We talk a lot about how technology and new platforms are changing our media consumption habits, preferences and communication styles, but these changes are also impacting how messages are formed, what words are used and the tone with which we communicate. For instance, we are becoming accustomed to snackable information, as Barnathan (2015) describes. But when it comes to style, young people in particular don’t gravitate toward the impartial writing style in traditional journalism (Barnathan, 2015).
News used to be consumed via a detached writing style, perceived as unbiased and more credible, while reporters were instructed to stay out of their stories (Barnathan, 2015). Young people, however, prefer something different. Consider that about 61 percent of millennials get their news from Facebook, many preferring it via video (Barnathan, 2015). In this new realm of consumption, narrative is king and readers prefer to be taken on a journey through exploration while uncovering the truth behind issues of the day (Barnathan, 2015).
News used to be consumed via a detached writing style, perceived as unbiased and more credible, while reporters were instructed to stay out of their stories (Barnathan, 2015). Young people, however, prefer something different. Consider that about 61 percent of millennials get their news from Facebook, many preferring it via video (Barnathan, 2015). In this new realm of consumption, narrative is king and readers prefer to be taken on a journey through exploration while uncovering the truth behind issues of the day (Barnathan, 2015).
In addition to writing, the way multimedia is integrated into a story has transformed. People are primarily reading their news on mobile devises that can be scrolled with the swipe of a finger, and multimedia storytelling has become less interactive and more of a multidimensional journey, as we saw with the groundbreaking New York Times article “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek (Rue, 2013).
This video provides a multimodal analysis of the Snow Fall article:
Instead of the traditional multimedia experience that allows the user to navigate a complex story with links, subsections, videos and slideshows, Snow Fall takes the reader on a multimedia journey, where video and slideshows display automatically as you scroll down and new elements are revealed through the alluring curtain effect (Rue, 2013). In place of a static image as the cover photo, for instance, they use a silent video to convey a sense of place (Rue, 2013). Then, as you scroll through, other videos and action elements come to life. Scrolling narrative has become more popular as scrolling technology has improved and broadband speeds have improved to allow a single story to load (Rue, 2013). Rue (2015) explains that all the elements of the new multimedia narrative create a more immersive experience, more like documentaries, and potentially more effective in delivering content.
Robert Tercek, in this Ted Talk, explains how technology is supporting a more personal narrative in all forms of storytelling:
Changing writing styles to be more narrative and personal, along with innovations in storytelling to make them more seamless and journey-like also follow the growing body of research that shows how making an emotional connection with readers or listeners is the most effective way to impart information and change perspectives (Bech, 2015).
The Snow Fall article is a great example, but there are also many bad examples of news articles that to me read more like a diary entry, filling the reader in on all the details, even the ones that don't add much to the story and aren't relevant to the issue at hand. As a journalist, this is painful of course, to see people pushing aside meticulously crafted news articles packaged as un-objectively as possible. But even I must admit, when done right, when a writer can strike an emotional cord, that piece is worth much more than any dry fact-based story. It's more effective because it has more impact, carries more punch. So maybe, just maybe, the diary-style articles that are all the fashion right now will morph into pieces that offer a bit more as far as substance and polish so people can be entertained and informed at the same time. Am I asking too much?
References
Barnathan, J. (2015). Rewriting the rules: the new voice of journalism. Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved from http://www.cjr.org/opinion/new_voice_of_journalism.php
Bech, L. (2015). Journalism and the power of emotions. Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved from http://www.cjr.org/analysis/journalism_and_the_power_of_emotions.php
Rue, J. (2013). The ‘Snow Fall” effect and dissecting the multimedia longform narrative. Multimedia Shooter. Retrieved from http://multimediashooter.com/wp/2013/04/21/the-snow-fall-effect-and-dissecting-the-multimedia-longform-narrative/
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