Storytelling in journalism has this purpose: it is not a mere “exercise in style’’ like Raymond Queneau stated, but rather a transformation of every report, every account, every piece of news into a narrative. Information comes to life and takes shape through storytelling. Stories are not antithetical to information; on the contrary, they can enrich it, giving it a human and comprehensible dimension.
When we talk about journalism and storytelling, we evoke a combination that has the power to make information not only more accessible but also more memorable. Furthermore, some argue that the art of storytelling can overshadow the truth. But is that really the case? Would we all end up lying, as Don Draper in Mad Men would say, rather than empathizing with the truth?
By remembering that the historical mission of the journalist is to tell facts by placing them in context, facts that should be firmly grounded in reality if the journalist is doing their job properly. This is where storytelling becomes a powerful ally: once data has been gathered and verified, and an objective picture of events has been outlined, storytelling can serve as the means to make the news not only understandable but also memorable, as happens, for instance, in sports storytelling.
The journalist thus becomes a narrator who uses descriptive and analytical techniques to bring a compelling story to life. A historical example of this is Hiroshima by John Hersey, published in The New Yorker in 1946, which tells the personal stories of survivors of the nuclear attack, offering readers a deeper and more personal perspective on the event.
Another important aspect to consider is multimediality. In contemporary journalism, a transmedia approach has become crucial to engage audiences in a richer and more immersive narrative experience that transcends the boundaries of a single medium. Through transmedia storytelling, journalistic stories expand into podcasts, videos, interactive graphics, social media, and other digital platforms.
Each element adds depth and context to the information, allowing audiences to explore topics from different angles and at varying levels of detail. This approach is particularly relevant in an era when the public is no longer passive but actively involved in searching for and processing news. I would like to take as case studies two newsletters on Substack: The Honest Broker by Ted Gioia and The Isolation Journals by Suleika Jaouad. These are not simple, “old-style” newsletters, but real journalistic guides that, in my view, perfectly reflect the path journalism is currently taking. Could this be the journalism of the future? If so, the main challenge will be maintaining the audience’s trust, something Ted Gioia is already working on.
In conclusion, storytelling journalism is not merely a passing trend, but rather a return to the roots of human communication, adapted to contemporary needs. Its ability to connect people to facts makes journalism not only more accessible, but also more meaningful.