Types of Journalism

Types of Journalism

The general field of journalism has become specialized with various types of writing, depending on the audience and motives of the writers. Distinctions are also made to separate various journalism genres as categories of writing. Some types include:

·         Advocacy journalism - writing to advocate particular viewpoints or influence the opinions of the audience.

·         Broadcast journalism - writing or speaking which is intended to be distributed by radio or television broadcasting, rather than only in written form for readers.

·         Investigative journalism - writing which seeks to add extra information to explain, or better describe the people and events of a particular topic.

·         Tabloid journalism - writing which uses opinionated or wild claims.

·         Yellow journalism (or sensationalism) - writing which emphasizes exaggerated claims or rumors.

·         Fashion journalism: Fashion journalism is all about articles or reports related to the fashion world. Journalists are also known as fashion writers or fashion editors. The primary job is to cover the latest in the fashion business or develop lifestyle articles. Such fashion articles can be found in magazines and newspapers. Today, there are many television channels that cater only to fashion, which gives ample opportunity for journalists who have a passion to cover such topics.

·         News journalism: Here, the primary aim of the journalist is to report news in a straight-forward manner that covers all the required facts. The style is direct with focus on the gist of the story with other necessary points. The news style should be concise and precise. The facts must be crosschecked which makes the news item as authentic as possible without any media bias. Here, the news story can be for the print media, television, radio, etc. Such news pieces often cover politics and social movements. News stories based on political suppression, public movements or abuse of human rights have proved instrumental in effecting many a social change, or giving voice to the oppressed. Similarly, cultural events are also covered in news journalism.

·         Celebrity journalism: As the name suggests, the journalist is connected to news and events related to celebrities from the entertainment world and also includes celebrities from other fields such as music, sports, dance, art, politics, etc. This journalism is all about news that is related to their professional and personal life. Reporting gossip is one of the angles of celebrity journalism, wherein journalists are often accused of misconstruing news or quotes in a deliberate fashion. This journalism is particularly popular with newspapers, magazines and television.

·         Investigative journalism: This type of journalism is about unearthing facts and studying cases that may require more efforts, which can take months or even years. Journalists who specialize in investigative journalism create headlines with news that expose scandals. Sometimes, persistent follow-up of a story proves beneficial to uncover some hitherto unsolved cases. This would require in-depth research from the journalist along with evidence.

·         Sports journalism: Here, journalists spend hours reporting on a particular sport event. A journalist has to report the accurate facts and statistics related to that event. Interviews with celebrity sport stars are yet one of the interesting features of sports journalism. Although sports-lovers watch the live coverage thanks to the media, there are many people who still enjoy reading or watching in-depth details about the event.

·         Citizen journalism: Here, it is not the professional journalists who are responsible for the news reports. Any citizen can participate and report news to the media. He/she collects and reports news to the media and participates voluntarily to offer help to the media. They bring to notice issues that may have been missed by media houses.

·         Environmental journalism: There are many journalists who prefer to cover issues related to the environment and its protection and conservation. Environmental journalists may only report about the news while some work for a cause.

·         Business and finance journalism: Here, the journalist or reporter covers in-depth reports about the latest in business, launch of products, stock markets etc. There are many shows dedicated only for business news on television whereas in newspapers, one can find a special section dedicated to this subject.

Journalists today, try new tactics that are very different from the methods used by reporters earlier. Often, journalists are accused of aggressive reporting and media sensationalism, which is a serious issue. The Internet has also provided a medium for people to voice their opinions online. News written for the web is updated minute-by-minute which is referred to as online journalism. Besides, implicit faith of people in the news items has introduced a new form of advertising, i.e. advertorials. In this, advertisers merge their product content in the guise of an article for brand promotion and marketing of products.

A keen news sense and creativity to present the news in an effective manner are obviously the main ingredients in any kind of journalism. After all, it’s all about how you put into words to create an impact that makes a journalist stand apart from ordinary reporters!

Types of Stories

The Profile

A profile is an article about an individual, and the profile article is one of the staples of feature writing. No doubt you've read profiles in newspapers, magazines or websites. Reporters do them on politicians, CEOs, celebrities, athletes, and so on. Profiles can be done on just about anyone who's interesting and newsworthy, whether it's on a local, national or international level.

The idea of the profile is to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at what a person is really like, warts and all, away from their public persona. Profile articles generally provide background on the profile subject - their age, where they grew up and were educated, where they live now, are they married, do they have kids, etc.

Beyond such factual basics, profiles look at who and what influenced the person, their ideas, and their choice of vocation or profession.

If you're doing a profile you'll obviously need to interview your subject, in person if possible, so that in addition to getting quotes you can describe their appearance and mannerisms. You should also watch the person in action, doing what they do, whether it be a mayor, a doctor or a beat cop. Also, talk to people who know the person you're profiling, and if your profile subject is controversial, talk to some of his/her critics.

Remember, your goal is to create a true portrait of your profile subject. No puff pieces allowed.

The News Feature

The news feature is just what it sounds like - a feature article that focuses on a topic of interest in the news. News features often cover the same subjects as deadline hard-news stories, but do so in greater depth and detail.

And since feature articles are "people stories," news features tend to focus on individuals more than deadline news stories, which often focus more on numbers and statistics.

For instance, let's say you're writing about the increase in heart disease. A deadline story on the topic might focus on statistics showing how heart disease is on the rise, and include quotes from experts on the topic.

A news feature, on the other hand, would likely begin by telling the story of one person suffering from heart disease. By describing he struggles of an individual, news feature can tackle big, newsy topics while still telling very human stories.

The Spot Feature

Spot features are feature stories produced on deadline that focus on a breaking news event. Often news features are used as sidebars to the main bar, the main deadline news story about an event.

Let's say a tornado hits your town. Your main bar will focus on the five W's and the H of the story - the number of casualties, the extent of the damage, the rescue efforts involved, and so on.

But with the main bar you could have any number of sidebars focusing on certain aspects of the event. One story might describe the scene at an emergency shelter where displaced residents are housed. Another might reflect on past tornadoes in your town. Yet another might examine the weather conditions that led to the destructive storm.

Literally dozens of different sidebars could be done in this case, and more often than not they would be written in a feature style.

The Trend Story

Is there a cool new look in women's fall fashions? A website or tech gadget that everyone's going nuts over? An Indy band that's attracted a cult following? A show on an obscure cable channel that's suddenly hot? These are the kinds of things that trend stories zero in on.

Trend stories take the pulse of the culture at the moment, looking at what's new, fresh and exciting in the world of art, fashion, film, music, high-technology and so on. The emphasis in trend stories is usually on light, quick, easy-to-read pieces that capture the spirit of whatever new trend is being discussed. In other words, if you're writing a trend story, have fun with it.

The Live-In

The live-in is an in-depth, often magazine-length article that paints a picture of a particular place and the people who work or live there. Live-ins have been done on homeless shelters, emergency rooms, battlefield encampments, cancer hospices, public schools and police precincts, among other locales. The idea is to give readers a look at a place they probably wouldn't normally encounter.

Reporters doing live-ins must spend a fair bit of time in the places they're writing about (thus the name). That's how they get a real sense of the place's rhythm and atmosphere. Reporters have spent days, weeks and even months doing live-ins (some have been turned into books). The live-in is really the ultimate example of the reporter immersing him or herself in the story. 

Types By Medium

Some journalists define themselves by the way they tell their stories. They may not stick to one particular area of the news, instead covering lots of different topics, but generally using the same medium.

Print Journalism

Print journalists usually report for newspapers or magazines. They may be full-time reporters for one particular publication or freelance writers who contribute to a variety of different publications. Oftentimes a print journalist will be paired with a photojournalist who will take pictures to complement the written story.

Photojournalism

Photojournalists are different from traditional photographers in that they are more interested in capturing images that tell a story than ones that just look nice. Photojournalists are generally highly-trained photographers who may have worked in a traditional photography medium like wedding photography before transitioning into journalism.

Broadcast Journalism

Broadcast journalism encompasses both television and radio news. There are two ways that journalists can be involved in broadcast journalism: behind the scenes or on the air. Journalists working behind the scenes do a lot of research and reporting, but their faces or voices will not be broadcast. Journalists who work on the air may do their own reporting or read stories crafted by their colleagues.

Multimedia Journalism

This is the newest field of journalism and also the fastest-growing. Multimedia journalism can encompass all the fields listed above because a web page can have a written story, still photos, video, and audio. Multimedia journalists are encouraged to have a wide set of storytelling abilities, as well as highly defined technical skills.