Question

when author janet malcolm wrote that \every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible,\ she was not calling for cynicism, but rather for ethical reckoning. literary journalism—nonfiction that applies narrative techniques from fiction—demands that writers to balance factual precision with narrative momentum, since unlike traditional news reporting, which prioritizes objectivity and compression, literary journalism may foreground the author’s point of view, lean into ambiguity, or explore character interiority. but the intimacy it cultivates can be ethically precarious, because the deep immersive reporting required by the format often leads to a distortion of perspectives.

3

what is the overall structure of the text?

a it opens with a provocative assertion on journalistic ethics, contextualizes a genre - specific set of narrative demands, then highlights the moral complications that arise from immersive practice.

b it evaluates the stylistic legacy of early nonfiction pioneers, identifies the practical limits of a form of reporting, then argues for a reevaluation of authorial presence in media narratives.

c it foregrounds a tension at the heart of nonfiction storytelling, outlines the formal strategies that distinguish a particular journalistic mode, then articulates the ethical problems that make the practice unacceptable.

d it begins by defending a conventional journalistic approach, assesses the consequences of violating institutional norms, then recommends stylistic caution in personal storytelling.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option A: The text starts with Janet Malcolm's provocative statement on journalistic ethics ("morally indefensible"). Then it contextualizes literary journalism's narrative demands (balance factual precision with narrative momentum, differ from traditional news). Finally, it highlights moral complications from immersive practice (intimacy leads to ethical precarity due to distorted perspectives). This matches the structure described in A.
2. Analyze Option B: The text does not evaluate a "stylistic legacy of early nonfiction pioneers" or argue for "reevaluation of authorial presence in media narratives". Eliminate B.
3. Analyze Option C: The text does not say the practice is "unacceptable", just that it has ethical precarity. Eliminate C.
4. Analyze Option D: The text does not defend a conventional journalistic approach or recommend "stylistic caution in personal storytelling". Eliminate D.

Answer:

A. It opens with a provocative assertion on journalistic ethics, contextualizes a genre - specific set of narrative demands, then highlights the moral complications that arise from immersive practice.