Journalistic Format

What is a Journalistic Format?

A journalistic format is a text genre of journalism – such as a news item, report, reportage, feature, interview, or commentary. Each format follows its own rules and separates facts and opinion to differing degrees.

Journalistic Format in Detail

Journalistic formats determine how a topic is prepared. Broadly, one distinguishes informing formats (news item, report, interview, reportage, feature) and opinion-oriented formats (commentary, gloss, review). The news item briefly delivers the most important facts, the report classifies more extensively, the reportage narrates vividly and experientially, the feature combines information with narration, the commentary clearly takes a position. For companies and individuals, knowing the format is relevant: a statement for a news item must be brief and factual; for a reportage, vivid scenes and soundbites count; a commentary can hardly be influenced, because it is opinion. Those who know in which format a piece will appear can deliver material and messages appropriately and realistically assess their own expectation of the result.

In practice, knowing the format is very useful for media work, because each format needs different material: a news item requires brief facts, a report classification, a reportage vivid scenes and soundbites, a commentary is the author's opinion and hardly influenceable. Broadly, one distinguishes informing formats such as news item, report, interview, reportage, and feature, as well as opinion-oriented formats such as commentary, gloss, and review. Those who know in which format a piece will appear can deliver precisely and realistically assess their own expectation of the result. A common mistake is to want to influence a commentary. Knowing the journalistic formats helps to shape media work more precisely and more effectively.

What is the Journalistic Format relevant for?

Knowing the format helps you deliver appropriately: a news item needs brief facts, a reportage vivid scenes and soundbites, a commentary is opinion. Those who know the format deliver fitting material and assess the result realistically.

Journalistic Format – Examples in Practice

For a news item, a press office delivers the core facts compactly. For a reportage, a company provides vivid scenes and interview partners. For a commentary, a spokesperson knows that the author's opinion is in the foreground.

Journalistic Format: Key Features at a Glance

• Definition: a text genre of journalism
• Examples: news item, report, reportage, feature, commentary
• Distinction: informing vs. opinion-oriented
• Relevance: fitting material per format
• Benefit: a realistic expectation of the result

Related Terms

• Reportage
• News Value
• Lead Story
• Lead Paragraph
• Headline

Would you like to understand the media and their formats better? We support you with our Media Training Professional.

Journalistic Format: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a journalistic format?

A text genre of journalism – such as news item, report, reportage, feature, interview, or commentary – each with its own rules.

What journalistic formats are there?

Informing formats such as news item, report, reportage, and feature, as well as opinion-oriented formats such as commentary, gloss, and review.

Why should you know the format?

Because each format needs different material: a news item brief facts, a reportage vivid scenes and soundbites – so you can deliver appropriately.

Can you influence a commentary?

Hardly, because a commentary is the author's opinion. Unlike informing formats, what counts here is the clear position, not neutral presentation.