GONZO JOURNALISM AS A MODEL OF POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY AND THE REPRESENTATION OF A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32689/2523-4625-2026-2(82)-5Keywords:
associative composition, gonzo journalism, political reporting, political documentary, feuilleton, Hunter S. ThompsonAbstract
This article examines the phenomenon of gonzo journalism as an alternative model of political documentary journalism, using the example of representation of the election campaign in Hunter S. Thompson’s book “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72”. It analyzes the process of deconstructing traditional media standards and the concept of “objectivity,” it also highlights the dangers of conformism for journalists. For the first time, this study highlights the typological similarity between Hunter S. Thompson’s “Rhythm Logic,” and the feuilleton principle of organizing material based on free association. It has been established that the composition is based not on a sequential chronological presentation of the material, but on an associative approach that combines real-life episodes with political analysis, descriptions of everyday life, the author’s existential experiences, and satirical and ironic fantasies. It has been demonstrated that it is precisely this associative composition that ensures the book’s internal unity, shapes its uniqueness, and determines the manner in which political reality is represented. This article examines the transformation of traditional political reporting under the influence of gonzo journalism and identifies its characteristics as an authorial model for representing political reality. It is demonstrated that the immersive gonzo method is a fully-fledged tool of political documentary journalism that is highly effective in conveying the emotional and psychological truth of the electoral process The study examines the mechanisms for combining factual accuracy with literary and journalistic techniques that enable a multi-layered understanding of political reality. It has been established that subjectivity in gonzo journalism does not negate the documentary basis but serves as a means of interpreting political events, thereby expanding the possibilities of journalistic analysis and political reporting
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