Editing Gonzo journalism (section)

== Hunter S. Thompson ==

Thompson based his style on [[William Faulkner]]'s notion that "fiction is often the best fact".{{sfn|Rolling Stone|1998}} While the things that Thompson wrote about are basically true, he used satirical devices to drive his points home. He often wrote about [[Recreational drug use|recreational drugs]] and [[Alcoholic drink|alcohol]] use, which added subjective flair to his reporting. The term "gonzo" has also come into (sometimes [[pejorative]]) use to describe journalism in Thompson's style, characterized by a drug-fueled [[stream of consciousness writing]] technique.

''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' followed the [[Mint 400]] piece in 1971 and included a main character by the name of [[Raoul Duke]], accompanied by his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, with defining art by [[Ralph Steadman]]. Although this book is considered a prime example of gonzo journalism, Thompson regarded it as a failed experiment.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thompson, Hunter S. |title=Fear and loathing in Las Vegas and other American stories |date=1996 |publisher=Modern Library |isbn=0-679-60298-4 |location=New York |pages=210 |oclc=38432032}}</ref> He had intended it to be an unedited record of everything he did as it happened, but he edited the book five times before publication.

Thompson would instigate events himself, often in a [[prank]]ish or belligerent manner, and then document both his actions and those of others. Notoriously neglectful of deadlines, Thompson often annoyed his editors because he submitted articles late, "too late to be edited, yet still in time for the printer".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whitmer |first=Peter O. |title=When the Going Gets Weird: The Twisted Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson |date=1993 |publisher=Hyperion |isbn=1-56282-856-8 |edition=First |location=New York |oclc=26544707}}</ref> Thompson wanted his work to be read as he wrote it, in its "true Gonzo" form. Historian [[Douglas Brinkley]] said gonzo journalism requires virtually no rewriting and frequently uses transcribed interviews and verbatim telephone conversations.{{Sfn|Thompson|2000}}

"I don't get any satisfaction out of the old traditional journalist's view: 'I just covered the story. I just gave it a balanced view,{{'"}} Thompson said in an interview for the online edition of ''[[The Atlantic]]''. "Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American [[politics]] has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long. You can't be objective about [[Richard Nixon|Nixon]]."<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 27, 1997 |title=Writing on the Wall: An Interview with Hunter S. Thompson |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/graffiti/hunter.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912163409/http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/graffiti/hunter.htm |archive-date=September 12, 2010 |publisher=The Atlantic Monthly Company}}</ref>

The Gonzo Studies Society proposes eleven features that, to varying degrees, are included in Hunter S. Thompson's Gonzo journalism:

* [[Subjectivity]]
* Immediacy (using notes, transcripts, etc.)
* A blend of fact and fiction
* [[Dark comedy]]
* A peculiar [[Lexis (linguistics)|lexis]]
* Some kind of [[sidekick]] figure
* [[Hyperbole]] and/or fantasy
* Drug use
* Violence
* Digressions
* Conspiratorial tone<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wills |first=David S. |title=What is Gonzo? |url=https://gonzo-studies.org/what-is-gonzo/ |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=Gonzo Studies Society}}</ref>