- Utilities of a report
- 1- Inform in depth
- 2- Describe a fact
- 3- Narrate in detail
- 4- Educate or disseminate knowledge
- 5- Motivate an action
- References
The reportage is a journalistic genre that serves to inform and narrate an event in depth, also to describe and instruct society on a subject of public interest; It allows to argue and demonstrate a thesis and motivate an action or a reflection.
It is considered one of the most complete genres of journalism because it includes informative and news elements, character statements, offers atmosphere and color to an event because it is fundamentally descriptive.
Generally - although not necessarily - the report recreates something that was news and needs to be deepened, so that the public can have a more detailed explanation and have elements of judgment to reach a conclusion or to form a more complete opinion.
Utilities of a report
1- Inform in depth
Contrary to other journalistic genres such as the news or the chronicle that they only describe, the report offers a complete panorama of an event, which generally occupied public attention by its nature.
The report contextualizes, argues and investigates through documentary journalistic research, field, interviews, etc. and tries to answer about the why of a fact or situation, from its origin to the end.
In addition, it uses all linguistic, technical and investigative resources to achieve the objective of providing in-depth information.
2- Describe a fact
The report allows the facts to be described with a certain elasticity, since it is one of its main qualities.
It lends itself more to the literary style that the journalist can print, so that the reader or the viewer feel more comfortable while they are informed and know more about a topic or problem.
3- Narrate in detail
When writing a report, the facts are narrated with clarity and fluency, step by step, from beginning to end, one paragraph leads to another.
In this way the plot thread is not broken and the reader is led to better understand the development of an event.
The idea is that the reader himself can establish the links between some informational elements and others. All data, characters and facts must be permanently connected.
4- Educate or disseminate knowledge
A good report should offer the reader, the viewing public or the listener, first-hand knowledge or at least more information than they already have about an event or a person, if it is a biographical report.
You must provide the public with unknown and truthful data so that they increase their level of education and knowledge about the subject at hand.
5- Motivate an action
In addition to proving a thesis, that is, validating an opinion that tries to be proven with arguments and that is of social interest, the report can serve to motivate an action or perhaps a social reflection on a problem.
The report has the mission of reaching a conclusion in order for the public to react, either by exercising their rights or perhaps taking a position on a problem that affects them.
It all depends on the interest of the media that develops it. There are reports of human interest, which focus on a person or community, of social interest, that deal with problems that affect a city (public services or others), or of news interest, that are part of a previous event.
References
- Grijalbo, Álex: The style of the journalist. Grupo Santillana de Ediciones, SA, Madrid, 2001.
- Muñoz, José Javier: Journalistic writing. Theory and Practice, Librería Cervantes.
- Characteristics of a report. Consulted of examplede.com
- Journalistic genres: chronicle, news, report, interview. Consulted of portaleducativo.net
- Patterson, Carlos Miguel: The good report, its structure and characteristics. (PDF) Latin Journal of Social Communication. University of Panama, 2003.
- Definition of report. Consulted of definition.de