Rediscovering storytelling: how the narrative turn led to the success of non-fiction podcasts
Keywords:
podcast, narrative, journalism, storytellingAbstract
Storytelling has increasingly become an object of interest – a buzzword, actually, during the last few years. Stories, particularly personal narratives, are very powerful and seductive not only on social media but also on journalism and entertainment. However, podcasts are one of the most vibrant fields in which this process occurs: nowadays, we find a rather mature sector with enormous diversity and authenticity; stimulating and hybrid formats are constantly created and there is an opportunity to rethink the condition of the spoken word in media consumption. Narrative has been the driven force behind this successful market. Not only the stories of the famous but often the story of the storyless is told without rush. Looking at the development of the audio media with the supplementary view of the narrative studies, we argue that there was a slow but steady rediscovery of the long form narrative after it was nearly killed by the fugacity of radio. We analyze the current dynamics of the audio media market and relate them to the development of radio during the 20th century. Hence, we analyze this slow process of change and how it allowed for podcasts to establish as a place for recreating and rediscovering non-fictional narratives and long form storytelling.
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