AUTHOR AND NARRATOR AS NARRATIVE INSTANCES IN 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

Abstract

The article explores the phenomenon of transmedia storytelling as a relevant form of organizing contemporary media discourse, drawing on the media representation of the XXV Winter Olympic Games 2026 in Milan–Cortina. Theoretical framework of the study is based on narratological research and transmedia studies, which make it possible to identify specific features of creation and functioning of a polymodal text at the intersection of multiple media platforms, where individual informational messages are integrated into a coherent overarching narrative. The aim of the article is to determine specific ways in which both author and narrator are positioned as narrative instances in multiplatform unfolding of the Olympic storyline, as well as to define their functional and formal characteristics within sports media discourse. The study demonstrates that the author of transmedia narrative of 2026 Winter Olympics is collective and decentralized in nature and primarily performs a strategic function by constructing value framework, branding, and framing of the event in accordance with Olympic ideals and contemporary societal values, namely cultural diversity and sustainability. At the same time, narrators – journalists, athletes, and social media users – personalize the narrative by adapting it to the affordances of specific media platforms and formats. It is argued that multiplicity of narrators is not merely a structural feature of transmedia narrative but also a significant meaning-making factor capable of supporting, transforming, or deconstructing the official Olympic discourse. Subjective nature of narrative perspective is revealed through emotional and cultural emphases of individual media practices. The article concludes that transmedia storytelling of 2026 Winter Olympic Games functions as an open, multidimensional, and dynamic narrative in which interaction between collective author and multiple narrators shapes the interpretation of sporting event within the global media space.