Title: Arts Journalism and exiled writers: A case study of fugal reflexive practice

Author: Ruth Skilbeck, Ph.D.

Publication: Pacific Journalism Review Vol. 15(2) 2009 pp. 132-152

Abstract:

Arts journalism and reflective practice intersect in a new field of ‘journalism as research’ (Bacon 2006). This article takes an innovative approach informed by the multimodal, musical and psychogenic fugue to discuss a case study of arts journalism reflexive practice. The journalistic research topic is the impact of the traumatic journey of exiled writers on their creative writing, the empathetic effects of trauma and courage on their advocates and the impacts of researching trauma on the researcher. The journalistic interview-based articles discussed in the case study are on exiled writers in Australia, Iranian poet-musician Mohsen Soltany Zand and Ivory Coast political journalist Cheikh Kone. In reflecting on processes of writing of the stories, the author begins to outline the foundation of an innovative, critical fugal methodology of reflexive practice form modes and pieces of arts journalism.

Keywords:

arts journalism, creative writing, exiled writers, fugue, multimodality, trauma