NEWSPAPER REPORT Picture or diagram
with caption
Purpose: Inform the public of current events
Focus: World events, national events, local events, current issues
Reduced language title.
Headline Sometimes ambiguous to attract
attention
By-line Writer’s name
Summary of most important
The lead information, ie: who, what, where,
when and how.
Most important point
Next most important point
Details:
Write in: Next most important point Can include
• Short sentences comments from:
• One sentence • eye witnesses
per paragraph • authorities
• Text formatted in • interested
columns Least parties who
• Third person important hold
objective point point
opposing
of view views.
• Emotive
Conclusion (optional)
Often concludes with consequences, possible
future leads
1|Page
EXAMPLE OF NEWSPAPER REPORT
Headline written
in present tense.
Use of alliteration By-line
to attract Wren Rescues Ringtail Author
attention. Ollie Jones in Brisbane and
where
Twelve year old student, Jilly Wren climbed 30 feet they are
to rescue a Ring-tailed Possum today. writing
The Lead . Tree loppers had been removing trees at West from.
Summary of Bank School to create a new concrete play area.
most During morning tea, students spied the possum
important peering out from a lopped hollow branch.
information – “Jilly just shimmied way up the tree with her school
who, what,
bag and came down with a little possum Eye
where, when
thumping around inside it,” said school mate, Jack witness
and how. quotes in
Komninos.
direct
Principal, Ms Anne Watson, alerted National Parks speech
and Wild Life. With the help of the tree loppers, the marks.
wild life officers rescued six more ring-tailed Past tense
possums from hollows in trees lopped for felling.
All the possums are reported to be ‘in good
condition’ and are being cared for at the Brisbane
Forest Park. A suggested plan to relocate the
possums in the school environs will involve
refashioning of the hollowed tree trunks as part of
an environmental sculpture project.
Mr Harry Bean, who was on play ground duty when
Short Jilly Wren climbed the tree, fainted and is receiving
paragraphs. medical attention for concussion and stress.
Sometimes
only one Jilly Wren used a coconut tree climbing technique
sentence known as the ‘frog’ to rescue the possum.
long. The young heroine was unavailable for
interview. According to Jack Komninos,
Jilly was on detention for being in a
‘strictly out of bounds’ area.
Conclusion –
consequences,
possible future actions.
2|Page
NEWSPAPER REPORT TEMPLATE
Headline Diagram/Picture
Title
By line
Writer’s name
The lead
Summary of most
important
information, i.e.
who, what, where,
when and how.
Paragraph 1
Most important
point
Paragraph 2
Next most
important point
Paragraph 3
Next most
important point
Paragraph 4
Least important
point
Conclusion
(if applicable)
3|Page
Newspaper Article Format
A typical newspaper article contains five (5) parts:
Headline: This is a short, attention-getting statement about the event.
Byline: This tells who wrote the story.
This has ALL of the who, what, when, where, why and how in it. A
Lead
writer must find the answers to these questions and write them into
paragraph:
the opening sentence(s) of the article.
After the lead paragraph has been written, the writer must decide
what other facts or details the reader might want to know. The
writer must make sure that he/she has enough information to
Explanation:
answer any important questions a reader might have after reading
the headline and the lead paragraph. This section can also include
direct quotes from witnesses or bystanders.
This information is the least important. Thus, if the news article is
Additional too long for the space it needs to fill, it can be shortened without
Information: rewriting any other part. This part can include information about a
similar event.
