observational

OBSERVATIONAL/REPORTAGE JOURNALISM: "Painting with words"

(very rough notes) By Chris Horrie

I will write this up properly in the near future. If I have not done so by the second week of November can somebody e-mail to remind me.

This is part of the features package which involves writing a "word picture" for the reader/listener. It is the high point of feature-writing, where it comes close to being an art, and where there are overlaps with serious "literature".

It is an area of journalism where the GONZO approach does work. Especially if something genuinely extraordinary is happening to you (eg Kapusinski being stung on the forehead by a scorpion).

If your aim is to improve your prose/features style you simply can't read enough of this sort of material. Masters include:

Tom Wolfe

New Journalism anthology

Ryzard Kapuscinski

"People watching" – Peter York

Picture Post tradition

Linked to photos

"Colour" writing.

Often Gonzo (and appropriate here)

Reportage – an old tradition – the Penguin book of reportage; The Faber book of Reportage

The "drop" intro.

Format widely used on TV.