The Elements of Journalism

I have used the words “form” and “element” and am about to use the
word “principle” to assist in this account of what I think journalism is.
I am not married to such words, although for the moment they seem
helpful. “Form” refers simply to a type or class of thing — a genus, in
this case, of expression — that has an internal structure and functions
distinct from the internal structures and functions of other types of
expression.

As I have already said by way of illustration, poetry is a
form of expression; so too is journalism. In poetry, there are sonnets,
epics, limericks, and free verse; in journalism, there are news stories,
sidebars, editorials, news features, backgrounders, think pieces,
columns, narrative documentaries, and reviews. I am not identifying
the subforms of journalism by reference to various media. I have referred
to items that could be published in a newspaper or magazine,
or broadcast on radio or television.

 In other words, I am trying todefine journalism in terms of what it is rather than by the medium
through which it is circulated. Now I am prepared to commit myself.
There are minimally five elements or principles of design in any piece
of journalism that, although journalism may share some of these with
other forms of expression and although the elements may be unequally
represented in individual pieces, together mark and define it.

In my view, journalism comprises distinctive elements or principles (1) of
news, (2) of reporting or evidence-gathering, (3) of language, (4) of
narration, and (5) of meaning.

I have used the words “element” and “principle” of design synonymously.
Speaking precisely, it is best to see them in this context as
two sides of the same coin. A principle of design becomes an element
when it is acted upon, operationalized, and embodied in a work of
journalism. Put differently, the elements in the text reveal the principles
that have guided its creation. It would be possible to write a full
essay and then some on each of these elements or principles. Here, I
will discuss each briefly in order to illustrate what I have in mind.

Notes Towards
a Definition of
Journalism
Understanding
an old craft
as an art form
By G. Stuart Adam