Features: Writing Reviews

A review is the simplest format of an article. It can be anything from a book, film, work of art or live performance and is used to tell consumers:

• What it is
• Is it any good?

Any review that is written must have two elements:

1.       A description of what the item is that you are reviewing

2.       Must be a comment on whether it is any good

You are allowed to make comment because you will have legal protection and will not be sued for libel. Defence= justification for making the comment, it has to be a true statement of which it can be proved. Public Interest is also a necessary precondition since there is no Qualified Privilege since it is not in court. Therefore you can legally review anything as long as you add in comment based on truth. You are also permitted to use material of what you are reviewing due to Fair Dealing in compliance with Copyright Law.

Unfortunately gonzo has begun to be incorporated into reviewing item. This can sometimes go beyond the reviewers own personal preferences and reaction to the work which is no good for professional journalism. Readers want a service and do not care what you think about the item.

Contrast with the highly professional reviews in Sight and Sound magazine (British Film Institute).

The magazine actually separates the “what is it?” from the “it is any good?” typographically, using italics to differentiate between the two.  It starts with a summary of what the film is about, the actors starring in the film and the length of the film etc. It then continues on to pass a balanced and informed opinion on whether the film achieves what is has apparently set out to do. All professional review writing should follow this two part format.

Another style of review is a comparative review. This is where you review a number of similar items in the same review.  This is a good defence against accusations of malice. You need to have a reason why you are reviewing only one item e.g. a phone. A bad review can ruin the sales of an item therefore companies take reviews very seriously, need to have a defence.

Another elaboration on this basic format is the Feature Review which involves reviewing a host of products under a single heading, for example ‘Young British film makers’. This sort of feature review supposedly detects a new trend in culture and is featured in the arts and cultures sections of newspapers and magazines.

Reader Response (Generic Feature)

Originally letters to the magazine/editor, now comment on blogs- ‘Agony Aunts’ is a way of publishing reader response too. ‘How To’ articles.

Reader response has become more important in recent years, the aim is to get “WIN” and “FREE” on the front cover as this will attract readers. Elements such as horoscopes, agony aunts, newspaper bingo and cash prizes are also used as this will set the tone of the paper, magazine or radio show which then builds up reader loyalty.

There are a number of developments and ‘featurisation’ that are prominent in magazines and newspapers:

• Letters
• Agony Aunts
• “How to…..” advice from experts
•  Diet
•   Health and Beauty
• Fantasy Football league (Daily Telegraph)
• Crossword, quizzes and other ‘coffee break’ fillers
• Prize competitions and give away
• Cover mounts
• Horoscopes

The importance of reader response has grown drastically in recent years due to the internet. Readers can now respond instantly through e-mail and attach ‘have your say’ reply forms on web pages.

An example of this is Femail, (The Daily Mail online) where the front page of this is primarily reader response.