What Is Gonzo Journalism?

Proving Ground

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00:00What is gonzo journalism?

00:03The traditional role of a journalist has often been that of an

00:07objective outsider who simply observes and reports a newsworthy

00:11event, not an active participant in or instigator of that event.

00:16A responsible journalist could still express personal thoughts

00:19and other subjective observations, but there needs to be a clear

00:23separation between the reporting journalist and the event itself.

00:28This journalistic philosophy does not hold true, however, in a

00:32radical form of news reporting known as gonzo journalism.

00:37In gonzo journalism, a journalist is free to participate in events

00:41and circumstances which may themselves be considered newsworthy.

00:46A gonzo journalist can actively participate in a political

00:49candidate's campaign without making any effort to appear politically

00:53neutral or unbiased.

00:57Indeed, one of the hallmarks of gonzo journalism is an almost

01:00complete personal immersion into the world a gonzo journalist

01:04ultimately wishes to expose or record for posterity.

01:09While a traditional journalist might interview drug dealers or drug

01:12addicts for an exposé on the local drug trade, for example, a gonzo

01:17journalist may actually participate in the shady deals and

01:20backroom exploits of a drug kingpin or a local gang.

01:24The purpose of gonzo journalism would be to produce a brutally

01:27honest or highly subjective journalistic piece based on the real

01:31experience of a trained reporter writing from the inside.

01:36A gonzo journalist is not necessarily protected from law

01:39enforcement efforts, so even the legal ramifications of the

01:44journalist's actions could become part of the news story.

01:47Perhaps the most famous gonzo journalist was the late Hunter S.

01:51Thompson, a self-styled renegade reporter who frequently wrote

01:55pieces for Rolling Stone magazine while living a no-holds-barred

01:59personal lifestyle.

02:01Ostensibly assigned to cover the 1972 presidential campaign, for

02:05example, Thompson instead chose to deviate from the campaign trail

02:09and report on his own drug and alcohol-fueled adventures.

02:13His book Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail has since become

02:17a classic example of gonzo journalism.

02:21Critics of gonzo journalism consider the practice to be little

02:23more than sanctioned hedonism.

02:27Responsible journalists should not take it upon themselves to

02:29instigate news items or become completely immersed in the very

02:32culture or circumstances they have been assigned to observe.

02:37Gonzo journalists are a rare breed of writer, often possessing

02:41larger-than-life personalities, and a gonzo or go-for-broke

02:44approach to the subject at hand.

02:47While some reporters may choose to explore participatory

02:50journalism under the strict guidance and supervision of a superior,

02:55gonzo journalists often take it upon themselves to experience the

02:58event on a personal level first, then rework their observations

03:02into acceptable journalistic form later.

03:06While a magazine or newspaper may underwrite some of the gonzo

03:09journalist's expenses while on assignment, a true gonzo journalist

03:13is keenly aware that he or she is working without a net.

03:17For more clear, concise answers to common and not-so-common

03:20questions, visit the Conjecture Corporation website.

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