Characteristics of the journalistic essay

Within the different genres covered by journalism (news, report, interview, chronicle, editorial, etc.), the journalistic essay occupies a privileged place. It is no longer just important to know what is happening around us, but we need to weigh opposing positions, to know thoroughly the origin of the events, to relate various events, to draw conclusions, etc.

In short, in our days it is not enough to have “fresh” news and to be “up-to-date” with the news, the citizen’s commitment to the reality of which he is the protagonist is imposed. In this context, the journalist also assumes a fundamental role: that of being a well-trained critic.

It deals with a subject of general interest

The journalist knows what worries or interests people. Identify what aspect of reality draws people’s attention. It does not have to be an event, a fact, a news item, it can be a topic of a psychological (political, economic, social), moral, cultural, family, ecological, scientific, etc. To “touch” the reader, to question him, to make him think, to elicit a personal response.

Raises a critical perspective

In fact, the essay is a genre that requires the definition of a particular point of view, therefore, it is subjective. This feature is applied to the journalistic essay in the sense of proposing to the reader a critique of the current and controversial topic. For this, the journalist must demonstrate security, mastery of the subject, clarity and coherence.

Develop a strong argumentative strategy

The strength of a journalistic essay lies in defining a clear thesis, relevant arguments and an appropriate form of argumentation (by comparison, by example, by contrast, etc.). To achieve this, the essayist must answer these questions once the subject or topic to be treated has been defined:

What do I think about the subject?

Am I in favor or against? Do I accept or reject? Do I recognize advantages or disadvantages? Is it positive or negative? etc.

Why do I think in a certain way about the subject?

What are my reasons? What examples can I show? With what can I compare? What information sustains me? etc.

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