The style in ‘Open Letter from a Writer to the Military Junta’
Fundamental in the development of a more literary stream of journalism was Rodolfo Walsh. The Argentinian, journalist and writer, was able to combine both genres in his texts. Famous for works like Operación Masacre or ¿Quién mató a Rosendo? He was one of the first cultivators of a journalism of testimonies and sources, focused on embracing the style.
Although many of his works have remained for the memory, it is inevitable to note that the Open Letter from a Writer to the Military Junta has transcended as one of the most courageous texts of modern journalism. Contextualizing, the text was directed towards the military government that a year before came to power after a coup d’état and put Jorge Rafael Videla in charge of the country. A day after sending the first copies of the letter by mail, Walsh was killed after a shooting at the hands of the Argentine Navy. His remains are still missing.
However, the purpose of this text is not to explain the motivations and effects of the letter or the journalist. Otherwise, it is to explain how through characters, settings and movement Walsh manages to convey his message and do it in such an effective way. Playing a narrative style in which he is personalized, becoming a main character of his own work.
From the first paragraph the journalist makes clear who the characters are, pointing to the victims. In addition, he adds himself as one of them.
The style of Walsh is widely marked by placing the witness in the foreground. He uses the sources as the main engine to develop his stories. In this case, he is a victim of the repression, use the letter as revenge and get into the story.
Censorship of the press, the persecution of intellectuals, the raid on my home in Tigre, the murder of dear friends, and the loss of a daughter who died fighting you
By doing so the author manages to attract the attention of the reader from the first lines, focusing on the causes that led him to write the letter and pointing directly to the Junta Militar as the cause of many of his misfortunes.
After that, the reader is guided through continual accusations against the Military Junta. The text creates at this moment a clear clash of characters and points out the direct opposition People vs Junta Militar. The authors creates the movement establishing this contraposition and making the reader identify himself with the situation.
