National Institute of Mass Communication & Journalism, Ahmedabad
( Affiliated to Gujarat University )
( Affiliated to Gujarat University )
Gonzo journalism is a unique type of reporting that relies on the reporter's own engagement in the topic. While traditional reporting relies on hard facts, gonzo journalism puts readers inside the writer's mind and feelings as the tale evolves.
Gonzo Journalism is a term one may have heard as a nod to the old journalistic style of counterculture. It is a type of journalism in which the author is the protagonist and the reporting on a story is done in the first person. The writer becomes a character in the story, depicting events via their own experiences and offering readers their version of the truth. Gonzo Journalism stories are frequently told via a societal and self-critical viewpoint, with little rewriting or editing. Because the personality of the piece and its subjective truth are more essential than the actual facts of the story in gonzo journalism, certain portions of the writing are frequently exaggerated or profane, while the tone and writing style may rely on hyperbole, comedy, and sarcasm.
However, Gonzo journalism was not a one-time phenomenon in the 1970s. Instead, it grew over time into an immersive journalism style that is still popular today.
Today, the name "Gonzo" refers to anything strange or unusual, although it was coined by the Boston Globe&'s Editor, Bill Cardoso, who claimed it meant "Last Man Standing."
Bill Cardoso used Boston-Irish vernacular to describe Hunter S. Thompson's first-person narrative reports, in which the writer would go on a never-ending drug and alcohol binge, getting himself into strange adventures along the way.
The big question for journalists now is whether Gonzo journalism has a future, or if it has become the standard. Many reporters will speak in the first person to give their personal narratives and perspectives on events that occurred. It is still popular among readers who can relate to their point of view and feel vindicated. It also provides reporters a more "human" aspect, which is vital for creating trust with an audience.
If you want to see the Gonzo method in action in 2020, look no further than Vice. Both the magazine and TV network follow in the footsteps of their Gonzo forefathers, offering a raw take on the original movement's "immersive" journalism. In some ways, you can see the impact of this immersive approach on the many people who become vloggers to share their experiences with the world. In reality, this immersive approach can be seen in a variety of contexts and platforms.
Journalism students are taught that objectivity is at the heart of journalism and that a successful narrative is always based on objective facts that can be validated by anyone. But gonzo journalism is not the same as traditional journalism. Gonzo journalists, who reject traditional journalism's values, do not report the story; instead, they become the story.
Gonzo journalism became a component of the New Journalism movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which established objectivity norms in the world of twentieth-century journalism. It has survived thanks to the great works of its forefathers and followers. And it is only because of the force of this type of writing that it has survived as a respectable reporting style.
Contact for Admission at NIMCJ to pursue mass communication and journalism.
Read Next Blog: how to become a sports journalist
12 Nov 2022
Post by : NIMCJ