Digital Storytelling in Cultural Heritage: Audience Engagement in the Interactive Documentary New Life

Anna Podara, Dimitrios Giomelakis, Constantinos Nicolaou, Maria Matsiola and Rigas Kotsakis
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Anna Podara: Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Dimitrios Giomelakis: Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Constantinos Nicolaou: Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria Matsiola: Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Rigas Kotsakis: Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: This paper casts light on cultural heritage storytelling in the context of interactive documentary, a hybrid media genre that employs a full range of multimedia tools to document reality, provide sustainability of the production and successful engagement of the audience. The main research hypotheses are enclosed in the statements: (a) the interactive documentary is considered a valuable tool for the sustainability of cultural heritage and (b) digital approaches to documentary storytelling can provide a sustainable form of viewing during the years. Using the Greek interactive documentary (i-doc) NEW LIFE (2013) as a case study, the users’ engagement is evaluated by analyzing items from a seven-year database of web metrics. Specifically, we explore the adopted ways of the interactive documentary users to engage with the storytelling, the depth to which they were involved along with the most popular sections/traffic sources and finally, the differences between the first launch period and latest years were investigated. We concluded that interactivity affordances of this genre enhance the social dimension of cultural, while the key factors for sustainability are mainly (a) constant promotion with transmedia approach; (b) data-driven evaluation and reform; and (c) a good story that gathers relevant niches, with specific interest to the story.

Keywords: interactive documentary; cultural heritage; audience engagement; sustainability; digital storytelling; intangible heritage; media users’ engagement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:1193-:d:485878

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