The 8 parts of a report (and their characteristics)

Reports are informative texts in which an investigation or a more in-depth approach to a matter of public interest is presented.

This type of text can be shared on all types of channels and can talk about any topic, as long as it is interesting and captures the attention of the audience to which they are directed.

There are several parts of a report, which we will see in greater detail below, in addition to some of the main characteristics of these texts.

• Related article: "The 10 types of journalistic reports, explained"

Characteristics of journalistic reports

The reports are informative texts that in themselves constitute their own journalistic genre and in them a specific topic of public interest is developed, or it is a question of describing real events in as much detail as possible. The subject that is approached in them can be of any type, touching society, trips, politics, economy or sports, to say a few.

Is about planned and organized documentary works, in clearly distinguishable parts in which the journalist exposes the main theme of the same

. Since they expose a topic in its greatest extension, they tend to be longer and more complete than the news that we can find in the news or newspapers. In addition, they are accompanied by visual resources such as images, graphs or maps, in addition to the opinion or expert voice of testimonials, specialists or anyone involved.

On the other hand, reports have a series of characteristics that are all related to their parts.

1. They have a theme

The reports have a theme, which is specified in its own title, subheadings and the opening paragraph. This topic can be real events, the answer to a problem of social interest or a topic of human interest.

2. They arouse interest

The reports arouse interest so that whoever reads, watches or listens to them remains attached to them, extending the little data they may have on the subject and satisfying their curiosity. These texts get their audience's attention through various resources, among which there can be no lack of testimonials and objective data.

3. Variety of channels

The reports are transmitted through a wide variety of broadcast channels, which coincide with those used for both traditional and newer media.

Among them we can find the written press, such as magazines and newspapers, radio, television or the media. more modern and audiovisual type such as digital magazines or video viewing platforms in line.

• You may be interested in: "The 8 elements of communication: characteristics and examples"

4. They use informative sources

The reports, at least those adequately carried out, They are texts that use objective information sources since their objective is to transmit real, honest and objective information. These sources can be testimonials, photographs, expert statements, videos, diagrams or any other resources, resources which are used in the body of the text.

Whoever did the report may have taken certain creative licenses to present what he wants to explain in a way that induces some type of opinion in its audience, but regardless of whether this is the case, a report must always start from data real.

The parts of a report and its structure

Now that we know exactly what this type of text is and what its main characteristics are, now is the time to take a closer look at the parts of a report. These are essentially four parts: headline, opening paragraph or entry, body of the report and final paragraph.

1. Headline

The first part of a report is its title, just like the news. This headline It is accompanied by a pretitle and a subtitle in its written version, although in the case of a radio report this is mentioned orally.

The headline contains a very brief presentation, in a single sentence, of the information about what topic the report is going to deal with. It is, so to speak, its cover letter, what makes a first impression of the topic to be discussed, for this reason it is essential that this phrase arouses the attention and interest of the reader.

2. Opening paragraph or entry

After the title, subtitle and pretitle we have a first paragraph which is a kind of micro-summary that is going to be talked about in the report. It is a paragraph that expands on the topic introduced in the title but without revealing the end of the report. The objective of this paragraph is to awaken even more the curiosity that the reader or viewer already has after having read the headline.

To make it more interesting, this paragraph can include a quote that will appear in the body of the report, in addition to mentioning some of the most interesting questions of the main topic that is going to be exposed in it. You can also mention the name of the person to be interviewed, especially if he is a celebrity or a public figure.

3. Report body

After the opening paragraph we enter the most important part of the report, the body of the report. In this part the investigation or the exposition made by the journalist is exposed to its fullest extent. It is in this part where the facts, data, testimonies or any other source and resource used during the performance of this work will be exposed.

Within the body of the report we can find different parts depending on the paragraph to which we are referring.

3.1. First paragraph or lead paragraph

The first paragraph or lead does not always have to be in a report, since it is sometimes combined with the opening paragraph. If it is within the body of the report, this paragraph gives details about the main topic, details that will have already been previously introduced in the previous paragraph. It is also in this paragraph that the appointment of any of the interviewees or those involved in the work can be developed.

3.2. Introductory paragraphs

The introductory paragraphs introduce us, as its own name indicates, the subject that is going to be discussed, in a limited way but with a greater length than in the lead paragraph. In this paragraph the points to be followed in the report are stated and, also, the perspective that the journalist is going to take regarding the collection of information.

3.3. Contextualizing paragraphs

Contextualizing paragraphs provide us with the necessary information to understand when and in context the events have occurred, in addition to explaining the concepts necessary to understand what the report is about.

They can be more or less technical, but they are necessary for the audience to understand the topic that is being discussed and obtain the necessary information before diving into it.

3.4. Information development paragraphs

As its name suggests, the information is developed in these paragraphs. These paragraphs are the ones that occupy the highest percentage of all the work, developing the topic and the research to the maximum. This is where we will find interviews, opinions, testimonials, graphics, archive images and some other quotes..

3.5. Conclusion paragraph

Finally, and within the body of the report, we have the concluding paragraph, in which the subject begins to close but not sharply, since it will be in the paragraphs after this that the report will be closed completely. A small summary of the topics that have been discussed is made.

4. Final paragraph

Finally we have the final paragraph in which the closing of the report is made. It is usually done in the form of a conclusion or by inviting the audience to reflect on what they have just seen or read. There are different types of closure depending on the type of research and the topic addressed.

The final paragraph can be found in the form of a conclusion, where the reporter quickly assumes the issue that has been addressed in the report. It can also come in the form of a resounding closure, where the report closes definitively with a sentence or a few, and even a moral or brief final reflection can be added.

Bibliographic references:

• Ulibarri, E. (1994). Idea and life of the report. Threshing.
• Herrera, E. (1983) The report, the essay: from one genre to another. Caracas.
• Marrero Santana, Liliam (2008). The multimedia report as a genre of current digital journalism. Approach to its formal features and content. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 11 (63). ISSN:. Available in: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa? id = 819/81912006029.