Before, Behind and Between
Before, Behind and Between
Steven Christianson
The Lemming Urge or The Inconsequential End of Narrative
3 minutes Posted May 28, 2020 at 3:22 pm.
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Show notes

Quite a lofty title for a relatively short episode. But this one, in fact, may evolve into something much bigger. The question discussed in this episode: "Is is possible for a narrator to tell a story without influencing the viewpoint of the audience?". There was once a guiding sense of professionalism in this field that dictated that the reader ought to draw his or her own conclusions, that the writer (or reporter, as might be the case), is not part of the story and should not be exerting his or her views. That sense of professionalism is increasingly rare. Gonzo journalism placed the reporter and the writer well within the story as a participant, and not a mere observer. While popular, the lemming urge to race towards the "middle" doesn't help narrative and story-telling. Social media and frugality in financial management aren't helping this trend, either. Then again, is all this really quite inconsequential? Does it matter?

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