Narrative journalism 3014330 221432386 2008-06-24T13:50:26Z Cgingold 2013997 Removed category "Journalism by genre"; Quick-adding category "Journalism genres" (using [[WP:HOTCAT|HotCat]]) '''Narrative journalism''' is the interpretation of a story and the way in which the journalist portrays it, be it fictional or non-fictional. In easier words, it tells a story. Narrative journalism is also commonly referred to as [[literary journalism]], which is defined as creative nonfiction that, if well written, contains accurate and well-researched information and also holds the interest of the reader. It is also related to [[immersion journalism]], a term used to describe a situation when a writer follows a subject or theme for a long period of time (weeks or months) and details an individual's experiences from a deeply personal perspective. ==History== [[Truman Capote]]'s ''In Cold Blood'' is a historic example of narrative journalism in [[novel]] form. Published in 1965, the book was the first "nonfiction novel" and helped show journalists the possibility of using creative writing techniques while holding to the guidelines of journalism. Though Capote claims to have invented this new form of journalism, the origin of a movement of creative writing in journalism is often thought to have occurred much earlier. Characteristics of narrative journalism can be found in [[Daniel Defoe]]'s writing in the 1700s, as well as in writings of [[Mark Twain]] in the 19th century and [[James Agee]], [[Ernest Hemingway]] and [[John Steinbeck]] in the World War II period. Capote's contemporary [[Tom Wolfe]] also wrote ''The New Journalism'' in 1974 and is credited for popularizing discussion on the appropriateness of narrative in journalism. He cites Gay Talese with being the "father" of new journalism, and exemplifies the foundations of narrative journalism in his compilation "The Gay Talese Reader". Today, many nonfiction novels use narrative journalism to tell their stories. Print publications such as ''[[Harper's]]'', ''[[The New Yorker]]'', ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'', ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', and ''[[The Village Voice]]'' are also welcome homes to narrative journalists. Mainstream newspaper publications are still wary of supporting narrative journalism too much due to time and space constraints, and will often print the occasional narrative in a Sunday features or supplemental magazine. The definitions of narrative journalism are many and varied. Some prefer to refer to literary journalism, or creative non-fiction. Simply put, narrative is the way in which a story is constructed through a particular point of view and arrangement of events. The Nieman Program on Narrative Journalism, launched in 2001, aims to provide a centre for the teaching, learning and practice of narrative journalism. The Nieman Foundation defines narrative journalism as more than simply telling stories: it is a complex genre with multiple layers and contexts that, when done well, has the capacity to reform newspapers and make them essential and compelling. Broadly, some critical elements of narrative journalism include the following: • It contains accurate, well-researched information, and is also interesting to read. • It looks at intriguing people, human emotions, and real situations. It provides the private story behind the public story. • It reaches past the ordinary by blending the reportage of facts with the writing style of fiction. Mark Kramer, director of the Nieman Program on Narrative Journalism, says it is “journalism that doesn’t assume the reader is a robot, that acknowledges the reader knows lots and feels and snickers and gets wild.” Kramer stresses the importance of voice. Readers have their coffee with the newspaper in the morning, he says. They want to understand and even identify with the news voice; but regular news reporting is anonymous and restrained, leaving the reader feeling lonely. When you have an audience made up of so many disparate sorts of people it seems noble to appeal to the lowest common denominator and just talk about the facts. But what happens is depersonalisation of the news voice – narrative journalism aims to put the human voice back at the breakfast table. Kramer defines narrative journalism as writing that contains the following elements: 1. Set scenes; 2. Characters; 3. Action that unfolds over time; 4. Voice that has personality; 5. A relationship with the audience; and 6. Destination – a theme, a purpose, and a reason. ==Online narrative journalism== One of the earliest and most high profile examples of effective usage of narrative journalism online can be found in the [http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/about.asp ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]'''s nonfiction serial "Black Hawk Down"]. The 1997 online newspaper series chronicled the dramatic American raid of Mogadishu and based their stories on interviews with the soldiers who fought in the battle. The story became part illustrated book, part documentary and part radio program and allowed readers to explore the story in depth. With the availability of free publishing online today, narrative journalism has become a popular form used by writers eager to give their personal perspectives on noteworthy events and public issues. [http://www.salon.com Salon] and [http://www.slate.com Slate] are two of the most popular forums for narrative journalism. Other sites devoted to this craft include [http://www.creativenonfiction.org Creative Nonfiction] and [http://www.theatlantic.com Atlantic Unbound], and with the increasing popularity of citizen journalism there exists potential for more to explore on the scene to cater to a variety of niches. [http://www.sixbillion.org Six Billion], founded in 2003, is an online magazine of narrative journalism that attempts to tackle an issue from 360 degrees. Each issue (themed by one topic such as "Battleground States" or "Veterans of Foreign Wars") features stories told in text, film/video, photography, sound, illustration, and interactive media. ==Issues with narrative journalism== "A narrative does not depart from the cardinal rule: Make nothing up or you'll be out of here and working at the Sunglass Hut so fast it'll make your head spin around. A narrative is a journalistic form that has fallen into considerable disfavor in the wake of our craft's ceaseless, self-flagellating credibility crisis" — Patrick Beach, ''Austin American-Statesman'' Since so much of narrative journalism is based on a writer reconstructing his or her experiences, many professionals in the news industry find themselves wary of using this technique because it is often harder to verify facts within the story. In a post-[[Jayson Blair]] era, those concerned with the ethics of honest reporting and writing are cautious of journalistic storytelling that may be manipulating facts to make the reader more emotionally invested. Also, Narrative journalism has not yet found a definite home in the newsroom due to the nature of news reporting. Long-form writing is something that most journalists are not trained for, and incredible hard-news beat reporters are not necessarily great storytellers. Narrative journalism cannot be practiced in every setting. ==References and External links== *[http://www.poynter.org/ The Poynter Institute] - A school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. *[http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/apr/03/writing_history_capotes/ Writing History: Capote's novel] - A Lawerence Journal World article on the impact of Truman Capote's novel *[http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/about.asp Black Hawk Down] The Philadelphia Inquirer's serial about the raid on Mogadishu *[http://www.salon.com Salon] *[http://www.slate.com Slate] *[http://www.creativenonfiction.org Creative Nonfiction] *[http://www.theatlantic.com Atlantic Unbound] *[http://www.sixbillion.org Six Billion] - an online magazine of narrative journalism *[http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/narrative/digest/ Nieman Narrative Digest] - Harvard's Narrative Journalism programme [[Category:Journalism genres]]