Newspaper chronicles are a variety of literary journalism that narrate an event chronologically and in detail, offering an informative assessment of the facts. For example: Newspaper chronicle of the Twin Towers.
This is a non-fictional episode in which the journalist was directly involved. Therefore, a more detailed account is expected than in a traditional news report , and one that may include the author’s personal and subjective perspective .
- Continue with: Short Chronicle
Characteristics of the journalistic chronicle
- Their goal is not only to recount what happened, but to recreate an atmosphere, giving a precise impression from the journalist’s perspective.
- Value judgment is relevant to supporting the structure of the story and constructing a journalistic argument.
- The text must have a “chronological sense,” that is, an orderly presentation of the facts, starting with what happened first.
- The chronicle must include:
- All information that can be collected.
- Textual phrases from participants, witnesses, and personalities involved in the narrated event.
- A development accompanied by an analysis of the episode.
- Sentences that express feeling and emotion.
- If appropriate, ironic or humorous reflections.
- Sustained tension in the story, so that the reader feels involved in what is being told.
Formal aspects of journalistic chronicles
- The length may vary, depending on the layout possibilities and spatial limitations of the printed page.
- The narration can be in the first person, with the journalist becoming the actor of the narrated events, or using a “witness” voice, a spectator of the events.
- The writing should be fine and simple, and reflect the journalist’s culture, powers of observation, and dramatic depth.
How to write a journalistic chronicle?
- Introduction. The beginning should be compelling to grab readers’ attention. Ideally, you should think of a hook that generates interest, anticipating an entertaining story. It’s not advisable to start by offering too much information, as this can be overwhelming and lead to abandoning the reading.
- Data. The text should provide basic information that completes the points needed to understand and answer traditional questions (what, who, where, when, why).
- Chronological narrative. The narrative in the body of the article should contain the dramatization and climax of the chronicle, with increasing and decreasing action to manage the story’s tension.
- Finale. The closing may include a punchline that returns to the hook that began the text.
Types of journalistic chronicles
Depending on the topic they cover, journalistic chronicles can be:
- Political chronicles. These chronicles portray episodes and actors in the realm of public administration. For example, the coverage of a pre-election campaign, campaign events, presidential inauguration, and others, always capturing the atmosphere, mood, characteristics, and emotions of the public and other stakeholders involved in these events.
- Legal chronicles. These chronicles chronicle oral trials of great relevance to the general public. For example, when public figures are tried or justice is sought for episodes of high social impact. The aim is to portray not only the daily progress of the legal process, but also the testimonies of those present who yearn for a fair verdict.
- Local/urban chronicles. These chronicles focus on aspects of everyday life, painting a picture of current events for readers. For example, when describing the lifestyles of communities that gather in a particular part of the city, the glamorous tourist attractions, the festivities of Carnival, Easter, or Christmas, among others.
- Correspondent’s reports. These are those written by a journalist living in another country to cover the daily life of a foreign city. The author seeks to convey a foreign experience to fellow readers unfamiliar with the customs and culture of those countries. For example, these reports are common for international events such as the World Cup or Olympics, award ceremonies, and festivals. These articles complement the main story, providing an entertaining touch and, generally, a humorous tone.
- Travelogues. These are those that describe a tourist destination with very clear guidelines. For example, “The Ten Best Pubs in London” or “The Louvre Museum Inside.” Their purpose is to inform but also to create an entertaining text for readers who won’t necessarily visit the place.
- War correspondent’s chronicles. These are written by a writer who, amidst bombs and bullets, covers daily life in a city ravaged by war. They focus on everyday problems faced by ordinary citizens in the context of war, such as the lack of water, alternative livelihoods, and the work of doctors and healthcare workers.
Examples of journalistic chronicles
- The conquest of America and the end of the ancient pre-Columbian world
For nearly 10,000 years, various indigenous peoples of the Americas lived without even suspecting that an entire world existed beyond their shores, concerned only with the tensions that arose between them. Entire empires rose and fell, civilizations were lost, and mighty monuments were built before the Genoese navigator Christopher Columbus first crossed the Atlantic Ocean to land on the shores of the Caribbean Sea on October 12, 1492.
Three ships made up that first European voyage to what they called the “West Indies,” believing they had, in fact, circumnavigated the globe and ended up in Asia. Instead, they found a tropical paradise populated by foreign peoples whom they christened “Indians” and with whom they quickly established an unequal relationship of exchange: the natural wonders of that mysterious place didn’t seem to be well-guarded by the friendly Taínos, and in the greedy mindset of the first conquistadors, that gave them the right to take everything.
- See full text at: Journalistic chronicle on the conquest of America
- World War II: Six years of conflict that changed history forever
The Second World War (1939-1945) was one of the greatest conflicts in recent human history and the most important of the entire 20th century. Not only the great economic and military powers of the time were involved in one way or another, but also most of the world’s nations, whether on the side of the Allies (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the USSR) or the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan). The six years of this “total war” forever transformed the political makeup of the planet and left scars that still linger in the collective memory today, almost 80 years after its end.
Nazi Germany had already demonstrated its territorial ambition, expressed by Adolf Hitler himself in terms of lebensraum (“living space”) in his book My Struggle (1925), in which he outlined his political, social, and military plan for Germany, and the latter’s need to seize the territories of the Eastern European nations. With this in mind, on August 23, 1939, the German regime signed a non-aggression pact with Stalin’s Soviet Union, in which—as would later come to light—they divided up Polish territory and agreed on a new border between their nations.
- See full text at: Journalistic Chronicle of the Second World War
- The fall of the Twin Towers in New York: the great terrorist attack that ushered in the 21st century
The first proper year of the 21st century ended on that Tuesday, September 11, 2001, without anyone in New York or anywhere in the West even suspecting the events that would unfold that morning. Events that seem like something out of a Hollywood movie, but which caused very real and very emblematic damage in the heart of the American metropolis: the destruction of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and all their surrounding structures.
That morning, passengers on four different flights from four U.S. airlines occupied the small seats inside their planes. American Airlines Flight 11 took off at 8:00 a.m. from Boston’s Logan International Airport, bound for Los Angeles. It had 92 people on board. From the same airport, but fifteen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 followed suit, bound for the same destination but with 65 people on board. Both planes were Boeing 767s, with an average wingspan of 47 meters and a length of between 40 and 60 meters.
- See full text at: Twin Towers Newspaper Chronicle
More examples of journalistic chronicles
- Rappi: Capitalism powered by animal fuel, by Emiliano Gullo. The journalist describes his own ten-day experience as a food delivery driver.
- Chronicle of the Boy Who Saves His Flan, by Martín Granovsky. The journalist visits schools in poor areas of the city to reveal the conditions in which children study there.
- A Weekend with Pablo Escobar, by Juan José Hoyos. A chronicle that gives insight into the most famous figure in international drug trafficking.
- Assault on the Palace, by Gabriel García Márquez. The text recreates the struggle between the Sandinista National Liberation Front and the Nicaraguan dictator Somoza.
- The Sacred Cow, by Josefina Licitra. This story describes the story of Rosita, a cloned cow hidden in the Argentine pampas.
- A Man Is Fighting with My Mommy, by Carlos Martínez. The story stems from a call for help made by a Salvadoran girl when a man attacked her mother, and examines the actions of security forces and authorities in that country.
- The Invisible Slaves, by Óscar Martínez. A chronicle that follows the journey of Central American migrants toward the Mexico-United States border.
- These are the Mexican restaurants he would recommend to tourists, friends, and family,according to Travesías Magazine. The columnist selects restaurants based on his personal tastes and experiences, recommending them to all audiences.
- A first-person account of an earthquake in Mexico, by Javier Petersen. The author, who happened to be attending a technology conference in Mexico City, was an involuntary witness to an earthquake that occurred in 2014.
- Mexico, the Unbridled City, by Martín Caparrós. The writer describes his journey through the city, full of nuances, culture, and flavors to remember.
- Three Seats in Front of the Bench, by Emmanuel Carrère. A chronicle of the trial of those accused of the Paris attacks.
- The Privilege of Abortion, by María Luz Nóchez and Laura Aguirre. The columnists portray the experiences of poor women in El Salvador, one of the countries with the harshest abortion laws, who are forced to resort to this practice for a variety of reasons.
- Life and Politics in Brazil’s Poorest City, by Antonio Jiménez Barca. In this article, the correspondent describes the problems facing the population of Belágua, in one of the country’s poorest areas.
- The FARC’s final moments in the war, by Javier Lafuente. The correspondent travels to the Putumayo region of Colombia to learn how the guerrillas are living while they await the signing of the peace agreement.
- A tribute to León Gieco and a moving story, by Diario Clarín. A chronicle that captures the musician’s personal aspects and revitalizes the art of storytelling and celebrating the word back and forth with the reader.
