Extending the Genre Boundaries of Modern Commentary Within Analytical Text Formats

Abstract

Research Methodology. The article uses a complex of scientific methods: descriptive, comparative, methods of analysis and synthesis.

Results. Commentary is a genre characterized by a subjective style of presentation of the material, as the author aims to express his or her own attitude to current events, to give them an estimate, a prognosis of development. Commentary is attributed to the analytical genres. Recently, however, researchers have noted an increase in the process of genre diffusion, which has led to significant changes in the formal and substantive structure of classical commentary. In this aspect it is worth mentioning the notion of «genre syncretism», that is, formal indistinguishability, the merging of different genre traits within a single publication. The most common in today’s press is the diffusion of the genres of commentary and analytical article, since the genres have a similar subject matter – the actual event in the commentary and the actual problem in the article. Contemporary commentary material also contains features of a version that manifests itself in the combination of fact and authorial interpretation, the conditional nature of authorial commentary; the use of typical commentary and version of reality display techniques. Commentary-type material may also contain review features, since the review is closest to the commentary by its formal content. Diffusion within the genre form is also important, in particular the commentary of the specialist with the actual commentary as a genre of journalism.

Novelty. The specificity of analytical syncretic genre entities that emerge in the process of inter-genre diffusion of commentary as a genre of journalism with other analytical formats has been clarified.

The practical significance. The results of the study can be used to refine the existing standards of analytical journalism and to develop new ones based on the objective development of media.

Key words: commentary, genre diffusion, syncretism, version, review, analytical article.