Share Your Story - A study of how images contribute to storytelling and online communities

Abstract: This paper examines how images contribute to storytelling (RQ1) and how communities can be created through visual storytelling on Instagram (RQ2). By conducting a case study on the Instagram account Roam the Planet, we explore how stories are told through images, and how these stories can contribute to the creation of a community within the outdoor discourse. To answer our research questions, we study six sample images by combining visual rhetorical analysis and discourse analysis. First, we look at the images’ aesthetics and content and identify central meanings and associations. Then, to gain a better understanding of the images’ role in storytelling, we develop the results through a more detailed analysis. Our findings are as follows: the images convey meanings through aesthetics, content and aspects of storytelling; there are three subdiscourses that contribute to the representation of outdoor discourse on Roam the Planet; when the viewers identify themselves with the stories, the identification can be considered a type of participation in the community on Instagram. We conclude our study with a discussion of our findings in a broader cultural context.