New Journalism

New Journalism

A style of writing that arose in the 1960s and 1970s. New Journalism rejected the notion of the objectivity of the writer in favor of prose that included evidence of the author's opinions and personality. New Journalism employed novelistic techniques such as dialogue, descriptive detail, authorial commentary, and strong narrative to produce works that read more like novels than like traditional journalism.

In the 1960s and 1970s the term nonfiction novel was often used to describe works of New Journalism. Today we are more likely to see the terms creative nonfiction, literary journalism, and literary nonfiction used to describe these works. 

Writers influential in the establishment of New Journalism include Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, and Truman Capote. Capote's book In Cold Blood (1955) is the seminal work in the genre.

© 2008 by Mary Daniels Brown
