Literary vs.

Journalistic Writing
Characteristics of Literary Writing Characteristics of
Journalistic Writing

• To entertain and inform leisurely • Must inform

quickly

PURPOSE
• To appeal primarily to the emotions • Primarily to give
information
• To interest a comparatively small and select group • Interests a large
group with varying educational back-
ground
• Written at 10th
grade level

• May or may not be entirely factual • Entirely

factual

CONTENT
• May or may not be timely • Should be
timely
• Deals with either actual or imaginary events/situa- • Deals with
actual events/situations/ideas
tions/ideas • Based on facts
gathered by reporters
• Limited only by the author’s imagination

STRUCTURE
• May build to a climax at end of story; may be written • Inverted pyramid:
most important point first, fol-
in logical order with no single more important lowed by descending
facts in order of importance
• Facilitates
reading, headline writing, layout

• Refers to author’s techniques of expression • Refers mostly to

preparation of copy and use of caps,

STYLE
• Subjective figures,
punctuation, spelling; may refer to author’s
• Use of first person acceptable individual
technique or expression
• Usually
objective, simple and direct
• Definite
limitations to use of the first person

• Usually have a topic sentence • Usually have

topic sentences
• Any length acceptable • Should not
exceed ‘xx’ words
 PARAGRAPHS
• Most important point may be at end • Most important
point at beginning
• Often depends on surrounding paragraphs • Usually contain
one main idea; usually complete in
themselves and able
to be removed without destroying
meaning

• Any type • Usually short,

concise and direct

SENTENCES
• Any length • Avoid using
important or unusual word twice in same
• Most important point anywhere sentence or too
closely together in the same para-
graph
• Avoid beginning
with the, it is, it was, there is, there
are

WORDS
• Any type used any way • Understood by
average reader; written to be under-
stood quickly; not
technical; specific and vivid; not
trite; active voice
preferred

• Usually gathers data on which to base information • Reporter gathers

facts through interviews and other

WRITER’S PREPARATION
• May write when or where he/she pleases research
• Author may determine length himself/herself • Must write for
deadline
• Reporter usually
must fit assigned length