Some teams treat data as the whole story. I've learned the story is what makes people trust the data.
The stakes
Since 2014, Meta (formerly Facebook) had published an annual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion report tracking its progress on workforce representation and its support for communities of color, women, and other underrepresented groups. The report was accurate, but it read like a compliance filing rather than something that showed genuine commitment.
The solution
The report was rebuilt around the people behind the data, employees, resource groups, and the initiatives they led, using their voices to carry the weight the statistics alone couldn't. A companion video ran alongside the written report, giving those stories a face and a voice beyond the page.
My role
I worked as producer and content strategist, responsible for coordinating content across the organization. That meant working directly with leaders from every Employee Resource Group to make sure each community's story was represented accurately and with care. I built and maintained a centralized collaboration document that let a distributed group of internal and external contributors move fast without losing alignment, and I ran the weekly cadence between Meta's internal stakeholders and my agency team throughout the project.
What happened next
The report launched with a human-centered narrative strong enough to carry the data instead of just presenting it. Meta continued publishing the report annually through 2025, using the same story-first format the project established. Looking back, I'd have preferred meeting employees in person rather than gathering their stories remotely, since that closeness likely would have deepened what made it into the final narrative.
Key takeaway
People believe a story about progress before they believe a chart about it. Building trust meant showing the people behind the numbers, not just the numbers themselves.
The team
Producer & Content Strategist | Sojin Rank |
Project Lead | |
Meta Team | Maxine Williams |