Gonzo Journalism

Gonzo journalism is a subjective, observational style of journalism reported in a first person narrative.

After reading The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved, Bill Cardoso, editor of The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, said in a letter to Hunter S. Thompson, "It's totally gonzo." The 1970 magazine article was transcribed from notes Hunter S. Thompson had scrawled in a haze of alcohol and drugs, but Hunter embraced the term and gonzo journalism was born.Boston Globe: Bill Cardoso Obituary (March 3, 2006)

Examples of Gonzo Journalism

Hunter S Thompson: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
PJ O'Rourke: Holidays in Hell
Michael Moore: Bowling for Columbine
Morgan Spurlock: Super Size Me

Quotes

…Gonzo Journalism. It is a style of “reporting” based on William Faulkner’s idea that the best fiction is far more true than journalism – and the best journalists have always known this. Owl Farm Blog: What is Gonzo Journalism?—Hunter S. Thompson, The Great Shark Hunt

Gonzo Journalism Answers

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Who are the best current Gonzo journalists writing today?(1 Answer)

A: It's a pretty high standard that Hunter Thompson set. Although the definition is only "first person, writer involved as a character in the story", Thompson's prose ...

Want to experiment with Gonzo Journalism (coined by Hunter S Thompson) and thinking about spectacular subject. Who has an idea?(1 Answer)

A: Generally, the simplest subjects are the best -- gonzo works great when paired with a somewhat bland subject that provides good ironic contrast with the journalist's own somewhat ...

Whatever happened to Omni magazine?(1 Answer)

A: What I got off of wiki. After the print magazine folded in 1996, the OMNI Internet webzine was launched. Free of pressure to focus on fringe science areas ...