Rhetoric, Media, Semiotics
DOI 10.55206/GECZ4525
Tetiana Zinovieva
Odesa Polytechnic National University
Е-mail: zinovieva@op.edu.ua
Mariia Yakubovska
Odesa Polytechnic National University
E-mail: yakubovska@op.edu
Abstract: The article examines gamified digital journalism as an emerging rhetorical practice that promotes audience engagement, participatory learning, and interactive communication. It traces the transformation of rhetoric from classical to digital and gamified forms, highlighting the correspondence between rhetorical strategies and gamification techniques, as well as the growing role of algorithms and attention-management mechanisms. The paper further explores the ethical dimensions of rhetorical and gamified paradigms through international case studies, offering a conceptual framework that integrates rhetorical theory, media studies, and gamification principles to analyse the evolution of journalistic storytelling in the digital age. The study outlines the rhetorical shift from classical persuasion towards dialogic and interactive strategies, positioning gamification not only as a tool of engagement design but also as a rhetorical device capable of shaping perception and behaviour. Special attention is given to game-based mechanics – such as choice, challenge, feedback, and narrative immersion – and their impact on journalistic formats and the journalist–audience relationship. Selected gamified journalism projects are analysed in terms of narrative structure, visual logic, rhetorical intent, and ethical implications. At the same time, the study identifies potential risks, including manipulation, oversimplification, distortion of serious content through playful framing, and the dominance of algorithmic systems that prioritise engagement over informational value. The article concludes that gamified journalism constitutes a rhetorical innovation with transformative potential, combining persuasion, education, and interactivity in ways that can strengthen civic participation and media literacy – provided it is implemented transparently and ethically.
Keywords: gamification, digital journalism, rhetoric, audience engagement, interactivity, narrative, media literacy, ethics.
Rhetoric and Communications Journal, issue 65, October 2025