REPORTING NEWS

EVENTS
Speaking for Academic Purposes
Reporting News Events

■ Students are able to identify attributes of a good news reporting

■ Students are able to practice reporting news
Function of the news reporting

■ To inform: this refers to the collection and distribution of information concerning events
in the environment.
■ To instruct: this refers to the educational dimension. Designing messages primarily to
reach a target group.
■ To entertain: messages are designed primarily to amuse and help the audience to relax.
■ To merchandise: messages are designed primarily to persuade the target group to
purchase certain products.
The Reporter and its roles

■ The principal actor in news reporting is the reporter.

■ The reporter goes out to get stories for the news, and stories behind the news.
■ Reporters have their various areas of specialization.
■ Special reporters are assigned to report crimes, sports, judiciary, labour, entertainment,
business and economy, and international news.
■ The reporter writes and shapes the writing to suit the needs of listeners and viewers.
Attributes of a Reporter

■ Nose for news: the ability to identify and develop stories that are newsworthy.
■ Good command of written and spoken language: be proficient in the language of the
news which will enable you to learn as many things as possible.
■ Objectivity: You need to develop the ability to be impartial, impersonal, objective, and
dispassionate.
■ Perseverance: strong willingness to go extra-mile while pursuing a story.
■ Speed and accuracy.
■ Knowledge of working tools.
Elements of a good news story

■ Facts first
■ Significance
■ Focus
■ Clarity
■ Brevity/briefness
■ Complete
Types of News
■ Hard news
Has a big impact on society as a whole and needs to be reported urgently.
Factual stories with data, concerning events that are potentially available for analysis.
Examples include news on politics, crime, economics, international affairs, natural
calamities, riots, etc.
■ Soft news
Provides background information about world events, human interest stories, or
entertainment news.
Its main objective is to entertain the audience.
Examples include sports news, celebrity news, or human-interest stories that deal with
emotions.
Checklist questions
■ Is the news story about a current local issue?
» Where did it happen? » When did it happen? » What new information have you found
about it?
■ Is the news story about an issue from the past?
» Where did it happen? » When did it happen? » What new information have you found
about it?
■ Who is affected by the issue?
■ How are they affected by the issue?
■ Why is it important for people to know about the issue?
■ Why will people be interested in the news story?
Inverted Pyramid Style of Reporting News
Speaking hack for news reporting
■ Verbal exercise to warm up your voice.
■ Enunciate each word carefully. Pronounce each word fully (working, nor workin’) and
correctly. Mostly use reported speech.
■ Slow down your pace. Most reporters aim for a pace of around 150-170 words per
minute.
■ Use a neutral accent.
■ Use an energetic and confident tone. Adjust the tone based on the content of story.
■ Avoid slang and colloquialisms.
■ Stay away from filler words, such as “um”, “like”, “uh”.
■ You may use a hand gesture to add meaning to your report.
■ Make eye contact and use natural facial expression.
How should I practice?

■ Watch the news and learn how the reporters sound and their body language.
■ Record yourself and spot your weaknesses.
■ Practice keeping your eyes and going off-script from time to time.
■ Read the script silently first.
■ Look up any words you are not familiar with.
Newspaper Paragraph in 100 Words

Newspapers are an important part of our life. Some people cannot start their day without
reading newspapers. They are printed in various languages and even in local languages.
Newspapers are delivered to our doorsteps every morning. Newspapers are one of the
easiest methods of spreading news and information around the world. There might be those
who read every single news article, irrespective of what they speak about. There are also
people who read only what interests them. For some, it might be politics; for some, it might
be sports; while for others, it might be technology. Though the number of people
subscribing to printed newspapers is reducing day by day, there are still some who prefer
reading them rather than the digital versions of the news on their personal phones or
laptops.
Newspaper Paragraph in 150 Words

Due to the severe scarcity and cost of paper, print media has pushed people to switch to
reading digital news. The internet’s presence has made things easier. We can learn about the
state of the planet simply by pressing a button. We may need to know and understand
weather conditions a number of times. Previously, newspapers would bring this to us. We
may now check the news on our gadgets to learn about current weather conditions
throughout the world. News is also broadcasted on radio and television in live and recorded
forms.

Cultivating the habit of reading a newspaper would prove beneficial in not just updating
your knowledge about everything that is happening around the world but also in helping
you improve your vocabulary and language on the whole.