In Italy the meeting of two seemingly distant worlds: journalism and theater is becoming more and more successful. In this case, journalists become real artists capable of engaging the public, through the tools and techniques typical of storytelling. However, with journalism in the theater, the audience satisfies their hunger for understanding what is happening in a more thoughtful, slower and more narrative way compared to the stormy sea of information that comes at us every day through the web and through social networks.
The success of journalists in the theater
Information and narration they can positively intermingle with each other. In this sense, the theater can become the ideal artistic place for this to happen more direct communication between journalists and the public, but also slower. Every day we “suffer” from information or look for information everywhere, through social networks, Instagram reels.
Rediscover the pleasure of being informed!
A continuous plea that does not dampen the need to know more, to understand what is hidden behind the facts that “throw” at us. This need for in-depth analysis is, for example, the reason behind the growing success of podcasts in Italy, as this Buone Notizie article explains.
From the podcast to the stage, it’s just a short distance
It’s just a step from podcast to theater storytelling. He is an example of that journalist Stefano Nazzi the author of the famous podcast Investigation produced a web newspaper post who arrives at the theater with his Live investigation from April to October 2024, with 14 nights already sold out. Another example of journalism in the theater is Marco Travaglio who turned the narrative of politics into satirical monologues to be recited with his show called The best pity of our life.
A journalist must and can be one by going on stage and learning techniques telling the story now a key word in the world of communication.
We must not think that theater journalism leads to the “spectacularization” of information. Opposite, the show still remains a form through which content can be communicated always respected in its objectivity.
Journalism and theatre: a formula that works
Abroad, even more so than in Italy, theatrical journalism reaches its fullest form through highly successful editorial products. in France for example, they are becoming more widespread Live magazine. It is about a “live” newspaper in which the public pays to hear news told on stage, not by the actor, but by the journalists themselves. The format is successfully traveling in cities such as Paris, Brussels and Milan.
Similarly in America theater company exists Fairytale work. It is a a collective of journalists, especially investigative journalists, who tell the facts news and current events, putting them on stage.
Journalism in the theater: good consequences
The positive impact of watching these programs on the public is demonstrated by an interesting study conducted by the University of Austin in Texas. People perceive a journalistic story through theatrical representation as truer and more human. This also leads them to have greater trust in journalists themselves, through direct contact with information professionals who have never experienced it before.
Over monologues, music and stage effects journalists can report and tell stories from the world around us by adopting engaging communication strategies. Theater becomes another powerful means of transmitting good information. Use storytelling and theatrical representation as a form of storytelling, it makes it possible to rekindle the curiosity of a public that today is going through the news in an increasingly confused and distracted way. The success of theater journalism shows exactly how this formula works and helps bring the public closer to journalists.