government policies into human stories, whether of healing, second chances or community needs, also helps ground policy in purpose. It reminds audiences that public institutions exist to serve people, not processes.
An emphasis on people, not systems
When telling these stories, we must also recognize the way that people naturally talk, and stay away from “systems speak,” or technical language that risks alienating the public we’re trying to serve.
This can be achieved by writing like a human, not an institution, and using plain language. Lead with the “why” before the “what.” Most important, focus on people over programs. Focus on a person’s experience and connect the policy to their outcome.
Transparency is also essential. Acknowledging a public agency’s challenges, limitations or lessons learned helps build its credibility. Audiences are more likely to trust institutions that communicate with humility than those that present only polished success stories.
Authentic stories also require the public’s consent and collaboration. Having worked with hundreds of community-based organizations, I’ve seen that residents want to help shape how their stories are told. Giving them that opportunity helps communicators find common ground.
A way to listen and lift community voices
By consistently amplifying community voices, public institutions communicate an important message: We are listening, and we are accountable to you.
In my experience, featuring grassroots leaders in stories about government programs helps move the narrative from “government helping” to “community leading.” This people-oriented approach to telling stories recognizes that expertise resides not just within institutions, but in neighborhoods, families and people’s personal experiences.
Including local residents in government communications also helps dispel stereotypes. Too often, communities affected by public systems are portrayed only through deficits or crises. Stories that put people first highlight human agency, resilience and leadership.
Over time, such narratives influence how communities perceive government intent and integrity. Trust is not built in a single campaign, but through consistent, values-aligned storytelling that centers around people rather than power.
A clear path
For public-sector PR professionals, the path forward is clear. We need to build relationships with community partners before we need a quote. We need to invest time in listening. And we should measure success not only by social media reach or impressions, but by resonance and trust.
In the new year, communicators can resolve to incorporate stories that put people first. When public institutions tell stories that honor human dignity, elevate community voices and speak plainly about impact, they strengthen the social contract.
In an era of skepticism and fragmentation, human-first narratives rebuild trust — one story, and one community voice, at a time.
