Multi Media Narratives … a media metanarrative?

Well here we are again, this weeks conversation is being triggered by a lecture from Dr Daniel Meadows of Cardiff University, which got me thinking about the subject of multi-media narratives. One of his first points was an extension of where I left off last week, that being the idea that a modern day journalist is not only having to act now as a gatekeeper but also becomes a participator in the media. The media becoming a participatory media is not something new to me as I have been blogging on that subject since I started in Cardiff, however Dr Meadows’ insights into multi-media narratives have shown me yet another side to the modern media.

One of the main points, which have stuck with me from Meadows’ lecture, is that if a story is going to be told, whatever it is, and then it should be told in the best way possible. Now of course this is arguably obvious and one of the problems with this statement is surely that not every news/media outlet can use all forms of story telling (including photographs, film, audio and print). Almost every form of media has the opportunity for multi-media narratives, for example newspapers and magazines can contain text and pictures; obviously traditional radio cannot operate a multi media narrative, yet for listeners listening through a website there is often pages they can link to for pictures on the radio stations’ websites. It might look like this blog isn’t a multi-media narrative, yet I would argue that as I am linking to websites for pictures and films then it is a multi-media narrative.

It seems that a multi-media narrative is a metanarrative in the news industry, whilst it is not always possible to include more than one type of media in a narrative, yet I imagine it is always used where possible. So it seems than multi-media narratives are nothing new, yet what is new(ish) is using viewers/listeners/readers/media consumers in general as the producer of multi media narratives. This is where Dr Meadows’ lecture was focused and where he made me think of further ways of involving the news consumer in the media.

I have looked at how the consumers of news can get into a conversation with the provider of the news in recent weeks well Dr Meadows’ experience adds to this idea. His work with BBC Capture Wales over the past eight years demonstrates how simple it can be for people to bring their own stories to the masses with a small amount of help. Not only does this example of multi-media narratives give people who attended workshops run by Meadows and colleagues an opportunity to learn production/scripting/editing/creative skills, they actually (in some cases) ended up having their story shown on BBC television. Other public projects have been developed around the world (such as Murmur in Canada). These projects not only demonstrate some of the methods behind media decisions to the people who are involved, but they show a greater involvement of the general public in the media and allows their unique individual stories to be heard. This surely is another way of people feeling like they have a voice in the media and therefore must democratise the media.
I have suggested that multi-media narratives have been a metanarrative (where possible) for a number of years – yet Meadows’ experience demonstrates multi-media narratives used by consumers to communicate with the media.