HYBRID NARRATIVE AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR SHAPING SOCIAL TRENDS: THE CASE OF LENTA.RU

Lapko Anastasia Valerievna, Aynulova Svetlana Evgenievna

The article examines the hybrid narrative as a tool for constructing and representing socially significant trends in digital media. Using the special project “Fresh Russian” by the online publication Lenta.ru as a case study, the analysis focuses on a hybrid narrative structure. Central to this investigation is the mechanism that combines the macrostructure of “Petals” with the microstructure of the “Hero's Journey”, further complicated by “concentric circles” that explain social dynamics and “fractals” that replicate plot elements across different levels within the narrative. It is argued that this approach transforms personal stories into an instrument for examining socially significant trends. A content analysis reveals that the storytelling in the “Fresh Russian” project serves to construct a new cultural identity through a dialogue with heritage and the theme of conscious entrepreneurship. Consequently, the hybrid narrative fulfills not only an informational but also a meaning-making function.

Keywords:storytelling, narrative, hybrid narrative, multimedia narrative, storytelling principle, special project, online media, Lenta.ru