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Using literary techniques in journalism

Devoy, Maeve (2021) Using literary techniques in journalism. Master of Arts thesis, Dublin City University.

Abstract
In an era of social media, click-bait articles and false news, newspaper circulations are in sharp decline. Many news consumers feel overwhelmed and disconnected by the sheer volume and complexity of the information available in the media. Literary Journalism is a narrative form concerned with telling the stories of ordinary people in a unique way. It attempts to capture the universal elements of humanity, allowing readers to share common daily experiences and make better sense of their daily lives. With cultural understanding regarded as the form’s prerogative, Literary Journalism utilises the emotive and aesthetic abilities that are usually confined to the novel, to paint detailed pictures of social settings and tackle the issues, principles and values facing communities. In documenting 13 stories which comprise a single literary artefact, the examples of Literary Journalism produced for this study employ a different set of techniques and tools to those of traditional news reporting. Focused on the crucial moments that exist within the drama and the monotony of everyday life, this study documents the communicative potential of immersive reporting by delving into the cultural dynamics of Dublin City and demonstrating the importance and the consequences of the facts revealed in each story The accompanying essay examines the origins and development of Literary Journalism, provides a related literature review and a methodology describing how the 13 short stories were produced. Considering the influence Irish Literary journalists had over the decades, this study argues that the embattled genre should be represented in the Irish media, to better inform the general public and rebuild the trust tainted by the instant information age. One conclusion drawn is that Literary Journalism should go beyond simply providing the news. The broad range of literary devices available to practitioners, endows them with a duty to elevate each subject with a thorough investigation, therefore enhancing the reader’s experience.
Metadata
Item Type:Thesis (Master of Arts)
Date of Award:November 2021
Refereed:No
Supervisor(s):McNamara, Paul
Subjects:UNSPECIFIED
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > School of Communications
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. View License
ID Code:26272
Deposited On:28 Oct 2021 10:34 by Paul Mcnamara . Last Modified 28 Oct 2021 10:34
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