Mastering Journalistic Communication: Language, Genres, and Structure
Understanding Journalistic Language, Codes, and Genres
When referring to the language of journalism, we consider the various elements within it: diverse content—from general topics to politics—expressed through distinct languages or specific textual typologies. Different codes and communicative goals are employed.
Key Features of Journalistic Language:
- Content Organization: Contents are organized by the newspaper into sections, either by subject (e.g., politics, economy) or by territorial basis (e.g., local, regional, national, international). Sections vary from one newspaper to another; their placement and length indicate the greater or lesser importance of the content. They can be fixed or variable.
- Communicative Codes: Journalistic language utilizes linguistic, extralinguistic, and iconic codes. These are generally heterogeneous, with significance not only in their linguistic form but also in their placement on an information page, overall size, font size, and other visual elements.
- Journalistic Genres: Journalistic genres are classified into news, opinion, and mixed categories.
- News Genres: Transmit new or known facts without including opinions or value judgments. Examples include news reports, features, and interviews.
- Opinion Genres: Are interpretative and convey a personal or group viewpoint. Examples include editorials, opinion articles, and letters to the editor.
- Mixed Genres: Combine information and opinion. Examples include chronicles and cultural criticism.
These genres often have blurred boundaries; the key difference lies in their style: informative or opinion-based.
Linguistic Forms in Editorials
Editorial Style Characteristics
Journalistic texts employ highly varied language. On one hand, it adapts to the requirements of different genres (e.g., narration). On the other, it adapts to various content types and even different issuers (journalists, specialists from other professions, and individuals outside the profession).
The editorial is a specific discourse or language that encompasses other discourses—literary, scientific, political, administrative, and judicial—though adapting them to the specific medium. Editorials typically employ a register that aspires to the ideal standard of correctness, clarity, and concision. There is a great concern in quality press to achieve this ideal.
Concision, clarity, and objectivity are specified in these traits:
- Short sentences that tend to respect logical order, although the need to highlight the most important information may alter it.
- Precise and denotative lexicon.
- Use of the third person and nominal or passive constructions.
In opinion pieces, a personal style is often present, which can exhibit very different features.
Journalistic Headlines
A headline is a short statement, typographically highlighted, that heads a story. Its function is to define, prioritize, open, select an aspect, or summarize the text that follows. Sometimes it includes an antetítulo (added information) and a subtítulo (attracts attention to key highlights).
Headline Style
Headlines are short, precise, and informative, as their primary purpose is to draw attention to the content. In the general press, they are objective and neutral, while in tabloids and sports sections, they are often subjective. Resources used include the following:
- Brief simple sentences.
- Noun phrases with complete sense.
- Ellipsis of the verb.
- Literary phrases.
- Quotes.
In short stories, interviews, or columns, creativity is expanded with abundant use of rhetorical devices, such as metaphors.