Storytelling with Technology

Katherine Vermes
kv266915@ohio.edu

The rise of technology in journalism has brought an unbelievable amount of changes to the form of storytelling, and many changes are still yet to come. From the immediacy of news coverage being released across the Internet, resulting in an ever-present 24-hour news cycle, to the streaming of events as they unfold, storytelling in the digital era is faster and more connected than ever. There are endless opportunities for reporters to interact with their audiences and vice versa, which opens the field up to be more inclusive and transparent. However, technology's effect on news must be carefully monitored to ensure that it does not become detrimental to journalism in the long run.

Clicks Don't Excuse Deception

"Truth" is the most important value in the field of journalism, and this includes using accurate, carefully written headlines. The first thing Internet-users see when a story is published should be representative and reflect what is really included in the article. However, according to the Columbia Journalism Review in 2014, "For awhile, the 'curiosity gap' was the headline style of choice, meant to entice readers into clicking by omitting a key piece of information." But while headlines need to be increasingly intriguing in order to stand out on websites that are constantly being updated with new stories to read, journalists cannot sacrifice the public's trust in the media just for clicks and going viral.

Evoking a reaction out of the audience should not be the main goal of a headline. Instead, we should aim to evoke interest and thought, so that audiences feel the need to read the rest of the story. Headlines that people only share to excite, enrage or upset others on social media are not accomplishing the goal of journalistic storytelling, they are not upholding the value of "truth."

Streaming the News

Live-streaming is a relatively older aspect of social media, but it has grown into a larger portion of news coverage in the last few years. Media organizations will send reporters to events to stream the entirety of protests, rallies and countless other kinds of public gatherings to show audiences what is happening in real-time, giving people access to live stories right from their phones, without need of a television or even computer.

But live-streaming also opens news coverage to citizen journalism, as people can show what is happening around them before a story is even newsworthy, before reporters can even be sent to the scene. As the Washington Post states in this 2016 article, "Live-streaming technology, its advocates argue, has given incredible power to victims of systemic violence, both online and offline." An example of this is when the fiancee of Philando Castile live-streamed following the shooting of him by police during a traffic stop. Another instance of this was when students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School posted their own photos and videos to social media during a school shooting in February. While this is not necessarily live-streaming, their posts told the story of what happened inside their school on that day as it was happening, helping to build support nationwide for their March for Our Lives movement.

Photo courtesy of Pew Research Center

Social Storytelling

The March For Our Lives movement coverage began and grew largely because of social media. According to CNBC, "Stoneman Douglas student survivors have primarily used social media to rally the public around hashtags such as #NeverAgain, #March4OurLives and #DouglasStrong." And hashtags like these, along with numerous others related to the social movements that are largely being started online, can help audiences find the news coverage more easily and immediately, therefore creating a quick connection between journalism and the public.