In this section, you will learn how to:
- identify factual information in news item texts;
- identify the structure of news item texts
News item is a text which informs readers, listeners, or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.
Generic Structure of News Item
- Newsworthy events (tells the event in a summary form)
- Background events (elaborates what happened, explains what caused the incident)
- Resource of information (comments by participants, witnesses, authorities, and experts involved in the event)
Language Features of News Item
- information on the use of headlines
- the use of action verbs (e.g. ; hit, attack, curb)
- the use of saying verbs (e.g.; said, added, claimed)
- the use of passive sentences (e.g.; Aceh was hit by Tsunami in 2004)
Read and study the following texts.
Text 1
Seven Killed in Accident on Jalan Sultan
Seven people were killed in a collision between a bus,a car and a truck at 10:35 p.m. on Jalan Sultan last night.
The dead were all passengers in the car. Police believe the car may have been trying to overtake the bus when it was struck by a truck coming from the opposite direction. The driver of the car may not have been using his lights, asthe truck driver said he did not see the car approaching.
The police said the car should not have been trying to pass the bus, since overtaking is not allowed on Jalan Sultan. In addition, the police reported that the car–a small Japanese car–should not have been carrying more than five people. The names of the victims are not yet known.
Taken from www.thejakartapost.com
The structure of news item text is divided into three parts;
- The first part is newsworthy events that consists of recount of the event in summary form.
- The second part is background events. This part includes the elaboration of what happened, to whom and in what circumstances.
- The last part is source that consists of comments by participants, witnesses and authorities experts on the event.
Text 2
Secretary Arrested at Ministry of Defence
Rumours that a secretary working for the Ministry of Defence has been arrested were confirmed last night.
It is believed that this person knows about research work being carried out on germ warfare.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said:"A secretary has been watching this person for some
weeks."
The exact nature of the charge has not been revealed, but it is understood that a microphone was found under a piece of furniture in a room where important meetings are held.
Taken from English Form, 1990
Text 3
SINGAPORE: A supervisor was jailed for two months for repeatedly striking his Indonesian maid on the head and back with a television remote control, news reports said on Thrusday.
Muhamad Shafiq Woon Abdullah admitted in a Singapore court he physically abused the women on several occasion between june and October 2002, The Straits Times said.
The magistrate’s court heard that Shafiq, 31, began striking Winarti 22, about a month after she strated working for him.
He hit her on the head with the TV set’s remote control because he was unhappy with he work. On one occasion, he punched her on the back after accusing her of daydreaming .
S.S. Dhillon, Shafiq’s lawyer, said his client lost his “better senses” when he saw his daughter’s face covered as she lay in bed.
He said his client thought the maid had put the child indanger.-DPA
