English-language literary journlism: the main stages of formation

author: Uliana Zhornokui

Urgency of the research topic is determined by the fact that in the post-information society, literary journalism faces a number of challenges. Among these, the most burning ones are information verification, the vast amount of available data, and the adaptation of texts considering necessary strategies, needs, and the age demands of the target audience. These factors influence the issues and genre features of the works presented to readers.

Target setting. The need for research on this topic arises from the gaps in the receptive base of literary journalism, which is still often regarded by domestic scholars as a derivative discipline of literary studies and comparative literature. Moreover, in the era of digitalization and clickbait-style information delivery, literary journalists are compelled to devise new ways to popularize their long-read texts, which by itself emphasizes the necessity of such research.

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. In domestic scientific framework, the study of literary journalism has been carried out by researchers such as L. Shutiak, O. Kharchenko, K. Silman, and others. However, their studies are selective and focus on particular aspects of this topic. Meanwhile, English-language reception is more developed and shows significant interest in literary journalism as a separate scientific method. Notable examples include the works of S.M. Zdowch, L. Gutkind, R. Nordquist, J. Simons, and N. Sims.

The research objective. The author aims to highlight the key stages in the cultural and historical development of literary journalism and its differentiation as an independent scientific method. The study also deals with the outline of the common and distinctive features in the works of key figures throughout its evolution.

The statement of basic materials. Literary journalism as a genre emerged in the 20th century, thanks to figures such as Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, and Tom Wolfe, who introduced new standards for writing documentary texts. However, as a unique method of writing, it began to take shape long before this. Elements of literary journalism can be traced back to the works of Daniel Defoe, Jonathan Swift, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and others. Thus, we can identify three key stages: the early stage, the “New Journalism” of the 1960s, and literary journalism after the 1970s. Works from these periods exhibit stylistic and genre differences when compared.

Conclusions. Literary journalism continues to evolve, adapting to cultural, social, and technological changes. Studies by domestic and international scholars contribute to a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. Most importantly, they enable the interpretation of journalism as a method that is not entirely comparable to artistic literature due to its inherent mass nature. However, experiments with texts and their modes of expression and presentation confirm the dual nature of literary journalism as a method. Its interdisciplinary nature is both a challenge and a barrier, as each work, to some extent, becomes a separate text for further interpretive modalities.

Key words: stages of development, genre  and stylistic features, literary journalism, method, interdisciplinary nature, representative

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