8 Analytical correspondence

Journalists from the Russian press used the notion of “correspondence” as early as the 18th century. However, it should be borne in mind that for a long time, any publications in newspapers and magazines were called correspondence (notes, letters from readers, reports, etc.). Only at the end of the XIX century. This concept has become associated with a particular genre. The essence of this genre becomes clear as a result of identifying the features of publications, “supplied” under it. The subject of analytical correspondence may be any events, phenomena, phenomena. In this regard, it is close to such, for example, genres such as a report, a report, information correspondence.

However, analytical correspondence differs from these genres by the degree of "presence" in the text of other genre-forming factors. For example, the purpose of a reportage is to give a visual, “live” display of a “subject” event (therefore, the reporter mainly uses the method of personal observation when collecting material; there is no observation — there is no reportage). The purpose of the report is to accurately display the “informational event” (speeches, reports, reports), stating everything that happened in an exact sequence (or even analyzing what is happening), using fragments of speeches or messages. The purpose of informational correspondence is to report something about a “substantive” event, using (as opposed to a reportage) not so much a “live” observation as a “minimized” retelling of what happened.

The purposes of analytical correspondence are other. It also contains a message about the event, the phenomenon. This message may include both a “live” observation, fragments of some speeches, and a “rolled up” retelling of what happened. However, the message itself is not an end in itself. It only gives an idea of ​​the event, anticipating its interpretation. It is this interpretation that primarily distinguishes analytical correspondence from reportage, report, and informational correspondence.

Interpretation is the clarification of the causes of an event, a phenomenon, the determination of its significance, value, forecasting of its development, etc. Because of this, the author of analytical correspondence inevitably uses theoretical methods of cognition — analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, and others. The two-partness of modern analytical correspondence (a message about a phenomenon plus its interpretation) brings it closer to another genre — commentary. But there is a significant difference between analytical correspondence and commentary.

It lies in the fact that the “original source” of a message for an audience about a phenomenon, an event (which is then interpreted) in correspondence is always the author of the publication. It is he who “corresponds” from the scene of the event, he also interprets the incident, relying at the same time on the opinions of the participants and witnesses of the event, on his own direct observations. A comment is always published in the footsteps of an already known audience (for example, from an operational informational message) of an event. When commenting, the interpretation of the event is based largely on other known facts or on general opinions, assumptions, and assessments, which are most often expressed by an authoritative expert for the audience, an expert-expert. Analytical correspondence is also different from the article. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the judgment (judgments) about some generally significant phenomenon, process, situation, occurring in the life of society, in some areas of activity. Moreover, such events, processes, situations, as a rule, have great consequences for society and certain social groups. Therefore, the subject of the article is not separate facts (events), but those natural cause-and-effect relations that give rise to such (usually homogeneous) facts and events. In the course of evidence-based reasoning, the author establishes the connection between the individual facts that have arisen on the "surface" of life, events, phenomena and those laws, the reasons that give rise to them and remain hidden from direct observation.

In this case, the cited facts, the events discussed, the phenomena serve as arguments in favor of a general judgment about their causes, about the laws that gave rise to them. In the analytical correspondence, we are talking about a single event. It is comprehensively discussed, its qualities are revealed, it is assessed, its development is predicted, its reasons are indicated.

Thus, the central subject of analytical correspondence is one significant fact; all other details, examples, and judgments serve as “supporting” material for its comprehensive coverage. These circumstances clearly distinguish between the genre of analytical correspondence and the genre of the article. Characteristic features of analytical correspondence distinguish it from other genres.

Information correspondence Information correspondence differs from a note in more detailed and wider coverage of the subject. Such a subject is usually a single event, phenomenon, action. Moreover, the publication of such a genre may include not only a factual description of the subject, but also some elements of assessment, prescription, forecast, etc. However, the author of informational correspondence does not set himself the task of identifying the interrelationships of the described subject, penetrating into its essence. The main thing for him is to communicate some parameters of the displayed phenomenon lying on the surface.

Information correspondence is close in its essence to the report, but this is not due to a number of reasons. The fact is that the author of correspondence (as well as the author of the material discussed above) is usually not present at the scene of the event at the time of its occurrence. In addition, he does not set himself the task of Writing a detailed emotionally rich description of the object of display (it is often impossible to do this without visiting the scene of the event). In addition, the report is more suited to describe exactly the events, incidents (most often unusual). Correspondence often describes ordinary events, but not only them, as well as some local situations and processes. For the correspondent, the main thing is to state the essence of the matter, for the reporter, to state the essence expressively, visually, emotionally, so that when reading the report the audience had the effect of being present at the scene of the event.