Oldal 34 [34]
Part I. Interdisciplinary Approach to Storytelling | 33
Television at the turn of the millennium also allowed viewers to witness
images of war first-hand (such as CNN’s coverage of the 1991 Gulf War in
the US) (Sauerlander, 2004). Visuals can also have a strong influence on
the message of narratives surrounding politicians during election periods —
whether it is about scandalous, norm-breaking behavior (e.g., sexual abuse)
or conforming to the norm (e.g., being portrayed as a faithful husband or a
loving father). Alexander (2011) describes political election campaigns as a
storytelling contest. He cites the 2008 election victory of Barack Obama as an
example, which, according to Alexander, can be traced back to social media
campaigning on the one hand, and to the framing narrative that presented
the president as a hero who came from the depths, endured many trials and
triumphed in the end.
However, the narratives of the millenium characterized by mass
communication in different genres and formats have been presented through
the filter and interpretation of the communicator. News narratives are based
on a narrative structure, and include characters and the consolidation of a
state of equilibrium. In the process of news selection, the content elements
that are of interest to the viewer are crucial and constitute the news value.
The news value is enhanced if
[...] (1) it affects many people; (2) it is timely; (3) it involves a well-known person
or organisation; (4) it is about a recent event; (5) there is some disagreement
or conflict between the actors; (6) there is something special about it; (7) it is
related to a general topic that is well known and discussed by many people
(Aczél, 2007, p. 37).
The viewer feels that he or she is part of the reality and living the experience.
Carey (1989/1992) argues that by receiving the news, the viewer has a ritual
experience and a hunger for experiencing novel information.
Besides news, the other dominant genre on television is advertising,
whether for political or commercial promotion. The genres of news and
advertising are also mixed in a short news block in the Hungarian public
service media, in which six news items are broadcast in one minute. Although
flash news is similar in form to advertising, its content contains a political
narrative which is elaborated (i.e., reinforcing the original intention) in
the long news blocks broadcast during prime time (Szabolcsi, 2021). News
narratives tell the story of events outside their full socio-cultural context. The
newscasts support the narrative of each news story with a series of powerful
visuals to which the creators assign different purposes depending on the effect
they wish to evoke (e.g., anxiety, admiration, contempt, or identification).
Mass communication cannot objectively inform the viewer about all the
events taking place in a given time period, so it is clear that it is not only
the verbal and visual forms of narratives that are of interest, but also the
choice of the events which are included in the public discourse through