Storytelling and news reporting are coming to an end. At least that’s what many people seem to think when looking at the dying newspaper industry, or arguing that stories aren’t being consumed as often as they were before. As far as I’m concerned, these people are simply crying wolf. It is evident that many physical newspapers and magazines are quickly falling out of favour when competing with various apps, blogs, and eBooks. However, this new digital landscape is not the end of storytelling, it’s an entirely new beginning.

I don’t believe that stories aren’t being read as much as they used to be. In fact, I believe that now- more than ever, stories are being consumed almost every minute of the day on multiple platforms. Take the book industry as a prime example. Although most people still prefer to purchase physical copies of books, it seems that the way in which we are receiving these stories has changed. With the ease of online shopping, readers are frequently turning to websites like Amazon to fulfill their book needs. Also, the way in which stories are told and distributed has changed. Writers can release their fanfiction interpretations of stories on websites like Wattpad, which allows users to publish any fictionalized short story of a book that has already been created by someone else.

Self-publishing is something that has become vastly popular in the book industry and has granted more writers the ease of publishing their work. One major example of successful self-publishing is The Martian by Andy Weir. Having been previously rejected multiple times by literary agents, all of whom deemed his previous works unfit for publication, Weir chose to publish The Martian one chapter at a time for free on his website. After considering requests from fans, Weir made an Amazon Kindle version of the book available for ninety-nine cents. It quickly became one of the top best-selling science fiction books on Amazon, selling over 35 thousand copies in the first three months. Finally, Weir gained the attention of publishers. In January 2013, he signed the audiobook rights to Podium Publishing, and the print rights to Crown Publishing. Since then, The Martian has been adapted into a 2015 film that has garnered worldwide attention. Weir’s road to success bypasses the traditional route of sending a story to a publisher, proving that it is no longer the only way for writers to gain exposure.

Another aspect of storytelling that I believe has been changed by the digital landscape is blogging. Anyone is able to create a blog on websites like WordPress to write articles, stories, opinion pieces, and reviews. Stories are being consumed every single minute of the day. It’s evident that the multiple platforms that each of these stories are on allow them to cater to the interests of different audiences. But with so much content out there, it can become overwhelming when deciding what to read and what to regard as true. The evolution of storytelling has peaked our fascination enough to question it more than we ever have before.

Granted, not all of the changes to storytelling by the digital landscape have been for the better. In the past, almost everyone had newspapers delivered to their homes every morning. For most, this would be the first instance in which they learned the news of the day. However, with each newspaper currently hosting their own website and news app, they are able to upload breaking news and stories instantly. This leads to a bombardment of news stories at every moment of the day. Often, when breaking news is published online, the content is very minimal. Stories are usually condensed into a few sentences. It seems to me that we are consuming stories constantly, but they’re not usually as fleshed out as it once was.

The evolution of technology has certainly changed our world in more ways than one. As a result, we are left with infinite possibilities as to how we tell stories. Some may call me a traditionalist because I prefer reading paperback copies of books and writing by hand, as opposed to scrolling through an eBook and typing on a laptop. Whatever your preference, it seems that the digital landscape has revolutionized the possibility of the storytelling industry. We are not reading any less than we have before. If anything, the increase in options has encouraged us to read more, because it’s difficult to say that there isn’t something out there for each person. Granted, the changes are not all rosy. In some cases, we have exchanged quality for quantity, preferring catchy headlines and trending hashtags to substantive news reports. But all in all, it seems that this digital landscape is here to stay. I, for one, am excited by the possibilities for the publishing industry. I can’t wait to see what storytelling will look like in the next decade.

Illustrations courtesy  of Tess King