NEWS ITEM - WordPress.com

NEWS ITEM

NEWS ITEM  It is used to report to the readers, listeners or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

generic structure: NEWS ITEM 

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NEWSWORTHY EVENT(S) recounts of the event in summary form BACKGROUND EVENTS elaborate what happened, to whom, in what situation/circumstances SOURCES original comments by participants, witnesses to and authorities expert on the event, etc.

Language Features of News Item Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline  Use of material processes/action verbs to retell the story or event  Use of projecting verbal processes in “Source” stage (e.g. the police said…; the witness thought …) * Using adverb like: badly injured, the most beautiful bride in the world.  Focus on circumstances (e.g. last night, just this morning, at that time, etc) 

Example and Generic Structure

Town Contaminated NEWSWORTHY EVENT

Moscow: A Russian journalist has uncovered evidence of another Soviet nuclear catastrophe, which killed 10 sailors and contaminated an entire town

Background/elaboration Velena Vazrshavskya is the first journalist to speak to people who witnessed the explotion of a nuclear submarine at the nava bas of shkotovo – 22 near Vladivostock. The accident, which occurred 13 months before the Chaernobyl disaster, spread radioactive fall – out over the base and nearby town, but was covered up by officials of the Soviet Union.

Residents were told the explosion in the reactor of the Victor class submarine during a refit had been a thermal and not a nuclear explosion. And those involved in the clean up operation to remove more than 600 tones of contaminated material were sworn to secrecy.

Source of Information A board of investigators was later to describe it as the worst accident in the history of the Soviet Navy.