Journalistic Subgenres: Information, Opinion, Hybrids
Journalistic Subgenres
There are three primary journalistic subgenres, categorized by their predominant role:
- Information Subgenres: Primarily focused on transmitting information and generating reports.
- Opinion Subgenres: Primarily focused on expressing opinions.
- Hybrid Subgenres: Combine elements of both information and opinion.
Information Subgenres
The News: A news article reports on a recent event of interest. It is the cornerstone of news reporting and a fundamental genre of journalism. Key characteristics of news include brevity and objectivity. The sole purpose of a news story is to inform about an event without adding analysis or commentary. Writers must avoid adjectives that denote subjectivity, generally using short, clear, and simple sentences. The typical structure follows a deductive approach, moving from general information to specifics. It usually includes:
- Headline
- Lead (Entradilla): The first paragraph, summarizing the core information.
- Body: Develops the information in detail.
The News Report: A news report is a more extensive journalistic piece than a news article, providing more comprehensive information. It involves a thorough investigative process by the journalist, including uncovering new information, conducting interviews, and consulting various sources. Although reports are signed and have a free structure and style, objectivity is still paramount. It is considered the journalistic genre *par excellence*.
The Interview: An interview is an expository text that presents a dialogue between a journalist and an individual, aiming to reveal their thoughts or actions. Its purpose is informative. Interviews are typically structured in three parts:
- Introduction
- Body of the Interview
- Conclusion: Summarizes the interview or highlights a particularly relevant aspect.
Opinion Subgenres
The Editorial: An editorial expresses the opinion of the publishing company on the most relevant current events. It is an argumentative text intended to influence public opinion. The editorial may openly display the ideology of the company. It appears unsigned and does not have a fixed structure.
The Opinion Piece: An opinion piece is signed, usually by a person of intellectual relevance who is not necessarily tied to the newspaper’s editorial staff. The opinions expressed are solely the responsibility of the author. The structure and style are entirely personal. A particular subgenre of the opinion article is the column, which retains the same general features but is distinguished by its brevity and regular publication.
Letters to the Editor: These are short texts where readers can express their opinions on current topics, respond to information or opinions previously published in the newspaper, or rectify incorrect data.
Hybrid Subgenres
The Chronicle (Report): A chronicle is a comprehensive report prepared by a regular correspondent or a special envoy to the scene. This genre shares structural features with both news and reporting. A chronicle is considered a hybrid genre because the journalist, while providing information, also interprets the facts, makes judgments, etc. It is always signed, and its theme can vary widely.
The Critique: Criticism is a specific genre of cultural reporting, always prepared by a specialist. Criticism serves a dual purpose: to inform about certain cultural events and to provide a discussion of these events.