Definition of Literary Journalism According to Anthony Yanotti
Anthony Yanotti Definition of Literary Journalism
With the introduction of a new type of journalism, “New-Journalism, !rings a lot of de!ate" #he genre !rings with it the a!ility to put your own feel on a story that is supposed to !e factual and un!iased" With the introduction of a “guided journey of the e$ents in %uestion, it gi$es the author the a!ility to steer the reader into feeling the way the author intends them to feel" What you actually read is a true story through the eyes of the journalist" &e portrays the e$ents the way he wants, in the order he wants, to con$ey a certain and $ery specific message" 'any would say that there is no such thing as new journalism, or literary journalism" #hat the word literary and journalism are contradictory" #hat you can(t !oth !e o!jecti$e, as journalism is said to re%uire and also !e su!jecti$e, mi)ing in fiction and stretching the truth, as well as the introduction of the author into the piece gi$ing his own opinion and interfering in the e$ents ta*ing place+ this is said to compromise the piece of journalism" s there a new journalism f so, then what is it Where and !y who was it fathered No-one has !een a!le to answer these %uestions, howe$er this paper will attempt to shed some light on the su!ject" #he term “Literary Journalism or “New-Journalism !ecame well *nown in the si)ties, howe$er no-one really *nows e)actly where, when, or !y whom the term was first used" .eymour /rim, an American editor, author and literary critic recalls, “0certain that 12ete3 &amill first used the e)pression0n a!out April 45670 /rim goes on to say that after this, he !egan to use the term in con$ersation and it stuc*"[1] 8thers would argue that although the term was new that the wor* was not" #hey argue that literary journalism was nothing more than
!asic storytelling which has !een around since !efore man e$en in$ented the alpha!et" &owe$er storytelling is usually ne$er considered to !e accurate and literary journalism, although su!jecti$e and imaginati$e is just another $essel to deli$er factual accounts" .o what e)actly is this new type of journalism #he word literary is defined as, associated with literary wor*s or other formal writing+ ha$ing a mar*ed style intended to create a particular emotional effect" [2] #he word journalism is defined as, writing characteri9ed !y a direct presentation of facts or description of e$ents without an attempt at interpretation"[3] #o further understand this journalism is characteri9ed !y an unadulterated o!jecti$e style of reporting" Whereas literary wor*s are typically the opposite" Literary journalism is essentially the mi)ture of the two styles" Literary journalists essentially ta*e the “without an attempt at interpretation part of the definition and throw it out of their figurati$e windows" #hey find a !alance within the two worlds where they incorporate literary terms and techni%ues with the facts" :i$ing us something we could ne$er o!tain from a classic style journalism piece, scene, and emotion" ““ndeed" #he rats are deserting the ship at h igh speed" ;$en the ding!at senator from
ichard Ni)on to *ic* around much longer=which is not especially “sorrowful news to a lot of people, e)cept that the purging of the cheap little !astard is going to happen here in Washington and will ta*e up the rest of our summer"[4] #his e)cerpt from &unter ." #hompson(s “#he .cum Also >ises is an e)ample of what is literary journalism" t contains a few *ey elements such as .u!jecti$ity, imagination, presumption, literary techni%ues and of course the facts" Dr" #hompson starts with an idiom “#he rats are deserting the ship at
high speed" >eferencing that 2resident Ni)on(s supporters are all starting to turn their !ac*s on him" #his techni%ue would !e something a classic journalism piece wouldn(t include" &e goes on to call the senator a “ding!at and that “we will not ha$e >ichard Ni)on to *ic* around much longer=which is not especially “sorrowful news to a lot of peo ple" &ere we see the su!jecti$ity and the presumptions, all while stating the facts"
And with that e)plosi$e roar, the mood changed"[5] #his e)cerpt from “Among the Thugs” written !y Cill Cuford again uses some *ey features" irstly, the passage starts off with an internal dialog from the author who is at this game and gi$es his own feelings as to the presence of the police force at the game+ these feelings are considered su!jecti$e" &e goes further to ma*e presumptions of the people in attendance, as to what they saw and how they must ha$e felt" #owards the end of the e)cerpt he says “#he roar was deafening, in$ading the senses li*e a !om! again using some literary techni%ues li*e similes, while appealing to the senses of the reader !y descri!ing how loud it was" Again we see the elements of su!jecti$ity, presumptions, and literary techni%ues, all while deli$ering an imaginati$e $iew of the facts at hand" “#he speeches and songs continued in the distance" #hey suddenly then stopped" #here was a $iolent grinding and a s%uealing sound=the familiar sound of an armored personnel carrier" heard screaming, and !ehind me, in the a$enue, e$eryone started running" When finally spotted the $ehicle, could see that it was ma*ing its way with speed down the side of the s%uare" t seemed uncertain of its direction=one moment dri$ing straight for the s%uare, and then stopping, turning, stopping again, as if loo*ing for a way to escape" #here was suddenly an angry roar, and *new it was !ecause the $ehicle had crushed someone under its trac*s" t then turned in my direction=it pointed at me Eand felt a different *ind of panic" #he action was starting and was separated from my colleagues+ it is an article of faith to stay with your camera crew in times of danger" #he $ehicle carried on, careering !ac* and forth" t must ha$e *noc*ed down si) or se$en people" Cy now it was on fire, !eing hit repeatedly with 'oloto$ coc*tails" .omehow, though, it escaped and headed off to the west"[6] #he %uotation from John .impson(s “Tiananmen square” again reflects the same !asic characteristics from which a definition can !e formed"
'any literary techni%ues can !e found in the wor* using narration and stream of consciousness" 2ersonifying the $ehicle that seems “unsure and was “trying to find its way" #he author presumes the “angry roar of the crowd, was due to a man !eing crushed underneath it" Again the piece uses imaginati$e details to depict the factual e$ents that occurred there in #iananmen .%uare" #hrough the careful and attenti$e reading of multiple wor*s of literary journalism and great amounts of reading and research, the following definition of literary journalism can !e made, Literary journalism is the personalized accounts of factual events through the sujective and imaginative art of storytelling! "ith the uses of literary techni#ues and presumptions$
#hroughout the $ast word of literature and journalism there are many ways to deli$er facts and to tell stories" ;$erything new and foreign to man will ha$e critics and those who dou!t the wor*" &owe$er literary journalism has !een around for more than fifty years and is still growing+ from non-fiction no$els li*e #ruman
Wor*s cited 1$ %n a private letter to &ames '$ (urphy! dated )eruary 6! 1*+3 ,see (urphy 1*+4! p$ 5$- .i/ipedia! n$d$ "e 1 0ov$ 214 2$ Literary ef$3$ ford 7oc/et ictionary! ford! n$d$ "e 1 0ov$ 214 3$ &ournalism ef$2$ ford 7oc/et ictionary! ford! n$d$ "e 1 0ov$ 214 4$ 8errane! 8evin! and 9en :agoda$ ;hompson from ;>he =cum ?lso @ises$; >he ?rt of )actA ? hugs$; >he ?rt of )actA ? iananmen =#uare$; >he ?rt of )actA ?
