Exploring the Trends and Development of News Genres and Fiction Formats: A Rhetorical Genre Theory Perspective.

The paper aims to contribute to the advancement of the theoretical and conceptual development of the field of media and literary studies, as well as to address the gaps, limitations or controversies in the existing literature. The paper also explores how news genre and fiction format affect the level and quality of interaction between the writers and readers of news stories, as well as the impact and influence of news stories on the Nigerian society. The paper uses a qualitative content analysis to analyse the news articles and fiction books that are selected for this study, according to the criteria of news genres, fiction formats and interaction. The paper finds that the hybrid fiction format is the most consistent and popular among the news genres, as it combines and blends elements from different fiction formats. The paper also finds that the investigative news genre is the most engaging and appealing among the news genres, as it provides in-depth, original and exposé reports of hidden or controversial matters. The paper argues that news stories and journalism genres are not neutral or objective, but rather social and rhetorical constructs that shape and are shaped by the communicative practices and purposes of discourse communities. The paper concludes that news stories and journalism genres are dynamic and evolving, as they respond to the changing social, political and technological contexts. The paper also discusses the implications, limitations and contributions of the research for the field of genre and media studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]