What is journalism? Definition, journalistic genres

There are several points of view on the question of what publicism is. In the Great Encyclopedic Dictionary it is said that this is a kind of works devoted to the phenomena of life of modern society, its topical problems. This means that not only articles in magazines and newspapers can be publicistic.

It should be noted that in the Great Encyclopedic Dictionary, explaining what publicism is, the following is indicated: it can exist not only in verbal form (both oral and written), but also in iconographic (caricature, poster, cinema, photo), Musical and theatrical drama.

"Boris Godunov" Pushkin - journalism?

In a certain sense - certainly. After all, at the time of Pushkin this drama had a political orientation. The author opposed the socio-political state of the country at that time.

And yet "Boris Godunov" is an artistic work. This is not Russian journalism in its pure form. This work should be attributed to the literary genre. Consequently, our definition of what publicism is, can not yet be called exhaustive. It must be supplemented by adding clarification.

The difference between fiction and journalism

It should be said that fiction uses fiction. It creates heroes who never existed in reality, acting in fictitious conditions. But journalism must necessarily rely on real facts. The author's conjecture can also be inherent in it, however only in the framework of facts well known to all. Adding this clarification, we will get an exhaustive answer to the question about what is journalism.

Genres of Publicism

All materials related to it can be disassembled according to certain characteristics, on the basis of which the following 3 generic groups are distinguished:

1. Information - reportage, report, interview, note - brings together an eventual occasion for speaking. Usually they operate with simple information from the source. Their main task is to promptly report about this or that phenomenon, event, fact. Novelty is one of the most important features of information genres.

2. Analytical - journalistic investigation, commentary, version, article, review, review of the press, review, open letter - they are united by a comprehensive analysis of the facts, as well as an in-depth study of modern life. Journalist, creating these materials, performs analysis-synthesis of reality. He dissects the phenomenon under study, then studies them in detail, separating the main from the secondary, the essential from the nonessential. After that he gives recommendations, makes generalizations and conclusions.
3. Artistic and publicistic genres - essay, confession, conversation, sketch, pamphlet, feuilleton, epigram, parody, journalistic story, publicistic tale. They are characterized by typification, imagery, emotional expressiveness, as well as saturation with stylistic and linguistic features, pictorial means. In them, the documentary fact recedes into the background. The author is more important to rise above this fact or phenomenon.

Mixing of genres

It should be noted that contemporary journalism is characterized by a tendency to interpenetrate, blend genres. The genre, filled with new content, acquires new forms, however, serious transformations usually do not undergo. Nevertheless, over time, some new trends are turning into separate genres. An example is an essay.

Features of the essay

This meditation, which are born of the desire of the author to consider aesthetic, historical and political and moral and ethical problems through a specific person, personification. This genre allows expressing and substantiating the author's opinion most fully, as well as reflecting in him personal emotions and feelings. The essay is simultaneously inherent in both the artistic typification of the image, and the philosophical and analytical view of the subject under consideration.

Artistic Publicism

This term implies a special kind of literary works, which stands at the intersection of fiction and socio-political prose. It includes feuilleton, reportage, essay, pamphlet, etc. Like satire, artistic journalism is thoroughly imbued with the spirit of controversy, tendentiousness. However, there is a significant difference between them. Satire takes on arms laughter, whereas artistic publicism is an oratorical word.