What is a News Narrative?: Reversing Journalism’s Arrow and the Problem of “Factinion”.

Abstract

This article draws on cognitive science to make an important distinction between knowledge and understanding. Doing so shines a light on the nature of the news narrative, and brings a fresh perspective to the often blurred distinction between fact and opinion. It is argued that the arrow of journalism should point in one direction; from the reporting of factual news, to interpretation and the construction of news narratives. However this direction is increasingly reversed, leading journalists to privilege stories which support their pre-existing narratives. The result is that contemporary journalism often produces “factinion”, a confusing mixture of fact and opinion. The article develops the idea that Narrative-Led Journalism is “fake journalism”; a genre of realist-factual entertainment, or ‘info-therapy’. In an increasingly partisan and tribal public sphere, fake journalism provides comforting reinforcement of existing world views, to the detriment of journalism which promotes independent judgement, and the search for truth. Narrative-Led Journalism therefore has implications for democracy; it leaves us vulnerable to the tyranny of explanation