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TYPES OF NEWSPAPER WRITING

I. HARD NEWS ARTICLES

Hard or pure news stones report basic facts about an event or situation. Typically the "hard' news stones are on the front pages of newspapers. Here are some essential characteristics of pure news articles:

1) They report the facts, usually without giving the writer's viewpoint.

2) They are usually short and to the point.

3) They are organized to give ail the important information in the first few paragraphs. Most hard news articles follow a standard format. The lead (opening) paragraphs provide the most important information. The reader can usually answer five key "W" questionswho, what, where, when, and sometimes why or how—very quickly by reading the first few paragraphs. Thus, by skimming the lead, the reader can quickly get the main idea of a story and decide whether or not to read on. Objective details about the story follow the lead, in descending order of importance. The article ends with the least important information. Often, this is historical background about the people, places, or events involved in the story. These concluding paragraphs can be cut if the newspaper needs the space for another article.

 

2. ANALYZING A NEWS ARTICLE: choose a major NEWS ARTICLE from a daily newspaper. Read the article carefully. Then analyze it by answering these questions.

1. What is the headline of the article? Comment on Its linguistic peculiarities.

2. Who wrote the article? In what city, state, and country did the story originate?

3. Does the article answer the five "W" questions in the first few paragraphs? What are the answers?

4. Does the article include all the information you want to know about the topic? If not, what is missing?

5. Does a photo or illustration accompany the article? If so, what information does it provide? Is it clear? Is it interesting? Does it help the reader understand the main point of the article?

6. Can you detect any slant or bias in the article, for example, in word choice or selection of facts?

7. Does the information in this article differ in any way from what you heard on the radio, saw on television, or read in another newspaper about the same event? If so. What do you think is the reason for the difference?

8. Does the article deal with a controversial issue? If so, are the opposing points of view given equal space and objective presentation? Can you tell which side the journalist favors?

9. Do you consider this article a good example of clear, objective news reporting? If not,
why not?

10.What are the strengths and weaknesses of the article?

11.If an editor had asked you to write this news story, what would you have done differently?

 

Articles that (1) explain, interpret, and/or provide background information onthe issues in the news or (2) tell of interesting, unusual occurrences that may have no great significance to the reader are called feature stories or features. Feature stories are quite different from hard news stones in both purpose and style. News stories present, as objectively as possible, the facts about the latest news events. Feature stories have a wide range of goals. They sometimes have emotional, personal, and/or humorous slants. Some are written in a distinctive style. While some feature stories are spin-offs of major news events of the day (for example, a story analyzing the unhappy childhood of a person accused of murder). Other topics reappear predictably. On any holiday or historical anniversary, newspaper readers expect to find feature stories related to that subject. In the United States, for example, Father's Day inspires articles about famous (or infamous) fathers. Another example is that in newspapers around the world, anniversaries of important World War II battles and bombings lead to features about people who suffered through these events.



The public is curious about people in the news. Whether these people are viewed as admirable or despicable, newspaper readers want to know all about them. A feature story that describes a person's lifestyle and attitudes is called a profile (AE) or human-interest story (BE).

Some people are so prominent and important that they are always newsworthy. But most celebrity profiles are printed around the time of a news event involving that person. For example, a well-known entertainer is profiled when appearing in a new show; a famous athlete is profiled after winning a big game; political figures are profiled around election time; and accused criminals are profiled when their trial is inthe news. A person who is not a celebrity may also be the subject of a profile if he or she has done something heroic or been involved in an interesting story.

Profiles/human-interest storiestypically do the following:

• tell something about a person's personal life

• tell about the person's current work or production

• reveal the person's professional goals, style, sources of inspiration, and attitudes toward
his or her career.

The information in a profile comes from a journalist's interview withthe person. A profile usually contains many direct quotations, so that readers share the experience of hearing the subject of the profile talk.

A good profile makes readers feel that they know and understand the person being interviewed. Often, this leads to a better understanding and appreciation of the person's work.

2. Categorizing Stones as "Hard" News or Features. With a classmate, look through the first six pages of a daily newspaper. Skim the first few paragraphs of each article and decide whether it is a hard news story or a feature. Discuss what elements of the article helped you to classify it.

 

News stories are objective and do not overtly express a viewpoint. However, most newspapers have special pages reserved for presenting subjective material. These opinion pages contain several types of articles.

3.1. Editorialsexpress the opinions of the newspaper's editorial board and of other
journalists who write for the paper. Often a newspaper is known for having a certain political slant. For example, it may tend to favor a particular political party, or it may generally agree with a conservative or liberal outlook. This slant, or viewpoint, is usually expressed in the newspaper's editorials.

Where can you find editorials? They are printed on a page called the editorial page which is usually located toward the "back of the paper's first section. Editorials are printed below the newspapers masthead (which includes the name of the paper, its publisher, and its editors).Most editorials are printed without bylines.

While a headline in the news section might read "NewGovernment Bill on Education," the opinion section would contain articles that evaluate the new education bill. A headline in the opinion section might read "Revisions Needed to Make Education Policy Effective." The headline and the accompanying article present a judgment on the event. They take a position on the issue in the news. Taking a clear position on an issue is what distinguishes opinion articles from other articles in a newspaper.

Sometimes opinion pages present opposing views on the same news event: "Bad Planning on' Education Policy" one articlemay read, while another may say "NewEducation Bill a Good First Step" This helps readers see both sides of an issue and perhaps clarify their own ideas on the topic.

3.2. Letters to the Editoralso appear on the editorial page in most papers. They are submitted by readers who want to state their views on public affairs. These letters often respond to news and opinion pieces that have previously appeared in the paper. Sometimes they tell "the other side of the story" or correct the paper's errors.

3.3. Columns are written under a byline and express a certain writer's point of view, not necessarily the opinion of the paper's editorial board. Big-city newspapers commonly carry the work of several columnists with somewhat different perspectives or areas of interest. Syndicated columnists have their columns published in many different papers at the same time. Guest columnists often include people who are not journalists but who have expertise in some field currently in the news. They present explanations and opinions about matters of current concern.

The newspaper does not limit all expressions of opinion to the opinion pages. The editorial pages deal mainly with major news events and government actions. Opinions on other matters are scattered throughout the newspaper. Reviews provide evaluations of new books, plays, concerts, movies, and art exhibits. Many people read newspaper reviews before deciding how to spend their leisure time. Columns in the business, sports, and other sections provide analyses, opinions, and predictions. Thus, newspapers provide opinions on many facets of life—including politics, finance, culture, entertainment, athletics, and more.

3.4 Political cartoons use art to express a point of view on issues in the news. A political cartoon illustrates some aspect of a political issue, often in simplified forms. These cartoons can be very effective in dramatizing an issue. One device commonly used in political cartoons is caricature, in which the physical features of a person in the news are exaggerated.

3.5. Newspapers also contain:

Classified ads - advertisements in different categories;

Notices - small advertisements, job advertisements, personal announcements etc.

Court and social (in Br, papers) official notification of the forthcoming social engagements of the Royal family, military appointments, society weddings and other similar events.

Gossip - rumors about the private lives of prominent people.

An agony column - a section in a paper that deals with readers' private emotional problems

An obituary - a description of the life of a well-known person who has just died.

Comic strips, topical cartoons, weather reports and forecasts, horoscopes, reviews and

previews.


Date: 2015-01-11; view: 1014


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