Narrative

Latin narrare — to tell, relate. From gnarus — knowing. Related to knowledge — narrative was always tied to knowing and telling. Entered political and media language heavily in the late 20th century.

'Controlling the narrative' entered political language as a substitute for 'controlling the story' — but 'narrative' carries more intellectual weight, implying a constructed frame rather than merely a sequence of events. Widely used and widely distrusted — 'that's just a narrative' is now a dismissal.