The difference between the two styles has to do with whether you are trying to get someone to change their beliefs and/or behavior. I suggest that if you run an experiment, you'll find that even people who prefer to read in a factual style will be more likely to actually change their beliefs or behaviors when information is presented in story format.

(Heck, you might not have to run that experiment; ISTR that there's already a study showing people shift attitudes as a result of identifying with story characters.)

Eliezer is right: stories are better writing... IF your intention is to influence your reader.

So, if you don't care what your reader does with the information you give them, and you don't care if people who aren't already motivated to obtain that information get bored and tune you out, then feel free to simply provide facts. If you want people to care about the thing you're writing about, stories are a requirement.

tl;dr: facts are far, stories are near.

(ETA: the book Wired For Story has some background information on the science of brains and stories.)