Journalists and reporters write newspapers to inform the public.Time-sensitive news stories are usually written soon after an incident or event happens.As part of an assignment for a class or as a way to improve your news-writing skills, you may analyze the language in newspapers.Look at the headline of the news article.To better understand newspaper language, you can look at the body of the article, focusing on structure, tense, voice, rhetoric, and tone.
Step 1: The headline should have nouns and verbs in it.
There are many headlines with words in them.There will be no verbs or nouns in some headlines.The headlines are kept short and to the point.You may see a headline like, "PM Resignation Over Fraud Charge."
Step 2: If the headline has a string of nouns, you should check it.
In some cases, the headline is made by stringing 3 to 4 nouns together to make a string.The nouns should be rephrased into a sentence.If you read the headline backwards, you can make a sentence like, "A complaint was made by a customer about a referral program for Ford cars."
Step 3: If there are no articles in the headline, notice.
Other phrases that are considered extra, such as "some," "few," or "many," are usually left out of newspaper headlines to keep them short and to the point.If you put articles into the headline, you may get a sentence like, "The neighbor saw the woman jump."
Step 4: The headline should have changes in the words.
The headline is usually adjusted to make it sound more immediate.The newspaper will use a present tense verb in the headline instead of a past tense one.The professors lost the fight to start a union, as it happened in the past, if you read a headline like "Professors Lose Union Fight."Nicolas Cage will be in Portland in the near future because of the headline, "Nicolas Cage to Visit Portland."
Step 5: The headline should have wordplay.
There are words in the headlines that can mean two things at the same time.These words are called puns.Puns and wordplay give the headline an amusing or entertaining tone.The headline "Otter Devastation" is a play on the word "otter" as it can sound like "utter"
Step 6: Look for a combination of letters.
The sound is repeated in a row.The words that start with the same letter are often used in headlines.Newspapers use alliteration to make their headlines more memorable.One example is the headline, "Man Makes Massive Maritime Menagerie." This uses alliteration with the sound "m."
Step 7: When reading a headline, ask who, what, where and why.
A good newspaper headline will answer at least 1 or 2 of the 4 W's.Try using the headline of the article to answer the questions.You could have a headline like "Man Makes Massive Maritime Menagerie." The "who" would be a man, the "what" was a massive maritime menagerie, and the location would likely be somewhere near water.
Step 8: The headline can be used to understand the article's body.
The headline should tell you what to expect in the body of the article.When reading the body, use the headline as a guide.The headline "Eight Dead When Nursing Home Goes Without AC After Hurricane" will tell you that the article is going to focus on the details of the death of 8 people in the nursing home and how it relates to the storm.
Step 9: Do you know where the article is located?
The Current Events section of the newspaper has online articles that are straight news stories.The Op-Ed section of the newspaper will include articles written as opinion pieces or think pieces.The location of the article will help you know what to expect in terms of rhetoric and tone.An article in the Op-Ed section will usually be written from a reporter's point of view.The rhetoric may be biased towards a certain position.
Step 10: The lede is the first line.
The most important line in the entire article is the lede.The who, what, where, when, and how of the story will be summarized.Key words and phrases in the lede should be identified.The first evacuee was rushed into the emergency room of Memorial Regional Hospital on Wednesday, escaping a nursing home that had lost air-conditioning in the heat of the day.
Step 11: Look up words that aren't familiar to you.
circle any words or phrases that you don't know after reading the article.You can use a dictionary to understand them.Place the defined word in the context of the sentence to better understand it.You can place the word "evacuee" in the context of the sentence to better understand it.
Step 12: Look for the active voice.
The subject is always the one acting in a sentence or doing an action when the newspaper articles use the active voice.The article is engaging for readers.You can read a line like "Fire and rescue units were hurrying the nursing home's more than 100 residents out" in the article.
Step 13: Determine the tense used in the article.
The past tense will be used to describe an event in the past.The present tense will be used to discuss an event that will happen in the near future.If you have a sentence like, "In all, eight were dead," this means the article is past tense.The article is in present tense if you have a sentence like, "The city plans to open the new walkway next year."
Step 14: The article should be summarized in your own words.
Write a 1-2 sentence summary of the article in your own words if you feel you have a good grasp on the language.The article needs to be focused on the key details.To help you write the summary, use the headline and lede.You could write, "This article is about eight people who died in a nursing home when it lost power during the hurricanes."The past tense and active voice are used to discuss the event.
Step 15: Some statements show bias.
As these are signs the reporter is presenting their point of view, check for statements that begin with "I believe" or " I am of the opinion that..."The reporter can use statements like "I am certain that..." or "It is clear to me that" to show bias.The reporter may show bias by asking rhetorical questions.They may write "Why do we need strict laws around abortion in this country?" or "What is the point of spending millions on a new sports arena?"
Step 16: Represent hyperbolic language.
Hyperbolic language exaggerates the reality of a situation so it is more shocking for the reader.hyperbolic language is used by reporters to grab the reader's attention.hyperbolic language is sometimes used to give the article a funny and witty tone.A sentence like, "The mayor would poke his own eyes out before he would allow the new roads to be built" is an exaggeration, and the reporter is doing this to keep the reader engaged and demonstrate their point.
Step 17: You should look for cliches.
Clichés have lost their meaning because they have become so familiar.It is possible for reporters to use clichés to get their point across.When the reporter is trying to demonstrate a complicated point in an accessible way, they are also used.You may see a cliché like, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" in the article.The reporter is trying to demonstrate something to the reader.
Step 18: Look for evidence that supports an argument.
Evidence will be used to support an argument.Statistics, a quote from a source, or even a graph are some of the evidence.They may get an opinion from an expert.You can see lines that begin with, "according to a new study...," "A new research report illustrates," or "Experts predict..."The police chief said at the press conference that they were doing what they could to contain the situation.
Step 19: Mention the allusions in the article.
There arellusions about works and events in history.Reporters use them to make readers feel good or bad.A moment in history may connect a current event with the past.A reporter may refer to a rising activist leader in the African-American community as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.The way the reader may feel about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is similar to the way this would invoke feelings of awe and reverence towards the activist.
Step 20: You should look for inclusive language.
The reporter may use inclusive language like "we" or "us" to make the reader feel like they are on the same side as the reporter.The reader feels included in the reporter's argument.The reporter can use exclusive language to exclude a group of people.If you notice a line like, "We may not like it, but the safety of our families is at risk", this could make the reader feel like they belong to the "we."
Step 21: Determine the overall tone of the article.
News articles are usually authoritative.The tone and intent of the reporter should be identified by analyzing the language in the article.You can decide the tone of the article is logical, where it comes across as rational and reasonable.Lots of expert opinions and quotes can be used to analyze a situation.The article is neutral and balanced.Straight news stories have a neutral tone.There is a lot of emotion and personality in the article.It can argue a point by using a reader's emotions.Witty is when the article is funny or satirical.It is possible that it will come across as tongue-in-cheek.It might try to make the reader laugh by using hyperbolic language.