In 1100-1500 Words, Write An Essay Grounded In Our Unit On Literary Journalism.
Exhibit texts: (a) Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction and (b) your choice of any
work of literary journalism.
• PROMPT: Connect The Sixth Extinction (perhaps a particular chapter or two) to a work
of literary journalism published since 2014 (this included Richardson’s “The Ballad of a
Sad Climatologist” and Schultz’s “The Really Big One”) and ground your argument in
the history and characteristics of the form.
• Regardless of your paper’s content you are required to incorporate appropriate
engagements with (and proper citations of) Background sources, Exhibit sources, and
• At least three academic sources—two of which must be peer reviewed academic
articles (Argument).
• Multiple background sources including reviews, works of journalism, and
historical contexts to situate your argument (Background)
• Sufficient amount of direct quotes and references to text(s) (Exhibit)
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“Fake news is cheap to produce. Genuine journalism is expensive” is a famous quote by Toomas Hendrik. According to Krieken et al. (2021), literary journalism is a form of nonfiction writing that blends traditional journalistic techniques with creative storytelling techniques to create a more immersive, engaging, and nuanced account of actual events; This genre of writing combines objectivity and fact-based reporting of journalism with the imaginative and expressive elements of literature, such as characterization, scene-setting, dialogue, and description. Krieken et al. (2021) also stated that literary journalists aim to provide a deeper understanding of events, people, and issues by using the tools of fiction to bring their subjects to life. They often focus on in-depth reporting, immersing themselves in their subject matter to gain a more intimate understanding of their subject, which they can bring to their readers through vivid descriptions, thoughtful analysis, and compelling storytelling. Through descriptive language, scene-setting, and imaginative storytelling, literary journalism offers a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the world (Krieken et al., 2021). It provides readers with a complete picture of the subjects it covers, one that can capture the richness and complexity of real-life events. Literary journalism’s ability to connect readers with the subjects it covers in a more meaningful way is a testament to its value as a genre of nonfiction writing. This paper discusses characteristics of literary journalism which are the attention to detail, its focus on character development and its use of creative storytelling techniques and the purposes of literary journalism which are to provide a more immersive and engaging reading experience, to explore complex social and political issues in depth, and to provide a more textured and nuanced view of the world.
One of the key characteristics of literary journalism is its attention to detail. According to Kotisova (2019), by including meticulous descriptions of the people, places, and events they cover, literary journalists aim to create a sensory experience for their readers through descriptive languages, such as sensory adjectives, similes, and metaphors. Literary journalism creates a vivid, sensory experience that can be particularly effective in bringing a reader into a subject and helping them understand it more meaningfully (Kotisova (2019). Literary journalists aim to get their issues to life. Thus, this attention to detail creates a vivid, immersive reading experience that can help readers understand the subject matter more meaningfully.
Another important aspect of literary journalism is its focus on character development. According to Morton (2018), the genre often uses the tools of fiction to delve into the lives of the people at the center of the story, exploring their motivations, experiences, and perspectives in depth; This allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the people they are reading about, enhancing their overall understanding of the story as a whole. Morton (2018) also stated that the focus on character development is beneficial in stories that explore complex social and political issues, where a single perspective is often inadequate in capturing the situation’s complexity. Literary journalism allows writers to delve into the experiences and perspectives of a range of people, offering a more nuanced and textured view of the world. The second characteristic of literary journalism is its focus on character development (Morton, 2018). Unlike traditional journalism, which often focuses on events and facts, literary journalism aims to delve into the people’s lives at the center of the story. By exploring their motivations, experiences, and perspectives in depth, literary journalists aim to create a more nuanced understanding of the subject matter; This focus on character development is beneficial in stories that explore complex social and political issues, where a single perspective is often inadequate in capturing the complexity of the situation (Morton, 2018). Thus, an essential aspect of literary journalism is its focus on character development.
The third characteristic of literary journalism is its use of creative storytelling techniques. According to Pšihistal et al. (2022), literary journalists aim to bring their subjects to life through vivid descriptions, dialogue, and scene-setting. They often use the tools of fiction to create a more immersive, engaging, and nuanced account of actual events. By doing so, they aim to provide readers with a deeper understanding of their subjects, enhancing their overall understanding of the story as a whole (Pšihistal et al., 2022). Thus, literary journalism’s use of creative storytelling techniques is another characteristic.
The first purpose of literary journalism is to provide a more immersive and engaging reading experience. According to Keeble (2018), literary journalists aim to bring their subjects to life through descriptive language, scene-setting, and creative storytelling techniques. By doing so, they aim to create a more vivid and engaging experience for the reader, one that draws them into the story and helps them to understand it in a more meaningful way; This immersive experience is particularly valuable in cases where the subject matter is complex or challenging, as it helps readers to connect with the story on a deeper level (Keeble, 2018). Thus, one purpose of literary journalism is to provide a more immersive and engaging reading experience.
The second purpose of literary journalism is to explore complex social and political issues in depth. According to Keeble (2018), Unlike traditional journalism, which often focuses on events and facts, literary journalism aims to delve into the people’s lives at the center of the story. By exploring their motivations, experiences, and perspectives in depth, literary journalists aim to create a more nuanced understanding of the subject matter; This focus on character development is beneficial in cases where a single perspective is inadequate in capturing the complexity of the situation to (Keeble, 2018). Thus, another purpose of literary journalism is to explore complex social and political issues in depth.
The third purpose of literary journalism is to provide a more textured and nuanced view of the world. According to Dowling (2019), by using the techniques of fiction, such as dialogue, scene-setting, and imaginative language, literary journalists aim to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the subjects they cover; This approach to journalism provides a more textured and nuanced view of the world, one that can capture the complexity and richness of real-life events (Dowling, 2019). Thus, literary journalism is a style of journalism that provides a complete and more meaningful picture of the world, particularly valuable in cases where traditional journalism falls short.
In conclusion, literary journalism is a genre of nonfiction writing that combines traditional journalistic techniques with the imaginative and expressive elements of literature. It provides a more immersive, engaging, and nuanced understanding of real events through its attention to detail, focus on character development, and use of creative storytelling techniques. Using these tools, literary journalists aim to bring the reader deeper into their subjects, helping to create a more meaningful and impactful reading experience. Literary journalism is a unique form of nonfiction writing characterized by its attention to detail, focus on character development, and use of creative storytelling techniques. These features make this genre of writing particularly effective in bringing readers into the subject matter and helping them understand it more meaningfully. Through its use of imaginative and expressive elements, literary journalism provides a deeper, more immersive understanding of the world, offering readers a textured and nuanced view of actual events. Literary journalism also serves several key purposes, including providing a more immersive and engaging reading experience, exploring complex social and political issues in depth, and providing a more textured and nuanced view of the world. Through its use of imaginative and expressive elements, literary journalism offers a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the subjects it covers, providing readers with a more comprehensive and complete picture of the world. It is used to explore complex social and political issues or to give a more vivid and engaging reading experience; literary journalism remains an essential and valuable genre of nonfiction writing. As a result, literary journalism continues to captivate and inform readers worldwide, offering a unique and valuable perspective on the world that is not available through other forms of journalism. Whether read for pleasure or education and enlightenment, literary journalism continues to be a genre that is both engaging and informative, one that continues to inspire and inform readers for generations to come.
Dowling, D. O. (2019). Literary Journalism in the Digital Age. In the Routledge Companion to American Literary Journalism (pp. 529-542). Routledge.
Keeble, R. L. (2018). Literary journalism. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.836
Kotisova, J. (2019). The elephant in the newsroom: Current research on journalism and emotion. Sociology Compass, 13(5), e12677. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12677
Morton, L. (2018). The role of imagination in literary journalism. This article was originally published by: Morton, L. (2018). The role of imagination in literary journalism. Literary Journalism Studies, 10 (1), 92-111. 897X. http://ialjs.org/publications
Pšihistal, R., & Tafra, M. (2022). Amor Patriae in Literary Journalism: Analysis of Croatian Homeland War Stories. Collegium antropologicum, 46(4), 329-334. https://doi.org/10.5671/ca.46.4.9
Van Krieken, K., & Sanders, J. (2021). What is narrative journalism? A systematic review and an empirical agenda. Journalism, 22(6), 1393-1412.