reportage

American  

[ri-pawr-tij, -pohr-, rep-awr-tahzh, -er-] / rɪˈpɔr tɪdʒ, -ˈpoʊr-, ˌrɛp ɔrˈtɑʒ, -ər- /

noun

1. the act or technique of reporting news.

2. reported news collectively.

   reportage on the war.

3. a written account of an act, event, history, etc., based on direct observation or on thorough research and documentation.

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reportage British  

/ ˌrəpɔːˈtɑːʒ, rɪˈpɔːtɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or process of reporting news or other events of general interest

2. a journalist's style of reporting

3. a technique of documentary film or photo journalism that tells a story entirely through pictures

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Etymology

Origin of reportage

From French, dating back to 1605–15; report, -age

Example Sentences

David deployed some of the same reportage techniques in his private portrait commissions, which constitute half the exhibition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

“It is the reaction to seeing act-based reality, as when ‘Saturday Night Live’ essentially reenacts White House press conferences, or when late-night comedians offer up what amounts to straightforward reportage and analysis.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025

These descriptions range from straightforward accounts to lyrical observations, short essays, and scraps of poignant reportage from the field.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2025

The author, a deputy executive editor of the Atlantic and former history lecturer at Harvard, skillfully blends zoning history with his own reportage, digging into the history of his apartment to find some answers.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2025

His on-the- scene reportage of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was incredible.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos