Teaching Literary Journalism: A Diverted Pyramid?

Abstract

There is ample evidence that the last decade or so has seen a new emphasis on more writerly forms in journalism. As a result, this is perhaps the appropriate time to re-examine the issue of literary/writerly influences on the construction of journalistic writing: the ways in which the present mirrors similar forms from the past, their status as journalistic genres, and their power to both convey information and inform argument. Most important, it explores the pedagogical ramifications of the phenomenon, addressing the special and somewhat undefined aspects of teaching this kind of journalism.