In the digital age, media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion. With the increasing volume of information and fierce competition among media outlets, capturing audience attention and effectively conveying messages has become a significant challenge for journalists. Interactive storytelling, as a novel approach in journalism, offers an engaging and effective way to communicate complex information by combining visual and interactive elements. This method facilitates better understanding of concepts and makes communication faster, more understandable, and enjoyable by creating rich and interactive experiences for the audience. Despite the importance of interactive storytelling, there have been limited quantitative studies on the effective interactive visual components in this type of storytelling and their impact on Iranian audiences. The "Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek" report, as one of the most successful examples of interactive storytelling, can be a valuable case study for examining this topic. This research aims to identify and analyse innovative techniques of news storytelling and their application to enhance the style of news graphics in Iranian news agencies. In this regard, we seek answers to the following key questions: What is interactive news storytelling? How do interactive visual components function, and what advantages do they offer over traditional methods? What are the limitations and challenges of interactive storytelling, and how can we learn from the successful "Snow Fall" project to improve the quality of this type of storytelling in Iranian media? This research, which adopts a qualitative approach and is based on content analysis, has conducted an in-depth case study of the "Snow Fall" news project, carefully analysing its visual and structural components. Furthermore, a thorough literature review was conducted to compile a comprehensive understanding of the topic. The findings of this study suggest that scrollytelling is a form of journalistic storytelling that leverages visually engaging elements to create an immersive experience for the reader. The latest related research is presented as follows:
-Sara Bahr in the paper titled 'Snow Fall at 10: How It Revolutionised Journalism' (2022), has examined the profound impact of this multimedia project on the world of journalism. She highlights the capabilities and awards earned by the team that implemented the Snow Fall report and provides details about how the team worked. According to the article, the Snow Fall project, through its innovative combination of text, video, interactive graphics, and animated simulations, presented a rich and engaging narrative of a news event and set new standards for multimedia journalism. The remarkable success of Snow Fall in attracting audiences and winning prestigious awards has inspired many journalists and news organisations to use these new methods in news storytelling. This article, as a valuable case study, helps researchers interested in examining the impact of technology on journalism to gain a deeper understanding of the transformations in this field.
- Renée Van Der Nat and colleagues in the article titled "Snow Fall in the Polder: Interactive Multimedia Productions in Dutch Journalism" (2021) examined interactive multimedia journalism in the Netherlands, focusing on digital long-form journalism and interactive documentaries. This research provides an overview of these types of productions created in the Netherlands and proposes an analytical and conceptual framework that encapsulates the core characteristics of this new genre: multimodality and interactivity. The analysis reveals that this form of journalism is primarily produced by established national newsrooms in the Netherlands. While complex narrative structures like multi-linear and non-linear stories are employed, familiar media forms are still prevalent. Interactive features are mostly utilised to provide additional information to users, and the potential of digital media is showcased in a limited capacity. Despite investments in these productions, they often have a short online lifespan. Interaction plays a crucial role in increasing user engagement and facilitating a deeper storytelling experience within the realm of online journalism.
-Svetlana Simakova In her article titled "Infographics as a Visual Language" (2019), examines and categorises infographics in news agencies based on their interaction and integration with multimedia content. She analyses two official Russian news agency websites, AIF.ru and RIA Novosti, to understand how infographics are used in journalistic content. This research identifies various types of infographics, including standalone interactive infographics, multi-part interactive infographics, and infographics as part of multimedia articles or long-form journalism (such as the Snow Fall report). This classification is effective in understanding how infographics contribute to storytelling and information dissemination in modern media.
-Kobie van Krieken in the paper titled 'Multimedia Storytelling in Journalism: Exploring Narrative Techniques in the Snow Fall Report' (2018), delves into the innovative use of multimedia storytelling techniques in journalism, with a particular focus on the highly acclaimed 'Snow Fall' report. She examines the narrative strategies employed in this report to enhance engagement and immerse the reader. By analysing the integration of multimedia components such as video, interactive graphics, and immersive storytelling, the article elucidates how modern journalism can push the boundaries of news narrative and captivate audiences through compelling stories. This exploration serves as a valuable resource for journalists, media professionals, and storytellers seeking to effectively utilise multimedia tools in their storytelling endeavors
Research Method
This research employs a qualitative approach and utilises content analysis to examine the news project known as "Snow Fall." Through this process, the visual and structural components of the project have been meticulously scrutinised and analysed. Additionally, information required for the research has been gathered by studying relevant books and articles on the subject.
Conclusion
The "Snow Fall" report has set new standards in digital journalism by intelligently utilising visual elements such as colours, typography, and interactive media. Through dynamic interactions enabled by interactive elements and innovative techniques like deep scrolling, the report has elevated the reading experience to a whole new level. The combination of these visual elements with textual narrative has allowed the "Snow Fall" report to convey complex information to audiences in a more engaging and understandable manner, resulting in increased audience engagement and improved comprehension.
The findings of this research indicate that interactive and data-driven narratives, especially scrollytelling, have the potential to revolutionise digital journalism. By employing these methods, journalists can go beyond simply presenting news and create rich, personalised experiences for their audiences. This not only leads to increased audience engagement with news but also helps build trust and enhance the credibility of media. Additionally, by using scrollytelling, journalists can present complex and multifaceted narratives in a way that is both engaging and understandable for general audiences.
According to the findings of this research, the future of digital journalism will move towards interactive and data-driven narratives, and journalists must prepare themselves for this transformation. Through interactive methods, journalism has the potential to become an engaging and personalised experience where audiences act not only as consumers but also as participants in content production. This allows journalists to establish deeper connections with their audiences and be responsive to their needs. Furthermore, by using data collected from audience interactions with interactive narratives, journalists can gain a better understanding of their audience's interests and preferences and produce more targeted content. In a world where a vast amount of information is available, capturing the attention of audiences and making a difference in news presentation is of paramount importance. In this regard, interactive narratives, including scrollytelling, by creating rich and engaging experiences, have greatly helped the field of journalism to address the challenges of the information age and better convey its message to the audience amidst the abundance of information.
With the advancement of new technologies, the future of scrollytelling also looks very promising. Technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly enrich the experience of interactive narratives. For example, using virtual reality capabilities, audiences can imagine themselves in the heart of the news and view events in360 degrees. Additionally, artificial intelligence can help further personalise narratives and create unique experiences for each audience member. Artificial intelligence has a key role in generating textual content, creating virtual characters, and even building virtual worlds for storytelling. This technology can help journalists present complex and data-driven narratives to audiences in a more engaging and optimized manner.
However, the expansion of scrollytelling also comes with challenges. One of the most significant challenges is the high cost of producing interactive content. Designing and developing a complex interactive experience requires significant expertise and financial resources. Ensuring the compatibility of this type of content with various devices and browsers is also a technical challenge. In addition, measuring the effectiveness of scrollytelling and accurately assessing audience feedback remains an active area of research, and it is expected that this research gap will be investigated in future studies.
In conclusion, the "Snow Fall" report, with its innovative approach and setting a new standard in digital journalism through the intelligent use of visual and interactive elements, has provided a rich and personalised experience for the audience. Given the success of "Snow Fall" in engaging and captivating the audience, the future of digital journalism is moving towards interactive and data-driven narratives. By using this approach, journalists can establish deeper connections with their audiences and be responsive to their needs. Additionally, this approach can help increase trust and credibility in media. It is advisable for Iranian journalists to be at the forefront of this transformation by studying, investing in training, utilising new tools, and collaborating with various experts, and to acquire a special position in the field of digital journalism.
 
Keywords: Scrollytelling, News Storytelling, Visual Elements, News Graphics, New York Times, Snow Fall