The article describes the classification of journalistic speech genres, which is based on communicative intentions. Genres were classified twice: taking into account the leading motives of journalistic activity, informing, assessment, and incentive genres were separated firstly. the subsequent genre differentiation was made within the groups in view of the subject component of the purposes. As an example of stylistic realization of genre the author analyzes the substantive structure of the “Message on the situation” speech genre.