DIGITAL STORYTELLING AND NARRATIVE EXPERIENCE IN JOURNALISM: A MULTIMODAL ANALYSIS OF SNOW FALL

Abstract

The current research will discuss Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek (The New York Times, 2012) in the framework of a combined approach based on multimodal discourse analysis, the theory of cinematic journalism, and the research on narrative experience. The research is based on the multimodality theory proposed by Kress and van Leeuwen, cinematic journalism theories developed by Pavlik and Longhi, as well as narrative immersion ideas introduced by Ryan and the transportation theory by Green and Brock. Results indicate that Snow Fall attains systematic multimodal coherence in which the various modes provide different knowledge to work together to form multidimensional knowledge. The work incorporates cinematic elements, including the composition of scenes, regulated rhythm, sequential arrangement of appearances and creation of the atmosphere, which should allow immersing the space, time, and emotion, without losing journalistic objectivity due to the direct labelling of the reconstructions. The theoretical contribution of the study is the suggestion of viewing multimodal composition, cinematic technique, and narrative experience in the role of interdependent and not independent dimensions, as it shows that the transformation of digital journalism is essentially narrative, not technological.