August 2nd, 2008
Immersion Journalism or Empty Ego Tripping
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I just figured out that what I’m trying to do with ‘The Marketer Who Went Off Consumption’ is Immersion Journalism or Gonjo Journalism.
Both styles of journalism involve immersing oneself in a situation and writing about the events and people involved in the experience from a deeply personal perspective. Gonzo journalism is more focused on the writer’s life, while immersion journalism is more focused on the writer’s specific experiences.
Edward Humes, Steve Weinberg and Bill Kirtz offer how-to tips on immersion journalism –
The heart and soul of narrative nonfiction is in the reporting, not the writing. But there is a danger inherent in this process: Immersing in a subject tends to generate an almost impossible amount of information, devoid of structure other than what you, the writer, impose upon it.
First, though, you have to get to the point where you have the time and luxury to think about bringing order out of chaos. You have to get there first, you have to get inside your chosen world.
There is a process I use, though I’m sure everyone who does this sort of writing has their own unique method. Mine is a bit like the five stages of grief. (Edward Humes)
