Types of

Journalistic Texts

Learning objectives
• Define the goals of journalism.
• Differentiate the types of journalistic writing.
• Develop writing skill.
Journalistic writing is one of the most important fields of nonfiction since it is
the foundation of a career in mass media, especially in newspapers. If you
were to work in newspaper, you may be assigned to different writing tasks so
you should know the different types of journalistic writing These are the
following:
1. News reports. These are found in daily newspapers and their purpose
is to inform readers of what is happening in the world. News reports are
written following the inverted pyramid structure.

Most important news details

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Important news details

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Least important
Details

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 2. Opinion article. It is a journalistic type that mainly reflects a
columnist’s or a writer’s views about an issue or topic. It is found in
magazines or newspapers.

3. Feature article or story. It is a piece of writing about any subject.

Features can be found in every section of the newspaper, from news to
business to sports. The subjects of feature articles are ranged from
lifestyle, art, music, home, and human interest.

4. Sports news. This focuses on sports-related events or tournaments,

from amateur to professional.

Journalistic writing is different from the different forms of literary texts. Unlike
a short story, poem, or novel a journalistic text is more closely related to the
essay. News reports, features, editorial, sports, and other columns in a
newspaper or magazine are considered journalistic texts.
Observe the following rules in writing journalistic texts:
1.Use the active voice in constructing your sentences. The subject should
precede the verb phrase.
2. Check facts and figures. Always verify facts such as the names of persons,
places and other important information and figures such as number of
population, dates, distance, and volume.
3. Answer the wh-questions (what, who, when, where, why, and how). These
information provide credibility to your write-up.
4. Use direct and indirect reported speeches. Use quotation marks for the
exact words stated by your source.
5. Be concise, Use simple words and be direct in your writing. Avoid using
superfluous words to convey meaning.

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 Strategy Application
Write a feature article about upcoming or a recently held celebration or
event in your school. Observe the rules in Journalistic writing.

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