Journalistic Genres: Understanding Media Content Forms

Feature Articles: Amplifying Core Facts

Feature articles amplify news, ensuring their content focuses on fundamental facts. The report aims to emphasize the traits of a fact, specifying the circumstances and environment that frame it. Its structure is more open than that of a standard news report.

The Interview: Methods and Genres

An interview can be understood in two ways: as a method of investigation or as a journalistic genre.

Interview as Investigation Method

The reporter seeks out people who can provide documented information for a subsequent report.

Interview as Journalistic Genre

This genre is more limited, as it focuses on collecting information from a single source. This can be a biographical interview or an informative interview. The typical structure includes a brief presentation of the character, followed by a set of questions and answers.

The Editorial: Newspaper's Voice and Opinion

The editorial is an article that expresses the newspaper's opinion on a current affair. It adopts an expository or argumentative style. It:

• Requires a calm, thoughtful, and mature voice.
• Aspirations for objectivity, though generally unsigned.
• Uses clear, cultured, and often suggestive language.

Collaborative Articles: External Contributions

Newspapers welcome collaborations from individuals typically outside the editorial staff. Some are hired as regular contributors, responsible for their fixed articles. They sign a specific section and are accountable for the content. These contributions manifest a personal opinion, expressed freely and in a style dependent on the writer's personality and ability.

News-Commentary: Ideological Interpretation

The rapid dissemination of news through TV, radio, and other media means readers often know the day's events before buying the newspaper. The solution offered by newspapers is news-oriented ideological interpretations, where the reader seeks confirmation of their expectations as much as, or more than, the traditional editorial.

The Chronicle: Comprehensive Personal Reporting

A chronicle provides information with a comprehensive, personal, and chronological approach. It contains relevant first-hand data, as the writer has either witnessed the events or lives within the environment where they occurred.

Criticism: Information and Judgment

Criticism simultaneously provides information and offers judgments that can guide readers regarding various human activities. It allows for documented references and provides a critical assessment of them.