The 10 types of journalistic reports, explained

These are the different variants of journalistic reports that exist.

The news report is one of the most important journalistic genres, given its great versatility when describing any subject.

Depending on the subject matter and how the information is presented, we can speak of various types of journalistic reportsWe will see them in more detail below.

Types of journalistic reports

The reportage is one of the most important journalistic genres. This is mainly due to the fact that they are very versatile, being able to talk about any topic in them, such as real current events, travel, social issues, culture, art, sports, government policy and any topic that can occur.

In any reportage, the author investigates and exposes its subject without forgetting the background, the circumstances, the causes and those involved in the event or the subject in question.. Any note exposed in the report is based on data, testimonies, expert statements and opinions of individuals, in addition to combining it with explicit quotations from important people, images or diagrams.

News reports fulfill several functions, among them to researching an issue, describing it, entertaining and informing the public, and contributing to the expansion of documentation on the subject in question. on the subject in question. These functions are achieved thanks to the fact that the information presented in them has an in-depth character, almost bordering on what would be a scientific investigation.

There are different types of journalistic reports, which can be classified according to their purpose, more related to the type of subject matter that is exposed in them, and they can also be classified according to how the content is organized.

Types of reports according to their purpose

According to the purpose of the work, we can classify journalistic reports in the following categories.

1. Demonstrative reportage

In the demonstrative reportage the journalist is dedicated to discovering problems, basing his work on social claims or on issues that have raised a great controversy or demand in society.

In this type of work, the text is not limited to the simple exposition of facts. In addition to describing what has happened, it is a question of investigating the causes of the problem, what contributed to its occurrence and what consequences it has for society. consequences for society. The aim is to provide a more complete picture of the subject matter.

Since this type of reportage can be very dense, making the reader need to pay close attention to what is described in it, it is common for the author to try to liven up the story or event described in the document.

2. Autobiographical reportage

Autobiographical reportage has its origins in the journalist Tom Wolfe, an American known for having made important innovations in journalistic style.

In essence, the autobiographical reportage is nothing more than an investigative an investigative piece in which the protagonist is the one who is writing it, although this does not mean that during theHowever, this does not mean that other people are not mentioned during its writing, people who may have acquired great importance in the author's life.

This type of work is done when the writer has something important to tell about his or her life, usually in the first person and from his or her own perspective.

3. Scientific reportage

Scientific reports are intended to demonstrate current scientific progress and advances, talking about topics as diverse as the followingThey deal with topics as diverse as biology, genetics, psychology, mathematics... They approach scientific knowledge in an objective and well-documented way, explaining and interpreting it in layman's terms, in order to adapt it to the level of people who are not necessarily experts in the subject.

4. Narrative reporting

Narrative reports take the form of a chronicle.. They describe temporal events, structuring the information to describe the event or problem and explaining its development and evolution over time. It indicates what happened first and what came later, whether or not it was a consequence of the first.

In order to prepare a quality narrative report, it is necessary to analyze documents and describe, in as much detail as possible, people, objects and places related to the chronicle. In addition, it is necessary to know the opinion and testimony of those involved in the event.

5. Descriptive reporting

The descriptive report is a text in which the reporter carries out a detailed observation of the subject that he/she intends to expose. His intention is to provide, through his work, a clear and detailed image of all the characteristics of the subject he is going to talk about.

They can be of any subject, since these reports have the intention of describing everything related to a certain issue, such as objects, types of people, cities, regions, traditions... either objectively or adding a certain note of subjectivity.

In this type of reportage it is very important that an important research task has been carried out, but the ability of observation on the part of the journalist to observe the subject is also important.but the reporter's ability to observe is also a fundamental part of it.

6. Retrospective-anecdotal reporting

The retrospective-anecdotal reportage has the purpose of reconstructing characteristics of a past eventbased on the information that has reached the present time. In other words, history is constructed from the analysis of documents, diaries, testimonies and reinterpretations of the past.

Thanks to this type of reporting, it is possible to further expand the knowledge of something that can no longer be observed directly, given that it is past. It also serves to confirm or disprove what was believed about the historical event in question.

Types of reportage according to the type of content

Reports can also be classified according to how they structure and order their content, and the following types can be found in this case.

1. Event reporting

Event reporting consists of presenting a static view of the facts. In other words, the journalist acts as an observer, describing the facts as seen from the outside. Events are not necessarily presented in chronological order; in fact, it is more common for them to be presented in order of importance and simultaneously.

2. Quote reportage

This type of reportage is usually known as interviews. The facts will be gathered from the interviewee's own account.. The subject matter, i.e., the interviewee's life or opinion, is assembled by alternating descriptions made by the journalist and textual words mentioned by the interviewee. In this way, veracity is given to what is described in the report.

Unlike other types of journalistic reports, there are no pre-established rules on how the interview should be conducted, although a script can be followed to structure and direct the interview. However, it is best to avoid forcing the dialogue, trying to establish a pleasant conversation, with questions that arouse interest and motivate the interviewee to answer honestly.

3. Action reportage

Unlike event reports, action reports present events chronologically and dynamically.as if they were being lived at this very moment. This is the type of reportage used when describing historical events in the trenches, such as the multiple journalistic reports carried out in the 1990s during the Yugoslav Wars or when describing the Syrian Civil War.

4. Investigative reporting

Although in truth most reportage carries out an important investigative task, the style and depth acquired in investigative reporting is much greater than in investigative reporting..

Investigative reports are works that acquire an almost detective-like character in order to find out all the details of the specific issue. The intention is to find out as much as possible about the subject to be covered, and to see if there has been anything that has escaped previous investigators.

But to carry out a real research work, it is necessary for the author to consult truthful sources, quality information from experts, and even, if possible, confidential sources that provide evidence.quality information from experts, and even, if possible, to resort to confidential sources that provide evidence. This type of work usually contains information either in the form of statistical data, updated figures or documents with official information.

Bibliographic references:

• Patterson, C. (2003). El buen reportaje, su estructura y características. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social. University of Panama. Retrieved from ull.es.