Scientific and Opinion Journalism: Characteristics and Subgenres

Scientific Texts: Language and Characteristics

Scientific texts, including scientific writings and technical documents, aim to convey information about research, conclusions, or discoveries. They are characterized by two essential features:

• Universality: Science seeks to disseminate knowledge valid at all times and places. A discovery made in one location should apply everywhere. This necessitates the unification of scientific terminology and the creation of formal codes, avoiding ambiguities and ensuring objectivity.
• Objectivity: Facts and details are presented along with the circumstances in which they occur, without the author's personal assessment.

Grammatical Features

• Impersonal constructions
• Passive voice with auxiliary verbs
• Plural of modesty
• Noun constructions

Textual Cohesion

• Clear syntax
• Lexical repetition
• Discourse markers or connectors
• Brief and simple sentences
• Limited use of complex subordination

Opinion Journalism: Evolution and Subgenres

Modern journalism emerged in the nineteenth century, driven by a public eager for information. Today, journalism aims to disseminate news and help the public form opinions about social reality. A free society requires a free press, which not only transmits information but also spreads value judgments based on the interpretation of facts, aligned with the media company's ideology.

Subgenres of Opinion Journalism

Editorial

Editorials express the newspaper's views on a current issue or event. Traditionally written by the director, they are now often entrusted to sociologists, economists, writers, or politicians, depending on the subject.

Article

Articles express the personal opinion of the writer or collaborator, often in the form of a short essay. They can cover various topics and may not always refer to the immediate present. Their subjective nature and quality of language can make them literary works.

Column

Columns are a fixed section of a newspaper or periodical, named for their layout on the page. They are reserved for a reporter who presents subjective views on political, social, and other topics, on a daily or periodic basis.