Field Reporter Quick-start guide
👤 Field Reporters collect and submit stories directly from the community. They use pre-designed guides to independently create and share stories without needing an invitation.
Introduction
This guide walks you through your journey as a Field Reporter using Folktale to capture and share stories. If you've just been invited to join Folktale, this guide will help you accept your invitation, create a story using prepared templates, record, and submit your stories.
📍 Who is this for?
This guide is for Field Reporters who have been invited to join a Folktale workspace. It covers:
- Accepting your Workspace Invitation
- Creating a story using Story Presets
- Recording and submitting stories
- Best practices for filming
🔑 What permissions are needed?
- You must have received a Workspace Invitation from your team.
- You must be assigned the Field Reporter role within a workspace.
Accepting Your Workspace Invitation
Before you can start recording, you need to be a member of a Folktale workspace.
How to accept your invitation
- Open the email or message with your workspace invitation.
- Click the link to create an account (new users) or sign in (existing users).
- Follow the prompts to join your workspace.
🔗 Responding to a Workspace Invitation
Creating a Story in Folktale
As a Field Reporter, you can use Story Presets to capture stories from yourself or others.
What is a Story Preset?
A Story Preset allows you to capture multiple stories on demand using a predefined structure set by your Insights Lead.
🔗 Creating a Story Using a Story Preset
📌 You can find Story Presets in the Preset section of your My Stories page.
Other Ways to Capture Stories
Story Invitation
A Story Invitation is a request from your Insights Manager asking you to contribute a specific story. You can only submit one story per invitation.
🔗 Responding to a Story Invitation
Community Link
A Community Link is a public URL that allows you to contribute a story as a guest.
Recording and Submitting Your Story
Once you have created a story, you can begin recording.
How to record and submit
- Select your Story Preset or open your Story Invitation.
- Select your preferred recording method to start your video.
- Capture your response the the prompt on-screen
- (Optional) Add additional context with attachments
- Repeat this process for any remaining responses
- Tap Build Preview to see the result.
- Continue following the prompts until you "Submit" your story.
🔗 Recording and Submitting Your Story
Need Help?
- Click the chat widget in the bottom right of your screen.
- Visit our Help Center.
- Email us at support@folktale.io.
Filming Tips and Best Practices
Want to improve the quality of your video? Follow these best practices:
✔ Good lighting – Face a light source to avoid shadows.
✔ Clear audio – Record in a quiet space to reduce background noise.
✔ Steady framing – Hold your phone still or use a stand or tucking your elbows toward your chest.
Learn More with Folktale Academy
Interested in improving your mobile storytelling skills? Folktale Academy offers a free course on capturing meaningful narratives using your phone.
🔗 Introduction to Folktale Academy
🎉 Congratulations! You’ve successfully submitted your first story. Here’s what you can do next:
Next Steps
- Watch and download your story: View or download it here.
- Improve your skills: Take our free Folktale Academy course.
- Explore more features: Visit our Help Center for additional guides.
- Interested in creating your own workspace? Request a demo or speak to sales.