Genres within guidance journalism illustrated by examples from the printed press. Part II

Abstract

The article presents the genealogical aspect of guidance journalism based on selected titles of Polish consumer magazines. The research material has been organised into four groups: 1) genres ‘absent’ (not present) in consumer magazines, 2) ‘non-advisory type’ genres, 3) conventional (classic) advisory-type forms, 4) multi-shaped and genealogically unsteady compositions. This article presents the last two groups. The biggest and the most heterogeneous group of publications are journalistic materials where the foreground purpose is to give advice in a problematic situation or to encourage specific preventive actions. There are specific writing styles: mini-advice, advice text, advice collage, instruction, recipe, a ‘gallery’ of inspiration, fashion show, interview, feature or a story. The advice element in each of these genres is the most important factor, determining the ‘ad hoc’ process of their composition. They are created as a response to the need for a chosen issue to be discussed in greater depth, and are also complemented by other genres in which the advice element does not play a crucial role. The varying size, the simplicity of re-writing content for infographics’ needs, as well as the presence of illustrations, help to produce texts that visually absorb readers’ interest and provide a comprehensive overview of a subject. Genres with no fixed structure are difficult to describe, because they are still at the stage of being shaped, and authorial experiment. In the printed consumer press, these are recommendations and metamorphoses. The genealogical analysis of advice publications encourages locating press advice and advisory articles at the centre of the journalistic forms of expression published within them. Their modifications create new patterns and that process prevents monotony while reading, at the same time helping the author to smoothly merge the strictness of the advisor’s recommendations with the demeanour of a kind carer. It is likely that the pragmatic character of these publications will be reflected by the readers’ positive response in regard to the stimulations and incentives offered. Complementing an advice text and a guidance article, the remaining writing forms (such as reply letters, personality profiles, features, interviews, instructions, ‘galleries’ or product placement columns), diversify the content of press magazines in terms of genres and their functions, but most of all demonstrate that journalists can creatively produce messages that contain advice, information and entertainment.