Make ‘Em Cry: CBC’s Impactful Storytelling

Courtesy of CBC: The National YouTube

Thirty years ago, Dr. Lori West, an American-Canadian pediatric cardiologist, made a groundbreaking discovery: unlike adults, babies can receive organ transplants from donors with different blood types.

Recently, The National – the flagship program of CBC News in Canada – revisited the anniversary of that discovery. But they didn’t just report on it. They told it.

Instead of a formal sit-down interview filled with data and medical jargon, the team invited Dr. West for what she thought would be a typical conversation. When she arrived, she was met instead by a coffee shop full of people whose lives had been touched by her work.

It’s a beautiful moment: heartfelt, surprising, and deeply human.

Watch it:

As communicators, there’s a lot to learn from how CBC approached this story:

1. Emotion brings stories to life. This could have easily been a dry, scientific segment. But they tapped into emotion for the heart of the story. That’s what makes it unforgettable.

2. Surprise your audience. It wasn’t a typical news format. By designing a moment that surprised both Dr. West and the viewers, the story became instantly engaging.

3. Show the “why.” Research matters. Data matters. But seeing a room full of people who are alive today because of Dr. West’s work – that’s the why behind it all.

This story is a reminder: when we connect facts with feeling, we do more than inform. We move.