In a conventional news writing, the usage of narration may seem odd to some especially to those who are used to the traditional approach in news reporting. Traditional approach refers to the way of constructing news according to the formula of the inverted pyramid (Rogers, 2016).
The inverted pyramid places the element of 5Ws+1H in the first and second paragraph, basically giving away all the information to the audience 20 seconds after reading the news (Rogers, 2016). At glance, the formula brings in the sense of convenience to the audience especially to those who is always on the go without actually have to go through the whole article to grasp the full meaning of the article (Rogers, 2016). But when you look at it from a perspective of a journalist who had probably spent hours or maybe days researching and collecting data for that particular news report, it doesn’t give justice to all the efforts done in creating the news.
Maybe the usage of the inverted pyramid is no longer relevant in order to survive in the world where news and information are accessible at the tip of your fingertips. But instead, we need to provide the audiences with something that they can't get simply get in a bite size form through their smartphones or computer screen. This is where the role of narrative journalism comes in as an alternative in news reporting.
In a special lecture by Janet Steele, an academic specialise in narrative journalism of The George Washington University in the University of Malaya on 14 April 2017 from 10 AM-12 PM. Steele explained to the audience a different approach in news reporting that enable the audiences to not only gain information through the article but allows them to immerse in the world where the news is written. By using perspectives of those at the grass root level, narrative journalism helps in providing a different view of an issue especially the humanity part that we often forget when dealing with serious issues such as a war and economy crisis. This approach can also help in creating a common ground among the reading leading to a better engagement between the reader and the issue.
Janet Steele discussing the element of narrative journalism
Steele briefly explains the history of the development of narration journalism from the year 1960s to 2000s and the elements involve in it. Through her two hours lecture, Steele often stresses on the usage of actual facts in narrative journalism despite the approach being almost similar to creative writing; the usages of fictional elements are strictly prohibited as it contradicts with the journalism ethics. Steele also explains the different approach in narrative journalism while comparing it to the conventional writing in terms of news development and arrangement.
The usage of real narrative journalism' articles as an example also help in giving a clear picture to the audience thus convincing them of the possibility of using this alternative news writing approach here in Malaysia. The lecture ended at 12 PM with Q&As session.
From left: Suk Zanne, Janet Steele, Aina Rashidah & Pui Foong
REFERENCES
Rogers, T. (2016). Definition of inverted pyramid-What is the inverted pyramid format? Retrieved 15 April 2017 from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-structure-news-stories-2074332
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