This paper was refereed by the Journal of Electronic Publishing's peer reviewers. Narrative languishes as the unsolved puzzle of hypertext. These presentation formats do little to enhance narrative forms, however.
Journalism narratives, especially long-form journalism, are overdue for attention.
A new process for writing is needed if online narratives are ever to be compelling. We believe it is not only desirable but also necessary to move journalistic, nonfiction, and even scholarly writing in a direction made possible by hypertext. In this paper we argue that hypertext forms improve the reader's experience of reading, and therefore, hypertext is better for telling particular nonfiction stories. The process of structuring these components into a multilinear narrative requires the writer to impose order and make decisions about the threads that will be available to readers. Decisions regarding linking and omission give rise to questions about the author's responsibilities to the story and to objectivity.