How to make a journalistic chronicle

A journalistic chronicle is a type of non-fiction writing widely used in the written press. It consists of the orderly and detailed narration of a series of events from the beginning to the end. That is why the exposition of the facts of a chronicle follows a chronological narration.

Chronicles can have character informative, interpretive or opinion. The informative chronicle is the most similar to a news item, with the difference that it strictly maintains its chronological order. The informative chronicles are very common in the coverage of sporting and cultural events.

In the interpretative and opinion chronicles, the journalist who writes it is also a direct witness of the events. When writing it, some insights or points of view can also be contributed to the text. In any case, the chronicle is not a fictional text, so it must stay true to the facts.

Generally, the chronicles are texts of a political, social, economic, cultural, religious or sports nature and are intended to capture a reader who is looking for detailed and complete information about a fact. That is why the journalistic chronicle uses simple and direct language.

Despite this, journalistic chronicles can also make use of some literary resources or figures to enrich the descriptions of the text and help the reader to place themselves on the scene.

If you want to know how to make a journalistic chronicle, it is important that you know the structure and characteristics of this genre. In this way, you will know where to start, what types of topics to address, what information to put and in what order. Take note!

Structure of a journalistic chronicle

A good journalistic chronicle must have a structure with 3 clearly differentiated parts: entry, body and conclusion. Let’s see what each of them consist of:

• Entry: the lead or lead it is a fundamental part of a chronicle, since it will define the rhythm and tone of the text. It consists of a short title that can be accompanied by a pretitle and a subtitle. It consists of a short paragraph in which the events of the chronicle are introduced. The reader is placed in a certain place, time and event so that he knows what the chronicle will be about. This paragraph usually starts out strong, as the goal is to wake up and grab the attention of the reader or audience.
• Body: the objective of this part of the chronicle is to inform and narrate the events in detail. The author can express his views and describe the scenario from his point of view, but trying to be as objective as possible. In the body, the author reports the event contextualizing it, presenting the witnesses or protagonists, interpreting the facts and analyzing them.
• conclusion: In general, the conclusion is based on the subjectivity of the journalist and invites reflection on the events narrated. It is almost as important a part as the lead. The conclusion can also be cyclical and return to the idea with which the chronicle began.

Characteristics of a chronicle

In addition to following the structure, a chronicle must meet a series of characteristics that give it the distinctive style of this journalistic genre. Some of the characteristics of the journalistic chronicle are:

• Investigation: the author is an eyewitness to the events. The journalist must inquire, ask, verify and, above all, carry out field work.
• Style: one of the hallmarks of the chronicle is the stamp or style of the author. Each journalist will use their way of narrating or their creativity to tell the facts. You must always do so without forgetting the precision, simplicity and clarity that distinguish journalistic texts.
• Veracity: the journalistic chronicle is based on a real fact or event.
• Chronology: the narration of the events is done sequentially. The temporal sequence must narrate what happened between two dates.
• AccuracyAlthough the journalist can contribute his point of view, since he is a direct witness of the events, it is essential that objectivity is maintained and accurately narrates the facts.
• Exposition: it can be published in the written press or orally. In both cases, the narration must be rigorous and include testimonies from people who have witnessed the narrated event.

We do not want to end this article without giving you a series of tips that can help you in the work of writing a journalistic chronicle. Follow these tips and it will be easier for you to write your chronicle.

• Identify an entry with strength: the beginning of a chronicle is essential to capture attention and determine the tone that it is going to have. It is advisable to avoid detours and use data that makes an impact. You can make entries with a rich description of the setting, start with a shocking quote from one of the protagonists of the event, start in an intriguing way that motivates the reader to solve the mystery, etc.
• Enrich your vocabulary: having a rich language will help you not to be repetitive in your chronicle. Use synonyms, read a lot, and always have a dictionary handy.
• Don’t abuse the first person: the use of this person should only be applied when fully justified or to enrich the text.
• Identify when you should finish it: a tip that will help you determine when to conclude the investigation for your chronicle is when you perceive that the testimonies with which you count begin to be repetitive and all the questions are resolved.
• Forbidden to invent: If you invest time in a good investigation, it will not be necessary for you to falsify or invent data, you will be surprised by the amount of information and valuable testimonies that the investigation will provide you.

The mark of a good chronicle is the mark of a good story. A rich, engaging, and engaging narrative will make the reader want to get to the end of the narrative and learn more about the topic. For more tips, visit our article How to write a good story.

Finally, here are some examples of journalistic chronicles highly acclaimed that can serve as inspiration or to help you improve your style.

1. Frank Sinatra has a cold, Gay Talese.
2. Give me yours, take mine, Gabriela Wiener.
3. Hiroshima, John Hersey.
4. Assault on the palace, Gabriel García Márquez.
5. A weekend with Pablo Escobar, Juan José Hoyos.
6. The yes of the children, Martín Caparrós.
7. The suicide bombers at the end of the world, Leila Guerrero.
8. The nurse of the kidnapped, Alberto Salcedo Ramos.

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