die  Reportage

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʁɛpɔʁˈtaːʒə/

📰 What Exactly is a Reportage?

A Reportage (die) is a journalistic format aiming to portray an event, place, or person as vividly and lively as possible, often from a subjective perspective. Unlike a pure news item (Nachricht) or an objective report (Bericht), the Reportage emphasizes atmosphere, details, and the personal experience of the reporter or the people portrayed. It aims to emotionally engage the reader or viewer and give them the feeling of having been there.

The word is always feminine: die Reportage.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar at a Glance: Die Reportage

The noun Reportage is feminine. Here is its declension:

Example Sentences

1. Die Journalistin schrieb eine fesselnde Reportage über das Leben in der Arktis.
   (The journalist wrote a captivating reportage about life in the Arctic.)
2. Im Fernsehen lief gestern Abend eine interessante Reportage über Straßenkünstler.
   (An interesting reportage about street artists was on TV last night.)
3. Der Preis für die beste Reportage des Jahres ging an einen jungen Reporter.
   (The award for the best reportage of the year went to a young reporter.)
4. Wir haben viele Reportagen für unsere Recherche gelesen.
   (We read many reportages for our research.)

🗣️ How 'Reportage' is Used

The term Reportage is mainly used in the context of media and journalism.

• Context: Newspapers (Zeitungen), magazines (Zeitschriften), television (Fernsehen), radio (Radio), online media (Online-Medien).
• Purpose: Detailed, often atmospheric description of events, places, or ways of life.
• Style: More subjective than a Bericht (report), more narrative than a Nachricht (news item). Often enriched with quotes (Zitate), descriptions of sensory impressions (Sinneseindrücke), and background information (Hintergrundinformationen).
• Distinction: A Reportage describes and allows the audience to experience, while a Bericht informs and presents facts. An Interview is a conversation, but can be part of a Reportage. A Kommentar (commentary) presents the author's opinion, which is (theoretically) less prominent in a pure Reportage.

One often speaks of a spannende Reportage (exciting reportage), an eindrucksvolle Reportage (impressive reportage), or an investigative Reportage (investigative reportage).

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Remembering the Article: Many German words ending in -age borrowed from French are feminine: die Garage, die Etage (floor/level), die Massage – and also die Reportage. Think of die Reporterin (the female reporter) who writes die Reportage.

Remembering the Meaning: Think of a 'Report' brought to you with flair and detail – that's a Reportage. It's the detailed 'work' (implied by -age suffix sometimes) of a reporter.

↔️ Opposites and Similar Words: Reportage

Watch Out for Confusion!

• Interview: Interview; a conversation, often part of a Reportage, but not the same thing.
• Rezension: Review / critique (e.g., of a book or film).

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Chefredakteur den neuen Reporter: Ihre letzte Reportage war ja ganz nett, aber könnten Sie nicht etwas schreiben, das die Leute wirklich aufregt, etwas, das sie schockiert?
Sagt der Reporter: Klar Chef! Am nächsten Tag steht auf der Titelseite: GEHALTSKÜRZUNG IN DER REDAKTION!

Translation:
The editor-in-chief asks the new reporter: Your last reportage was quite nice, but couldn't you write something that really gets people worked up, something that shocks them?
The reporter says: Sure, boss! The next day, the headline on the front page reads: SALARY CUTS IN THE EDITORIAL OFFICE!

✍️ Poem about Reportage

Mit Block und Stift, das Herz bereit,
Für die Geschichte, fern und weit.
Die Kamera fängt Bilder ein,
Soll lebendig und echt sein.

Gerüche, Töne, jedes Wort,
Verwebt die Schreiberin am Ort.
Gefühle wecken, nah dabei,
Das schafft die gute Reportage, frei.

Translation:
With notepad and pen, the heart prepared,
For the story, far and shared.
The camera captures images bright,
Should be lively and feel right.

Scents, sounds, every word,
Woven by the writer, on location heard.
Awakening feelings, drawing near,
That's what good reportage achieves, free and clear.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin kein Märchen, doch erzähl' ich viel,
Bring' Orte, Menschen näher an ihr Ziel.
Der Reporter schreibt mich, oft mit Herz,
Mal voller Freude, mal voll Schmerz.
Ich zeige Welten, bunt und klar,
Bin im Magazin, im TV sogar.

Was bin ich, lebendig und nah?

(Answer: die Reportage)

Translation:
I'm not a fairy tale, but tell a lot,
Bring places, people closer to their spot.
The reporter writes me, often with heart,
Sometimes full of joy, sometimes torn apart.
I show worlds, colorful and clear,
In magazines, on TV, I appear.

What am I, vivid and near?
(Answer: the reportage)

🌐 Other Information

• Etymology: The word comes from the French reportage, which in turn derives from the English report or the French verb reporter (to report, to bring back).
• Word Formation: It is derived from the verb reportieren (an older word for 'to report') with the suffix -age.
• Famous Reportages: Germany has a rich tradition of reportage, for example, through writers like Egon Erwin Kisch or magazines like Der Spiegel or Stern.