Adapting news video narration to online services
Keywords:
News narration, Narrative structures, Streaming, News content, Platformization, On-demandAbstract
This article examines the motivations, advantages, and challenges of implementing a novel narrative strategy for online news video: the Batman Affective Structure (BAS). The BAS prioritizes emotional engagement as a response to the platformization of news and shifting audience behaviors in digital environments. The model was introduced to three Danish public service organizations – DR, TV 2, and TV 2 Fyn – during a workshop to explore its applicability in newsrooms. Follow-up collaboration with these industry partners examined both its benefits and the tensions it creates within journalistic practice. Findings indicate that public service broadcasters have implemented the BAS to enhance audience engagement and strengthen their presence on streaming platforms. However, the transition also uncovered challenges, such as journalistic resistance to narrative standardization, difficulties in applying the BAS across different news genres, and the evolving role of the studio anchor. The study shows both the strategic potential of the BAS for public service news and the complexities of aligning emotional narrative structures with public service values in a rapidly transforming media environment.
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