Characteristics and Evolution of Journalistic Language
Characteristics of Journalistic Language
1. Influencing Factors
Journalistic language is used in various news media, including oral (radio), audiovisual (television, video, cinema), written (newspapers and magazines), and digital (internet). It’s primarily unilateral communication directed at a dispersed audience. The main functions of articles are to inform, persuade, and entertain. Informational texts prioritize the referential function, while opinion texts emphasize the appellate, expressive, and poetic functions. The press is often called the fourth power due to its social influence. Financial groups with specific economic and ideological interests back media outlets. Media concentration and advertising revenue can significantly impact information content, especially during elections, social conflicts, crises, and wars.
2. Journalistic Genres
Journalistic language varies across three genres:
- Informational genres: These include news reports, features, and interviews. Authors should avoid personal opinions or judgments.
- Opinion genres: These include editorials, commentaries, columns, and letters to the editor. Authors express their viewpoints and interpretations.
- Hybrid genres: These combine information and opinion, such as news analysis and opinion columns.
3. Characteristics of Informational Genres: News
News objectively reports current events. It typically follows an inverted pyramid structure: a headline, subheadline, source, lead (summarizing key information), and body (detailed information). The 6W rule (who, what, when, where, why, and how) guides news writing. Objectivity, accuracy, clarity, and conciseness are essential. However, complete objectivity is challenging due to inherent subjectivity in news selection and external influences.
4. Characteristics of Opinion Genres
Opinion genres prioritize the appellate function, aiming to persuade readers. They often use arguments and poetic devices (metaphors, comparisons, hyperbole, etc.). The expressive function conveys the author’s attitude. Subjectivity levels vary, from the seeming objectivity of editorials to the highly personal style of some columns.
4.1 Editorials
An editorial is an unsigned article presenting the newspaper’s stance on a current issue. It reflects the publisher’s ideology and appears prominently in the opinion section. The director is responsible for its content. Editorials wield significant socio-political influence, primarily using exposition and argumentation.
4.2 Article-Commentary
An article-commentary (or op-ed) is a signed piece by an external expert. It offers in-depth analysis and a more personal tone than editorials.
4.3 Columns
A column is a shorter opinion piece by a regular columnist. It allows for greater subjectivity and expressive freedom, often blending journalism and literature.
5. Characteristics of Hybrid Genres: Commentary
A commentary is a report combining information and opinion. Correspondents and special envoys provide on-the-ground perspectives, adding details and narratives beyond straightforward news reporting.
6. Linguistic Features and Inaccuracies
News writing requires clear, concise, and correct language, avoiding literarization, popularization, and technification. Journalists should avoid long sentences, repetition, foreign words, grammatical errors, conditional rumors, and excessive use of jargon, acronyms, euphemisms, and passive voice.
7. Importance of Extra-Linguistic Factors
Extra-linguistic factors, such as placement, size, font, and accompanying visuals, influence the perceived importance of news and opinion pieces.
Narrative Genre Characteristics
Narrative prose, including stories, novels, and fables, tells a story with characters in a specific time and space. Key elements include plot, theme, narrator, structure, language, space, time, tempo, characters, and context.
Elements of Narrative
- Plot: The summary of events.
- Theme: The underlying issues.
- Narrator: The perspective from which the story is told (first, second, or third person).
- Structure: The organization of the narrative (open or closed).
- Language: The style and complexity of language used.
- Space: The setting and environment.
- Time: The chronological order and duration of events.
- Tempo: The pace of the narrative.
- Characters: The individuals involved in the story.
- Context: The historical, social, and cultural background.
Spanish Fiction of the 20th Century (Until 1939)
Several narrative trends characterized this period:
- Modernist narrative: Exemplified by Ramón María del Valle-Inclán’s “Sonatas” cycle.
- Generation of ’98 narrative: Writers like Unamuno, Baroja, and Azorín explored themes of Spanish decline and existential questions.
- Generation of ’14 narrative (“Novecentismo”): Authors like Pérez de Ayala and Gabriel Miró focused on formal experimentation and lyrical prose.