New Journalism was a literary movement of the 1960s and 1970s that combined fiction writing techniques with fact-based journalism. It aimed for literary excellence and used narrative scenes, dialogue, and a strong point of view. Critics argued that it lacked objectivity, but proponents believed it gave the style its power. Writers such as Tom Wolfe, Truman Capote, Hunter S. Thompson, and Norman Mailer were associated with the movement.
New Journalism was a literary movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Combining fiction writing techniques with the fact-based approach of journalism, the writing that grew out of this movement demonstrated an aspiration for literary excellence in journalism. The term was crystallized by Tom Wolfe in his 1973 book, The New Journalism, a collection of essays and excerpts describing and demonstrating the new style.
Writers commonly cited as examples of the New Journalism movement have included Tom Wolfe, Truman Capote, Hunter S. Thompson, and Norman Mailer. Not all of these authors have embraced the New Journalism designation; in particular, Capote resisted being labeled a journalist and preferred to call his book In Cold Blood a non-fiction novel. Rather than having their work published in newspapers, these writers’ pieces often appeared in magazines. Some of the pioneering publications of New Journalism were The New Yorker, New York, Harper’s, Esquire, and Rolling Stone.
According to Wolfe, the literary techniques that defined New Journalism included a narrative that unfolded in “scenes” rather than historical explanations; extensive use of dialogue; a strong point of view within the story, both that of the author and that of another person involved in the events told, gleaned from diaries, interviews or other forms of research; and the use of illustrative and revealing details that would not normally be included in traditional reporting. These techniques had previously been used almost exclusively in novels and short stories. Traditional reporting, by contrast, has focused on concrete facts without interpreting or personalizing the data, simply reporting what happened, when it happened and who was involved.
In addition to the shared formal characteristics of the new style, the movement’s writers shared a common approach to the reporting process. Incorporating himself into the subject matter – a practice known as “saturation reporting” – allowed the writer to observe the scenes, conversations and details of the piece firsthand. Critics of the style argue that immersion in the subject made it impossible for the writer to report events objectively.
Unlike traditional journalism, which aims at objectivity and reports facts without subjective interpretations, New Journalism was characterized by its subjectivity. This prompted criticism that the new approach to reporting merged facts with the author’s interpretations of events, making it difficult for the reader to know what to believe. According to proponents of the movement, however, it was precisely this combination of a strong point of view with painstakingly researched facts that gave this form of journalism its power.
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