The first perspective recognized in Sykes’ writing, resembles a strikingly similar voice to the one used by fashion bloggers, one that Coward defines to be “personal, intimate, uninhibited, immediate and ongoing.” This is not common in traditional writing but is seen in specific newspaper columns. With Sykes taking on this authentic writing style it can be argued that conversation and specifically interaction have become her priority to connect with the reader online, who values writing that comes across as “immediate and personal.” While this writing style mainly reflects the one of a fashion blogger rather than the one of a journalist I argue that...
The first perspective recognized in Sykes’ writing, resembles a strikingly similar voice to the one used by fashion bloggers, one that Coward defines to be “personal, intimate, uninhibited, immediate and ongoing.” This is not common in traditional writing but is seen in specific newspaper columns. With Sykes taking on this authentic writing style it can be argued that conversation and specifically interaction have become her priority to connect with the reader online, who values writing that comes across as “immediate and personal.”
While this writing style mainly reflects the one of a fashion blogger rather than the one of a journalist I argue that it has become a beneficial element for fashion journalists to add to their already established skills of journalism in order to succeed in the field of digital media. Bloggers have become “masters in “speak[ing] their mind[s],” but their form of writing still resembles a one-to-one exchange and a reflection of their own voice only. Journalists, on the other hand, still heavily rely on representing the voices of others rather than their own, which in return makes their fashion writing more qualitative and legitimized than that of bloggers. To conclude, it is the combination of both conversational writing and traditional journalistic rules that define good and professional writing in the digital space today.
Having explored the terms autonomy and heteronomy as introduced by Bourdieu, I have argued how this relates to fashion publications and specifically the role of fashion journalists. Furthermore, I have discussed that both terms affect the positioning of fashion journalists today, whether they work under the strong influence of advertising or independently in the fashion media. I have further deepened this discussion by arguing that fashion writing marks a significant tool for fashion journalists to uphold and produce symbolic value in the fashion industry and how it can be recognized online based on the ground rules as defined by Bradford.
