Contextualization

The Portuguese language is a rich source of study and comprehension of the world. When we observe it closely, we realize that it is much more than just a tool for communication, but a reflection of society and its transformations. In today's world, in which we are bombarded by information from various sources, the comprehension and critical analysis of journalistic texts, such as news and reportage, are fundamental skills.

News and reportage are fundamental textual genres in everyday life and in the formation of opinion. Understanding their structure, objectives, and differences is essential so that we can become more conscious and critical consumers of information. Both have in common the commitment to truth and objectivity, but differ in terms of structure, style, and depth of information.

The main objective of news is to inform a fact in a concise, objective, and rapid manner, without going into depth. On the other hand, reportage is a more complete genre, that goes in depth on a certain topic, presenting different points of view and approaches.

The narrative typology, news, and reportage, are part of the universe of journalism, belonging to the social sphere of communication. They possess their own characteristics that differentiate them from the literary and scientific text since they are aimed at information and the formation of the reader's opinion.

This skill of understanding the textual genres and their constituent elements is fundamental, since it aids in the construction of a critical view of reality and increases the autonomy of the individual as a reader and producer of texts.

Suggestion of Resources

To go deeper into the topic, I suggest the following resources:

1. Portal Educação - Journalism: On this site, you will find detailed information on what news is, the characteristics, and the elements that comprise it.

2. Brasil Escola - Journalism: Here you will have access to diverse content on the universe of journalism, including news, reportages, and other journalistic genres.

3. Toda Matéria - Textual Genres: This resource brings a general view on textual genres, including news and reportage, besides examples, characteristics, and the differences between them.

4. Toda Matéria - Reportage: On this link we find content focused on reportage, addressing its characteristics, structures, and examples.

Remember that all of these resources should be consulted as support to the teaching material and the teacher's guidance. They do not replace the reading and study of the texts indicated in the classroom and in the textbook.

Practical Activity: "Narrating the World: from News to Reportage"

Objective of the Project

The project has the objective of improving students' understanding of narrative typology and specifically of the genres news and reportage. Through the analysis and production of these genres, it will allow students to understand the differences, similarities, and functionalities of journalistic texts, besides identifying the strategies used to arouse interest and generate impact on the reader.

Description of the Project

Each group will be responsible for producing two news stories and one reportage that are related to one same general interest topic. The work should be developed over the course of 15 hours, distributed in research, discussion, writing, and revision of the texts. The deliverables should be submitted digitally, in a text document that should contain the introduction, development, conclusions, and the bibliography used in the project.

Necessary Materials

• Access to the internet to research news and journalistic writing techniques.
• Material for notes (could be a notebook, notepad, or even a document on the computer).
• Computer or device to write the news and reportage.

Step by Step

1. Formation of groups of 3-5 students.
2. Choose a general interest topic: it could be a recent event, a local or global problem, etc.
3. Research on the chosen topic: students should carry out in-depth research, consulting reliable and diverse sources. This research should provide the basis for writing the news and reportage.
4. Writing of the first news story: following the characteristics of the genre, students should produce a concise and objective news story on the chosen topic.
5. Writing of the second news story: students should produce a second news story on the same topic, but with a different focus. The objective is that the students perceive how the same fact can be reported in distinct ways.
6. Writing of the reportage: finally, students should produce an in-depth reportage on the topic. The reportage should combine the reported facts and bring new information, presenting a more complete analysis of the topic.
7. Revision of the texts: students should revise the written texts, correcting possible errors and improving the writing.
8. Writing of the written document: students should write a report containing the following sections: Introduction (contextualization of the project and the produced texts), Development (explanation of the theory, description of the methodology, presentation, and discussion of the results), Conclusions (return to the main points, learning, and project conclusions), and Bibliography (sources consulted in the project).

Project Deliverables

The final project should be submitted in a digital format and should contain:

1. Introduction: description of the project, of the chosen topic and its relevance, as well as the objective of the proposed activity.
2. News stories: the text of the two produced news stories, each with its respective title.
3. Reportage: the text of the produced reportage with its respective title.
4. Development: detailed description of the methodology used, directly related to the above Step by Step and the theory studied in the classroom. Detail the process of creating the texts.
5. Conclusions: a brief discussion of the results and learning obtained during the development of the project.
6. Bibliography: a list of all the sources consulted during the research and elaboration of the project.

Students will be encouraged to be creative and innovative in the presentation of their projects, as well as to critically reflect on and analyze the information collected and produced. The final document should reflect the collaborative effort of the group, the learning acquired, and the understanding of the key concepts of the project.