Question bank: Narrative Typology: News and Reportage

Imagine a major national newspaper received a tip about a possible corruption scheme involving local politicians and businessmen. As a junior reporter, you have been assigned to cover the investigation. Based on your knowledge of news and reporting, write a text that presents the main differences between these two journalistic genres, explaining how each of them would approach the disclosure of this tip. Consider the impartial and informative style that characterizes news, and the analytical and contextual depth of reporting. Also discuss the importance of each of these genres for understanding and covering events like the one described. In your response, highlight the need for accuracy and multiple sources of information in building a report that can effectively contribute to society.

Read the excerpt from a report and answer: (1) Identify and explain two linguistic and structural features that differentiate the report from a news text. (2) Analyze how these differences contribute to the depth of the information conveyed by the report, considering the context and the multiple sources presented in the provided excerpt. Use the following excerpt to support your answers: 'After weeks of investigation, which included interviews with experts and analyses of secret documents, the reporting team discovered that the company in question not only evaded taxes but also diverted funds from social projects.'

What is the difference between sensationalist editorial proposal and investigative journalism in news and how can this choice compromise a critical analysis of the reported fact?

In the current context, we are constantly exposed to news and reports from various media outlets, such as television, radio, internet, and printed newspapers. Each of these media presents specific characteristics in the way they present information, making it important for the reader or viewer to distinguish different editorial proposals and resources used to impact/shock the audience. Based on this, analyze two news or reports about the same event published in different media and answer: 1) What resources were used to grab the attention of the reader/viewer in each of the publications? 2) In your opinion, did any of these resources compromise the critical analysis of the news and the reported fact? Justify your answer. 3) How was media convergence addressed in these publications?

Read the excerpt from the book 'The Art of Writing for the Web' by Pedro Burgos: 'The platform on which the text will be consumed can be huge on desktop, tiny on the cell phone. This awareness must be present when writing or editing the news. Not only does the formatting need to be adapted, but the entire structure of the text. Even so, there is far from a consensus on how to make this adjustment. From the essence of the 'inverted pyramid' of journalism -- starting with the most important information to capture the reader's attention -- to the long explanatory text, there is a considerable distance. The text must be fluid even on a small screen.' Based on the above excerpt, answer: a) According to the text, what adaptations should be considered when preparing news for different platforms, such as desktop and cell phone? b) The author mentions the 'inverted pyramid' in journalism. Explain the concept of the 'inverted pyramid' and how it can impact the reader's attention.