A report is a journalistic story that can be expressed in different media.
A report is a journalistic, cinematographic or other genre work that has an informative purpose . The concept, which has its origin in the Italian word reportagio , in some cases is represented by texts (interview published in a newspaper), in others by a succession of images (a sequence of images on a topic) and in others, what It is done through a video where an informative note is made about something (interview on a TV program).
The most common use of the term refers to the journalistic reporting of stories starring individuals who reside in a certain environment where there is an important fact to tell. In this framework, the report is a testimony that allows us to narrate, with words, images and sounds depending on the medium, some episode of public relevance, making it known from the experience of the people. Generally, it includes the personal and direct observations of the journalist who makes it .
In any case, this is not the only type of report, there are others such as the scientific one (allows the most recent scientific progress and findings to be highlighted), the explanatory one (allows one to investigate important or interesting events for public opinion), the investigative one ( seeks to capture unknown details about a specific event), human interest reporting (revolves around an individual, town, community or community) and free reporting (presents a structure of your choice and is usually short in length).
Resources used in a report
Regarding its structure, the report can present various forms, since it allows the integration of various narrative possibilities, as long as the veracity of the story is not altered. In some cases it uses journalistic resources, which help to explain the topic being addressed more clearly; Surveys and interviews are two resources widely used by reporting to show events.
Although the report is not included in any of the existing literary genres so far, it should be noted that the Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez does consider that it is a literary genre , which could be a neighbor to the chronicle . A genre that makes use of materials typical of the real plane to become a text of a literary nature.
Many times the report is associated with the interview.
Tips for your development
The tips that should be taken into account when making a report are:
- Make a clear introduction to the topic that is going to be discussed (if conducting an interview, tell the listeners or readers in advance who that person is and what they are going to talk about at said meeting);
- Use language that is attractive to viewers (pay special attention to the tone of voice, the rhythms of both speaking and writing, so that whoever is on the other side has an interest in staying listening or reading);
- Expand the topic to be discussed as much as possible (develop the content of the note with as much detail as possible so that whoever is on the other side really knows what is being talked about);
- Express the point of view you have (the opinion of the person writing the report must be based on facts, have been carefully analyzed and shown clearly, and it must also be made clear that it is an opinion as valid as that of all the others. others).
In order to develop these points in the best possible way, it is important to have much more information than what will be given, in order to know how to respond to the concerns of others as accurately as possible. To do this, you need to read a lot and look for all the data you can on the subject to master it in the best way. It may also be useful to make an outline of the topic to be discussed, with the subtopics so that the information is provided in a clear and orderly manner.
multimedia report
The concept of multimedia report refers to a journalistic piece that combines different elements ( tools, journalistic genres and forms of expression ).
It is called this because of the great impact that digital media has had on information, meaning that in recent years the involvement of online media in the development of information has created new forms of communication . In this way, newspapers have become not only pages where you can read what is happening, but they also share videos, links and all types of content only possible thanks to the Internet .
Differences with the documentary and the report
To finish, it is important to distinguish between reportage and documentary . While the first touches on current issues, the second is timeless and, therefore, narrates events that, although they may have had a consequence in reality, are far from it.
For its part, the report is a genre that is used to announce events and expand on certain news , functioning as a link between two current moments.