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00:00What is gonzo journalism?
00:03The traditional role of a journalist has often been that of an
00:07objective outsider who simply observes and reports a newsworthy
00:11event, not an active participant in or instigator of that event.
00:16A responsible journalist could still express personal thoughts
00:19and other subjective observations, but there needs to be a clear
00:23separation between the reporting journalist and the event itself.
00:28This journalistic philosophy does not hold true, however, in a
00:32radical form of news reporting known as gonzo journalism.
00:37In gonzo journalism, a journalist is free to participate in events
00:41and circumstances which may themselves be considered newsworthy.
00:46A gonzo journalist can actively participate in a political
00:49candidate's campaign without making any effort to appear politically
00:53neutral or unbiased.
00:57Indeed, one of the hallmarks of gonzo journalism is an almost
01:00complete personal immersion into the world a gonzo journalist
01:04ultimately wishes to expose or record for posterity.
01:09While a traditional journalist might interview drug dealers or drug
01:12addicts for an exposé on the local drug trade, for example, a gonzo
01:17journalist may actually participate in the shady deals and
01:20backroom exploits of a drug kingpin or a local gang.
01:24The purpose of gonzo journalism would be to produce a brutally
01:27honest or highly subjective journalistic piece based on the real
01:31experience of a trained reporter writing from the inside.
01:36A gonzo journalist is not necessarily protected from law
01:39enforcement efforts, so even the legal ramifications of the
01:44journalist's actions could become part of the news story.
01:47Perhaps the most famous gonzo journalist was the late Hunter S.
01:51Thompson, a self-styled renegade reporter who frequently wrote
01:55pieces for Rolling Stone magazine while living a no-holds-barred
01:59personal lifestyle.
02:01Ostensibly assigned to cover the 1972 presidential campaign, for
02:05example, Thompson instead chose to deviate from the campaign trail
02:09and report on his own drug and alcohol-fueled adventures.
02:13His book Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail has since become
02:17a classic example of gonzo journalism.
02:21Critics of gonzo journalism consider the practice to be little
02:23more than sanctioned hedonism.
02:27Responsible journalists should not take it upon themselves to
02:29instigate news items or become completely immersed in the very
02:32culture or circumstances they have been assigned to observe.
02:37Gonzo journalists are a rare breed of writer, often possessing
02:41larger-than-life personalities, and a gonzo or go-for-broke
02:44approach to the subject at hand.
02:47While some reporters may choose to explore participatory
02:50journalism under the strict guidance and supervision of a superior,
02:55gonzo journalists often take it upon themselves to experience the
02:58event on a personal level first, then rework their observations
03:02into acceptable journalistic form later.
03:06While a magazine or newspaper may underwrite some of the gonzo
03:09journalist's expenses while on assignment, a true gonzo journalist
03:13is keenly aware that he or she is working without a net.
03:17For more clear, concise answers to common and not-so-common
03:20questions, visit the Conjecture Corporation website.