The journalistic chronicle It is a genre of journalism that consists of the narration of a series of events in an orderly manner and from the beginning to the end. Hence its name is related to the Greek term chronos, which translates as "time." In other words, the events are exposed as they occur.
A journalistic chronicle can be informative and at the same time interpretive. This is because the chronicler, journalist or author becomes a witness to the events to make them known. At the same time, the author can provide the text with some personal appreciations for being present in what happens..
In general, the journalistic chronicles are based on topics that are newsworthy and therefore of interest to a wide public. This type of stories can be of political, economic, social, cultural, artistic, religious, sports content, among other matters. Its development implies the use of a simple, precise and direct language.
On the other hand, the journalistic chronicle gains space in the mass media, especially television, radio and newspapers. It is recognized by the detailed, specific and chronological way in which it details each aspect of a particular event in a given time.
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A journalistic chronicle has the following characteristics:
The development of a journalistic chronicle is carried out through the presence and investigative work of the journalist or chronicler in the event that is exposed. The author of the chronicle must constantly inquire, explore, verify, and question to report accurate events.
Although every journalistic chronicle is characterized by being simple and clear, it is also true that its narrative and aesthetic style will depend to a certain extent on the author; it is he who gives it particularity, originality and creativity. The expressive freedom of the chronicler must always be oriented to inform.
The journalistic chronicle is distinguished by being a mixed genre within journalism. This means that on the one hand it informs and on the other it exposes the interpretive judgments of the author. However, the opinion of the chronicler is secondary, the greatest importance falls on the quality of the information and on how it arouses interest in the public.
One of the main characteristics of the chronicle is the sequential or successive way in which it tells the events, all within a time with a chronological order. Without the trait of temporality the chronicle would not exist.
The journalistic chronicle enjoys expressive and stylistic freedom, which is due to the fact that the style is marked by the author. This type of text consists of a title that may or may not be accompanied by a subtitle and by the body or development.
The author argues what is observed in the body of the work, while his opinion can be at the beginning or at the end.
Although in the journalistic chronicle the author can express his point of view or opinion, he must also maintain objectivity in such a way that the information is made known as it was observed.
From the above it follows that the narration of the facts must be done with accuracy and precision, that is, elements of fiction cannot be added..
The exposition of the journalistic chronicle can be given orally or in writing. In both cases, the what, how, when, where and who participated in the events narrated must be reported. In addition, it must have truthful testimonies from people who have witnessed the situation that is manifested.
The journalistic chronicle does not have a specific structure, however some authors are usually guided by an entry, body and conclusion. Each of the parts that make it up are briefly described below:
The entry of a journalistic chronicle is usually composed of a short sentence or a title that can be accompanied by a pretitle and a subtitle. Ideally, the opening of this variety of texts should be precise and attractive in such a way that it piques the interest of the audience..
On the other hand, the entry of the chronicle is made up of a short and concise paragraph that in journalistic terms is called lead. In the lead, the audience is located in what, how, when, where the events happened and who starred in them.
The body is the part of the journalistic chronicle in which what happened is reported in detail and sequentially. In this section the author explains everything he has investigated and argues it with the testimonies of those who were part of the events.
The body of the chronicle must narrate all the facts from the truth, without incorporating any element of fiction and without inventing data. The author or journalist must use a cultured, simple and easily understood language.
In this part of the structure, the chronicler can express his opinions, but always keeping in mind the importance of objectivity.
The conclusion of the journalistic chronicle is based on the subjectivity of the author with respect to the events narrated. It is usually a comment that invites the audience to reflect and connect with the reality of events.
Although it is the opinion of the chronicler, it is written or exposed orally in the third person singular.
The journalistic chronicle can be of several types, depending on the content or topic it deals with and also on the intention of the author.
This type of chronicles deal with events related to violence and criminal acts, as well as events that have to do with catastrophes and accidents. This type of journalistic text is known as a chronicle of courts or black chronicle.
It is important to note that the journalist or author must be careful in their style so as not to turn this type of chronicle into sensationalist and sensationalist information..
The political chronicles tell in detail the facts that have to do with the political field, either at the local, regional, national or international level. The coverage of a presidential election can be more than news if the journalist narrates all the details, data and curiosities of said event as they happen.
As their name suggests, they have to do with events in the sports world. The chronicler is in charge of investigating, detailing and exposing all the information, whether it be about a baseball game, an Olympics or a soccer World Cup..
The chronicles of society are those that narrate certain social events, which are relevant and of interest to the public. An example of these texts is the detailed and successive information of all the data of a royal wedding.
This variety of chronicles is about telling in an informative way all the details of the experience obtained from a trip. In this narration, the author or chronicler shares with the audience all the details of the place they visited, the food, drinks, places, landscapes, people, hotels, among others, all within a chronological time..
As its name indicates, this chronicle is intended to report on a specific news event. However, it differs from the news by the sequentiality and the details with which it narrates the events. It is characterized by being objective and not being biased.
In this type of chronicle, the information compiled by the author is complemented with his opinion and own valuation judgments. In addition to narrating how the events occurred, the chronicler interprets why they occurred. Here stands out the particular style of the journalist to expose the events.
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