CLWSTWR POLICY BRIEF NO 2: JOURNALISM QUO VADIS? NEW WAYS OF STORYTELLING

MAINSTREAM JOURNALISM IS IN THE MIDST OF AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS WHICH THREATENS NEWSROOMS, MEDIA ORGANISATIONS AND, BY EXTENSION, THE NATURE AND QUALITY OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS. THIS POLICY BRIEF INVESTIGATES HOW CREATING NEW FORMS OF STORYTELLING MIGHT INSPIRE JOURNALISM THAT IS FIT FOR THE FUTURE.

This Policy Brief is built on the findings of a Clwstwr funded project, drawing on data collected from focus groups, the development of innovative prototypes and extensive user testing of over a thousand audience members. We find that by focusing on content that is genuinely useful to readers and viewers, using linear narratives, providing broader context, and giving users more agency in how they engage with stories, it is clearly possible to provide news which is trusted, informative and engages audiences from all demographics. This Policy Brief introduces seven building blocks of reflective journalism and suggests multiple new ways of narrative storytelling that point the way to more effective forms of news.