In the article you will learn about what a journalistic style is and its main functions, what are the characteristic features and features of a journalistic style of speech, get acquainted with the three genres of journalistic style and at the end of the article you will find interesting information about the criteria by which media news is selected.
Not so long ago, people could only get news from local newspapers, radio and television. Now we have access to any information in any format 24/7 (thank you, Internet!).
Methods of obtaining information have changed, but the principles and features of journalism have remained the same.
What is journalistic style and its main functions
Journalistic style is a style of speech that is used by the media to convey news messages to a mass addressee (newspapers, television, radio, Internet).
The journalistic style performs 2 main functions, and they to some extent contradict each other:
- Informing. The main task of the journalistic style is to inform society about an event that has occurred or events that will occur in the future, while the author of the news report must be as objective as possible.
- Impact on the audience. Some genres of journalistic style are characterized by excessive emotionality with a pronounced position of the author and his personal opinion. Such messages carry social evaluation and appeal, influence the masses and shape public opinion.
Read the articles:
- “Features, characteristics, genres and examples of scientific style of speech.”
- “Features, characteristics, genres and examples of texts of official business style of speech.”
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Characteristic features of the journalistic style of speech
The journalistic style of speech has a number of specific characteristics by which it is easy to identify:
- Informative title. News headlines are quite long. From the title it is clear what will be discussed next.
- The first sentence (paragraph/lead) briefly summarizes the essence of the news item.
- The "inverted pyramid" principle. The priority, value and usefulness of information decreases from the beginning of the text to its end.
- Sentences and paragraphs are mostly short.
- Lots of specifics and details.
- Readability, simplicity, competent presentation of information.
- Emotionality and evaluativeness.
- Socio-political vocabulary is often used (names of political parties, departments, economic and legal terms, etc.).
- Targeting a mass audience.
- Rhetorical questions, exclamations and repetitions.
- In addition to the basic colloquial (informal) style used in journalism, there are slang and jargon words.
Outline of a problem essay
Undoubtedly, the author of a problematic essay has the right to decide what and how to write about. But if this genre is still not completely clear to you, and you are just starting your journalistic journey, a visual outline of the essay can be a good help in your work.
The outline of a problem essay might look like this:
- Interest in the problem. The author begins the text with a description of the incident that prompted him to study in more detail. In other words, it talks about what happened.
- Shows and proves to the reader why this situation is not accidental, but is typical for our society.
- Creating intrigue. The further the author dives into the study of the problem, the clearer it becomes that the situation that has arisen is not as simple as it seems at first glance.
- Involvement in the problem. The author needs not only to interest the reader, but also to evoke in him the appropriate response emotions and experiences, and most importantly, a sense of involvement in the problem.
- Personal experiences and thoughts. The journalist conveys to the reader his own experiences and his opinion about this problematic situation. Thus, it prepares the reader to accept his arguments and his point of view.
- Associations, images, visual descriptions, comparisons, emotional background. The author can reveal some elements of the text in the form of certain images and comparisons, encouraging the reader to use his fantasy and imagination.
- Connecting thought. All the facts discussed in the essay must be united by a single purpose and meaning of the story. Otherwise, the result will be a pun and the reader will simply get confused.
- Own conclusion. By the end of the essay, the author should lead the reader to draw conclusions for himself.
Schematically, the problem essay can be depicted as follows:
Description of the problem - > reasons for the problem situation - > its development - > solutions.
Features of journalistic style
As features of the journalistic style of speech, three key components can be identified, on the basis of which any journalistic text is built:
1. Lead.
This is the first, main or leading paragraph of the text, the “header” or abstract of the article, which sets out the main idea of the text. Often the lead is highlighted in a different font or color and usually takes up 3 to 5 lines of text.
The lead cannot be neglected. It can be sensational or dramatic, it can reveal details of an event or summarize news, it can amuse the reader or challenge him.
A news article lead looks like this:
“The British authorities have officially admitted that they are preparing to abolish the mandatory two-week quarantine for arrivals from several dozen countries, primarily European, as of July 10.”
bbc.com
2. Citation.
90% of all investigative journalism is based on interviews or work with other primary sources. It is therefore not surprising that quotes feature prominently in news reports.
3. Brevity and readability. Sentences and paragraphs are short and simple. This does not mean that you will not find long compound sentences in the text, but in most cases, “brevity is the sister of talent.”
In addition, it is important not to overuse the terms. Still, texts of a journalistic style should be understandable to a mass audience: I used the concept of “legal nihilism” - be kind and then explain what it means (ps: legal nihilism is the denial of laws and rules/norms of behavior).
Genres of journalistic style of speech
There are 3 genres of journalistic style:
- Informational (report, interview, note, report). The main function is to communicate information: what, where, when, under what circumstances happened or will happen.
- Analytical (conversation, review, article, review, correspondence). The main function is to influence the public. There are the author's reasoning, argumentation, analysis of the event, personal conclusions and assessment of what is happening.
- Artistic and journalistic (essay, feuilleton, pamphlet, essay). Used to obtain a figurative, emotional idea of an event or fact.
Let's take a closer look at each genre.
How to Write a Problem Essay: Essay Structure
It is customary to distinguish 3 ways of structuring an essay:
- Chronological. Using this method, the author describes events, phenomena, life situations in their time sequence.
- Logical. The point is that the author of the essay leads the story based on the logic of cause-and-effect relationships. In such an essay there is no strict time sequence; the main thing is the logic of the research.
- Mixed or free method of storytelling. This essay structure is the most popular in periodicals; it is multifaceted and combines elements of a chronological and logical structure.
Journalistic style of speech: information genre
A note is a short message about a new event or fact. Main features: reliability of fact, novelty, brevity.
Example:
“The amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which were approved by more than three quarters of the citizens who voted, came into force on Saturday, July 4. The updated text of the country's basic law has already been published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. 206 amendments have been made to the Constitution. In this regard, it will be necessary to change 98 existing laws.” (Arguments and Facts AIF.ru)
A report is a message from the scene of an event. Features: efficiency, objective coverage of events, the reporter is an eyewitness or participant in what is happening.
Example: television report (live broadcast from the scene), report in print media after collecting and processing information.
Interview - obtaining information during a conversation between the interviewer (journalist) and the interlocutor.
Examples: informational interview to collect up-to-date data about the crash (for example, interviewing eyewitnesses); investigative interview; personal interview or portrait interview.
A report is a chronologically sequential, detailed account of an event. Example: a report on military operations, a report on the results of a meeting, a conference, a government or court meeting.
Journalistic style of speech: analytical genre
Conversation (dialogue) is a type of interview when a journalist acts not just as an intermediary between the hero and the viewer, but communicates with the interlocutor on an equal basis thanks to his achievements, experience and professionalism.
Example: a television show with guest artists - “Alone with Everyone” with Yulia Menshova.
Review is a critical review that contains an assessment and brief analysis of a work of fiction, science, art, journalism, etc.
Example: a book review (examples of reviews are on the Literary Gazette website lgz.ru), a review of a play, movie, TV show, game.
An article is a genre of journalism that expresses the author’s reasoned point of view on social processes, on various current events or phenomena. After reading the analytical article, the reader receives the information he needs and then independently reflects on the questions that interest him.
The subject of the article is not the event, processes or phenomena itself, but the consequences that they cause.
Example: a general research article on the political development of the country, a practical-analytical article on rising food prices, a polemical article (dispute) on teaching the fundamentals of Orthodox culture.
Analytical correspondence is a message that provides information about an event or phenomenon (usually one significant fact). Analytical correspondence may include fragments of a “live” report or a retelling of what is happening, but such a message must include clarification of the causes of the event/phenomenon, determination of its value and significance for society, and prediction of its further development. The primary source of such a message is always the author of the publication (correspondent).
Example: Description of a rather unusual event - the rescue of a person struck by lightning. The main part of the publication is devoted to this event. In describing it, the journalist uses information received from the victim herself, her parents, her rescuers, and other people. The matter is not limited to the description of the event itself. The author carries out a cause-and-effect analysis of what happened, looking for an answer to the questions that torment Dalia Ralene, her parents, and their friends: why did lightning strike this particular woman? Why did she still end up alive?
Problem Essay Examples
Most problem essays are quite impressive in length. For example, V. M. Peskov’s problematic essay on the protection of small rivers “The River of My Childhood” is 10 sheets of printed text in A4 format.
Therefore, below, small excerpts will be given as examples of texts of this genre.
An excerpt from V. Peskov’s problematic essay “The River of My Childhood”
“Each of us has our own river.” It doesn’t matter which one, the big Volga or the little Usmanka. Do we all understand what a treasure this river is? And how vulnerable is this treasure?! You can rebuild a destroyed city. You can plant a new forest, dig a pond. But a living river, if it dies, like any living organism, cannot be constructed anew.
In recent years, there has been a concerned conversation about water all over the world. Water is becoming one of the main values on earth. But when they say: “The Mississippi is getting shallow” or “The Don is getting shallow,” not everyone understands that the root of the problem lies on the banks of small Usmanki and even nameless rivers and streams.
Life originated, settled and develops near rivers. A spring that has just emerged from the ground no longer flows uselessly. But, in addition to the benefits and joys given to everyone living on its banks, the river stubbornly carries its water into the “common cauldron” from which huge cities and large industrial centers drink today. And if a city begins to suffer from thirst, if large rivers become shallow, the first reason for this must be sought where the “capillaries” of the water system are located - on small rivers.
Let's check this, for example, with the same Usmanka.
This river is the main tributary of Voronezh. Voronezh is a considerable river. As you know, the Russian fleet was born on it, and a large industrial city grew on it. But the city has been suffering from thirst for several years now.
And soon we will have, so to speak, another “sea”. The dam is being built solely to hold back water, because the river is no longer able to water the industrial city. There are no words - the city is big, we need a lot of water. But, on the other hand, the river along which ships once sailed to Azov has become completely shallow. And this is a consequence of the fact that its main tributary and some other rivers and streams do not supply enough water.
What do I see as the point of talking about Usmanka? The point is that each of us understands: there are no insignificant rivers! We must protect every spring of clean water. This appeal “to everyone” seems important to me, because many troubles stem from our ignorance, indifference and carelessness. But it would be a mistake to limit ourselves only to “enlightenment” and the call: take care!
The fate of water depends mainly on how we manage the banks of rivers. Any temptation to cut down forest “which is closer,” the temptation to find “local virgin lands” for plowing in the water protection zone, to drain floodplain lakes and swamps without great need, has not yet been properly suppressed. And this is exactly what is required to keep water on earth. Rivers should be considered the most important state value. This is the only way to preserve the Joy that flowing waters give us, and the opportunity to quench our thirst at any moment. For there is no better drink on earth than a glass of cold, clean water.”
TVNZ. 1970. November 29 rivers-russia.ru
Problematic essays are often found on the pages of the Argumenty i Fakty newspaper. As an example, we can cite the works of Vyacheslav Kostikov and Nikolai Zyatkov.
Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Kostikov (born August 24, 1940, Moscow) is a Russian statesman, diplomat, journalist and writer.
Nikolai Ivanovich Zyatkov (born June 17, 1950, Dukhovshchina, Smolensk region) is the owner and president of the publishing house “Our Version”, one of the leading representatives of the Russian media.
An excerpt from Vyacheslav Kostikov’s essay “It’s our song to build and live...”
“The production of new Soviet songs was put on a powerful stream. Almost every day the radio broadcast a new one. Based on the propaganda understanding that “song helps to build and live,” songs, especially ideologically correct ones, were literally pushed into consciousness. “Learning a Song” programs were broadcast regularly. I remember well the words of the announcer: “And now, dear radio listeners, listen to this melody performed by the bassoon.” Before the war, marches sounded powerfully from loudspeakers.
The builders of communism were ideologically lined up in one marching column, and for this they needed invigorating song support. In the songbook found in the attic, I counted 35 songs about young pioneers, 10 October songs, 20 Komsomol songs and 40 revolutionary, military and partisan songs. From the world's song heritage, the compilers of the songbook included only four, including “Funeral Song” to the music of Beethoven.
Modern song is moving further and further away from the national harmony. Young people are better versed in Anglo-Saxon hits than in Russian songs. The Russian feast no longer sings. The globalization of culture is underway. The process is natural and objective. And yet it’s somehow sad to think that the Russian song, in which the soul of the people lived, could disappear completely.
How to be? The worst thing is if our deputies take up the song business. They adopt such song laws that the singing “blasphemers” from Pussy Riot will seem like innocent virgins. And instead of the Soviet “March of Enthusiasts” we will probably get “March of the Oligarchs”, “Waltz of Crooks and Thieves”, “Ballad of the Stealing Banker”, “Deputy Dance”.
So what songs does the new Russia need? Let's think together."
Arguments and Facts
Excerpt from “A Million Children in the Garbage Heap” by Nikolai Zyatkov
“The words of the president, who relied on strengthening the family and increasing the birth rate, aroused internal support among the majority of Russians. What else could help solve these problems, but for various reasons was not mentioned in the president’s address? Reducing the number of abortions, which are performed every 18 seconds in Russia.
In our country this topic is somehow bashfully not discussed; it is believed that abortion is a personal matter. Although, if you take the numbers, you get a terrible picture. According to the Ministry of Health and Social Development, in 2009, 1 million 162 abortions were performed. Just imagine: for every 100 births there are 66.7 abortions! Without them, the birth rate would have increased by more than 1.5 times. Against the backdrop of the fact that many families make considerable efforts to have children, that the state is building the latest centers, and doctors are rescuing weakened babies, every year more than 1 million children’s souls and bodies that have already taken place after conception are thrown into the trash.
Not everyone knows that there are people in the country who make money from abortion materials. Huge money is circulating in this area (rejuvenation, treatment, creams based on fetal, that is, abortion, material - a luxury not for the poor). The problem, of course, is not only this. How many teenagers do we have who “unexpectedly” become pregnant because of their carelessness, illiteracy, because neither their parents nor the state taught them the culture of relationships! How many low-income families do not have the opportunity to simply feed and educate another child!
Society and the state must clearly answer the question: do we need another million children every year? Or will we flush them down the drain under the banner of tolerance and freedom of choice? If necessary, then it is necessary to ban abortions (except for medical and social reasons). It is necessary to hold discussions in society... "
aif.ru
Journalistic style of speech: artistic and journalistic genre
Essay - a journalist not only describes a problem, event or portrait of a person, based on factual data, but also applies artistic methods of expression.
Example: a portrait sketch about the life of a famous person; description of incidents, meetings with people during the author’s journey (essay by A. S. Pushkin “Travel to Arzrum during the campaign of 1829”).
An essay is a short essay (usually 300-500 words), written in a free narrative style. This is a literary genre in which the author expresses a personal view on a certain problem, his experiences or point of view on some issue.
The essay is written in a free manner with a clearly expressed position of the author, so the text is lively and emotional. The author can write an essay in the 1st or 3rd person (more often).
The essay is characterized by imagery, a conversational style of narration, frankness and targeting a mass audience.
Example: 19th century essayists include Oscar Wilde, Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche and many others.
Article “Instructions for writing an essay.”
A feuilleton is a short note, essay, article of a satirical nature, the main task of which is to ridicule “evil.”
Example: feuilletonists include such satirical writers as M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, I.A. Ilf and E.P. Petrov.
A pamphlet is a satirical work or article aimed at ridiculing certain human vices, exposing and humiliating a hero or heroes who seem to the author to be the bearer of a dangerous social evil. When writing a pamphlet, the author uses grotesque, hyperbole, irony, and sarcasm.
Example: “Letters to a Provincial” by the French scientist and philosopher Blaise Pascal, “The Grumbled Hive, or Fraudsters Who Became Honest” by the English writer Bernard Mandeville, domestic pamphleteers D.I. Pisarev with the pamphlet “Bees”, A.M. Gorky “City of the Yellow Devil”, L.M. Leonov "Shadow of Barbarossa".
Example of a story about a sister
Many people have an older sister. And I am no exception. I consider myself very lucky to have an older sister. Her name is Lilya, and she is seven years older than me.
She is short and plump. Short straw-colored hair, large green eyes, a small nose and medium-thick lips. Has a small mole on his chin and dimples on his cheeks. Smiling, positive girl.
A distinctive feature of a sister is her responsiveness. She will never pass by a person who needs help. And it doesn’t matter at all to her whether she knows him or not. And, probably, thanks to this trait, she has many friends and acquaintances. My sister is very kind and never gets angry.
He studies at the Pedagogical Institute at the Faculty of Mathematics. Wants to become a mathematics teacher. She has dreamed of this profession since childhood. I think she will definitely succeed. In her free time, she volunteers. Her hobby is cross stitch. She is a real craftswoman.
She also has a cat named Tishka. Once she picked him up on the street, small and helpless. Our parents were against animals at home. My sister secretly kept the kitten in her room for a whole month, fed it, and looked after it. With the money her parents gave her for lunch, she took Tishka to the veterinarian and treated her. When mom and dad found out about the kitten, they still allowed her to keep it. My sister is a wonderful person.
News selection criteria
First of all, the journalistic style is associated with journalism and the media. News items occupy a special place in the media: they are in demand and attract the bulk of traffic. Therefore, I propose to pay attention to one very interesting point: how is a news message created and by what criteria are news “selected”?
Below you will learn about 10 criteria for selecting news:
- Relevance . The news must correspond to the needs and interests of the audience. Residents of Kyiv are not particularly useful information about the construction of a new road in the town of Mironovka.
- Timeliness . Information about the event must be fresh and appear on time; no one will read about the voting results two weeks after the elections.
- Clarity and unambiguity. Simple, understandable news is more accessible to the general public and generates more interest.
- Predictability . Significant events usually have specific dates (for example, election day, the start of the Olympic Games, the date of the football championship). Therefore, as such an event approaches, public interest increases and the news becomes more valuable.
- Surprise . On the other hand, unpredictable events and phenomena (natural disasters, catastrophes or crimes) also arouse public interest.
- Significance and scale of the event . War, elections, protests, sports games and other important events require lengthy and detailed press coverage.
- Composition . Sometimes, in order to dilute, for example, the negativity of the information flow, the editor selects news items of an opposite nature: funny incidents, love, romance, rescue, animals, adventure, risk, etc.
- Celebrities . Due to their status and recognition, news items with the participation of politicians, artists, and athletes are more often published in the media and arouse increased interest.
- Countries that occupy a leading position in the world economy and politics. A strike, natural disaster or plane crash in a developed country will immediately hit the media, but you can write about the lack of drinking water in Ethiopia later.
- Negativity . “Bad” news is more popular.
PS: Did you like the article? Share the link on social networks! Thank you very much and have a nice day.
Sources:
- A. A. Tertychny “Genres of periodical press: textbook”;
- Media ethics owl.purdue.edu
- Robert M. Knight "Journalistic Writing: Building the Skills, Honing the Craft"
