Framing narrative journalism as a new genre: A case study of the Netherlands

Abstract

Although narrative journalism has a long history in the Netherlands, it is in recent years being promoted as a ‘new’ genre. This study examines the motives underlying this promotional tactic. To that end, we analyze how narrative journalism is framed in (1) public expressions of the initiatives aimed at professionalization of the genre and (2) interviews with journalists and lecturers in journalism programs. Results indicate that in public discourse on narrative journalism, the genre is framed as moving, essential, and as high quality journalism. These frames indicate that the current promotion of narrative journalism as ‘new’ can be seen as a strategy that journalists apply to withstand the pressures they are facing in the competition with new media. These frames are deepened in the interviews with lecturers and practitioners, who frame narrative journalism as a dangerous game, a paradigm shift, and as the Holy Grail. These frames indicate that narrative journalism is regarded as the highest achievable goal for journalists, but that its practice comes with dangers and risks: it tempts journalists to abandon the traditional principles of objectivity and factuality, which can ultimately cause journalism to lose its credibility and authority. We discuss these findings in terms of boundary work and reflect on implications for narrative journalism’s societal function.

What is narrative journalism? A systematic review and an empirical agenda

“…She argues that the ways in which journalism is represented in these sources served either to defend or challenge the traditional boundary between subjective storytelling on one hand and objective reporting on the other. A similar form of boundary work was found in a study examining how practitioners and lecturers of narrative journalism both view and promote the genre (Van Krieken and Sanders, 2017). In the view of these journalists and lecturers, the boundary between subjectivity and objectivity was found to be fluid, irrelevant, or even nonexistent.…”

“…Studies on the critical reception of narrative journalism have focused on how the genre is perceived by journalists and journalism lecturers (Van Krieken and Sanders, 2017), book critics (Wilson, 2017), and academic scholars (Groot Kormelink and Costera Meijer, 2015; Hartsock, 1998). These studies typically depart from observations of ambivalence and controversy in attitudes toward the genre, or in the reception of specific works, and aim to uncover the reasons behind the intensity of recurring debates about truthfulness, neutrality, and objectivity.…”

“…Frank, 1999). Shifting boundaries have implications for the traditional role distribution between journalist and audience members in terms of reliability and responsibility: audience members can rely to a lesser degree on journalists’ intentions and trustworthiness and need to take on the responsibility themselves to assess the relation between reality and narrative depictions of that reality (Van Krieken and Sanders, 2017). These considerations make knowledge about the critical reception of narrative journalism by the audience of essential importance in understanding the genre’s potential pitfalls.…”

Story character, news source or vox pop? Representations and roles of citizen perspectives in crime news narratives

“…The present study builds on the above studies and examines citizen representations in Dutch crime narratives. In the Netherlands, the genre of narrative journalism has become increasingly popular over the past decades (Van Krieken and Sanders, 2017). Newspaper narratives typically include a multitude of perspectives, including elite and non-elite voices (Van Krieken et al, 2015b).…”

Vivid educational texts

“…In journalism, for instance, narrative elements are used to inform people in a vivid manner about what is going on in the world. News narratives have been argued to attract and maintain readers' attention better than traditional news reports, because narratives are our basic mode of interaction: we can easily relate to news narratives, because they resemble the stories we come across in our daily lives all the time (van Krieken & Sanders, 2017). In addition, news narratives have been claimed to provide readers with the opportunity of experiencing otherwise distant events from a closer viewpoint, by inviting them to become "mediated witnesses" (Peelo, 2006).…”