Features of news article and editorial

1. a tour of new features
introducing
The Language of Articles

2. Enhancing Your Presentation
We have features for every step of the way
News Report
Feature/Mag
azine Article Editorial

3. News Report

4. Features
• Report MAIN FACTS or INFORMATION
• About very RECENT and SPECIFIC incidents
• Objective (more facts than opinions)

5. Headlines – News Report
• Simple and straightforward
• A summary of what happened
• You know what the incident/event is by just
reading the headline
• Headline – shows what the focus is
(something specific, and something recent)

6. News Report – Headline
Temperatures Dip to -30°C for
Coldest Night on Record

Is this reporting on a
SINGLE, SPECIFIC
incident?

Is this a RECENT
event?

Summary of what
happened?

7. Which one belongs to a news report headline?
1. Why are our Rainy Days Likely to Result in
Chaos?
2. Rain Causes Flood in PIK
3. Replacing the Irreplaceable – The Legacy of
Sir Alex Ferguson
4. Alex Ferguson Announces Retirement

8. ContentandStructure • News report often have the
WHO, WHAT, WHERE and WHEN at the
start.
 Read the excerpt below. Is this the case?
 What other extra information is included?
Robert Boardman, 63, was hiking with his
wife and friend in Olympic National Park on
Monday when he was attacked and killed
by a mountain goat.
Full name AGE
Name of placeDAY

9. Content and Structure
• Expert or witness account in direct speech are
often included to give weight to the article.
E.g: “It has shown aggressive behaviour in the past,
however, nothing led us to believe it was appropriate to
remove the goat from its habitat,” park spokeswoman Barb
Maynes told the Associated Press.
• Refer to the sample given. In which section can
you find the direct speech? What kind of
information do you find in the speech?
• Why wouldn’t you include a direct speech/quote
in the 1st paragraph?

10. Content and Structure
• Report events in sequence: what
happened, what happened next
• Makes use of TIME connectives –
first, later, finally
• Final paragraph focuses on the current
situation and what is happening next
(predictions, future
consequences, investigation etc)

11. STYLE – OBJECTIVE (NOT BIASED)
• The reporter is just an observer
• No ‘I’ is present (unless it is in direct
speech/witness/expert account)
• Most verbs to recount what happened is in
the PAST TENSE except for headline and final
paragraph

12. STYLE – formal vs informal
• Active form
“I noticed the fire starting in the factory and called the
police,” said John Widjaja, 34.
• Passive form
The start of the fire was noticed and the police were called.
• In a passive form, the subject/doer is missing and
makes the text sound more distant
• News reporters (except for in a direct speech)
makes use of passive form when they want to
give the text more authority

13. Turn this short account into a formal news report
• Change from active to passive, where possible
I discovered the shipwreck yesterday as our fishing boat
returned in the evening. I saw the hull shining deep
down, then dived in. while underwater, I took photographs
with my waterproof camera and returned to the surface
where I passed them to the captain who sent them using a
mobile phone to a local newspaper
Use the starting line: The shipwreck was discovered
yesterday by…

14. Feature Article

15. What is a feature article like?
• Are often more personal than a news report
• Contains a balance of facts as well as opinions
• Timeless—about an issue that could happen any time
• Inform, educate, and entertain the reader
• Writer takes a stance/offers a perspective
• Uses secondary sources, such as
interviews, anecdotes, quotes, or statistics, to support
the writer’s perspective
• It uses quotes liberally and allows the reader to see the
story through detailed description and vivid writing.

16. Headlines and intro
• Headline is more creative than a news
report/article
• Meant to interest the reader to find
out more
• Introduction of a feature article – lead
in techniques
• Refer to
www.igcse1english.wordpress.com for
more information

17. Editorial
!

18. An article that states the
newspaper’s stance on a
particular issue. Basically, it is a
persuasive essay that offers a
solution to a problem.
What is an
editorial?

19. Structure of an editorial

20. The situation…
Leaguetown High School, has 700 students enrolled in secondary 1 to 4. Every
year in May, the school hosts an awards ceremony during the day to honor
particular students. Usually about 200 to 250 students earn honors every year.
The ceremony takes about an hour and a half and the entire school attends.
Last year, several students had to be escorted out of the gym for disruptive
behavior. This year, Principal Flor Jimenez proposed moving the awards
ceremony to the evening so more parents and community members can
attend. Only a handful of parents attended the assembly last year.
Several teachers complained that moving the ceremony to the evening is not
fair to them because they do not receive extra pay for working extra hours.
The Parent-Teacher Association president Linda Fowler said she supports the
move because it will allow parents to see their children receive their awards.
Principal Jimenez said she will speak with parents, teachers and students
before making her final decision. You are writing for the next issue of the Press
which will be distributed Tuesday, March 9.

21. Head of editorial – MUST CONTAIN THE PROBLEM/SITUATION

22. AFTER THE INTRO - YOUR STAND

23. BODY – CONTENT (You can have more than 3 reasons)

24. ELABORATION for each REASON (Integrate it with the reason)

25. Rebuttal to what the other party might say

26. The last few paragraphs & conclusion – Solution & recap

27. What you should NOT do in an editorial

28. What you should NOT do in an editorial

29. Style
• You are allowed to be MORE subjective than a news
report or a feature article
• Must have a strong stand
• Must give valid and logical reasons for your opinion
• Must tell the readers what is wrong with the other
party’s opinion
• Provide a solution if asked to ASSESS or SUGGEST
solutions
• May use the pronoun ‘I’ once in a while
• More opinions than just mere facts. Persuade.
• Use emotive language

30. What’s Your Message?
Other
things to
revise
- Speech (persuasive technique + awareness of audience)
- Journal/diaries
- Conversation/interview
- Formal reports
- Letters (formal & informal)