What privacy and sharing options are available for interviews in the Online Archive?

Your privacy and sharing options vary depending on whether you recorded a StoryCorps App interview, StoryCorps Connect or Signature StoryCorps Interview. Please note: Signature interviews are interviews recorded with a StoryCorps facilitator or using a StoryKit. 

If you recorded a Signature Interview 

If you choose Public, your interview and related information will be available to anyone on the internet, and StoryCorps may use the interview and share your interview and other content with others as specified in the release form you signed.

If you choose StoryCorps Community, your interview and related information will be available to anyone with an account on the StoryCorps Archive. Your interview will be publicly accessible on the archive.storycorps.org website, and StoryCorps may use the interview as specified in the release form you signed.

If you choose Private, your interview and related information will not be shared on the Online Archive. You can share your interview via a secret link that only select people can access, while still keeping your interview private and inaccessible to the general public and on the Online Archive and other connected StoryCorps websites and mobile applications. For instructions, click here. StoryCorps may still use the interview as specified in the release form you signed. 

Remember, the release form you signed still applies, regardless of this setting. Your privacy setting only controls the interview's visibility on our Online Archive. If you signed a General Release, StoryCorps can still share your interview publicly outside of the Online Archive, even if your online setting is "Private". You can learn more here.

You can change your interview privacy settings at any time -- and so can any other participant(s) that participated in the interview! Any interview partners who have also created an account and claimed the interview can change the privacy setting. Remember, in order to protect your privacy, you and your interview partner(s) should not share the claim link with others as only participants are permitted to claim the interview.

If you have concerns about how your interview is being shared, please contact us.

To change your Signature interview privacy settings, 

    • Go into your account
    • Click “My Interviews & Profile” 
    • Click on your interview 
    • Click “Edit Visibility”
    • Select your updated preference.  

Signature Interviews Locked to Private

In some rare instances StoryCorps reserve the right to lock a Signature interview's privacy setting to private. If this applies to your interview you will see a lock icon with the text "Interview Visibility is Locked". This means that your privacy setting cannot be changed and your interview will only be accessible to yourself and your interview partner (if they also claim the interview).
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While interviews locked to private are not publicly searchable or able to be shared widely, you can still share your interview with friends and family using a secret link. You can learn more here.
If you have questions about why your interview was locked to private, please reach out to StoryCorps public support by emailing contactus@storycorps.org. Make sure to include your name and to indicate which interview you are referring to in your message.

If you recorded an App, User-Uploaded, StoryCorps Connect  Interview

After recording your interview, The StoryCorps App gives you three options for sharing after you record your interview under "Who Can Listen to this Interview". The three options are: "Everyone", "StoryCorps Community", and "Private".

Please keep in mind that these options apply only if you publish your interview. Unpublished interviews are only saved to your device and therefore are not accessible online to anyone. If you decide to not publish your interview, we recommend exporting it to create a back-up as StoryCorps does not receive a copy of the audio of unpublished interviews.

If you choose "Public", your interview and related information will be available online to anyone on the web. Your interview will be publicly accessible on the archive.storycorps.org website, will be transmitted to the Library of Congress, and can be used in StoryCorps' public radio broadcasts, public television, digital platforms and in other materials.

If you choose "StoryCorps Community", your interview and related information will be available online to anyone with an account on the StoryCorps Archive. If you select "StoryCorps Community," when your interview is published it will be accessible on the archive.storycorps.org website to anyone who creates an account and logs in, it will be transmitted to the Library of Congress, and can be used in StoryCorps' public broadcasts, public television, digital platforms and in other materials. (This setting was previously named "Archive Users Only")

If you choose "Private", your interview and related information will be private and only accessible online by you. When published, private interviews are still transmitted to the Library of Congress and available to StoryCorps. Private interviews are only shareable if you use a secret link or export the file. You can learn more about sharing a private interview here. (The "Private" setting was previously named "Only You")

Please note that you always change your privacy settings at any time.

From the App:

  • Click the three dots at the bottom right of your interview,
  • choose "Edit Info" to adjust "Who Can Listen to this Interview?" along with other interview information.

From archive.storycorps.org: 

  • From your interview page, click "Edit Interview"
  • change "Who Can Listen to this Interview?" along with other interview information.

 


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