News Item

Definition of News Item

News item is a text that informs readers about some events of the day considered newsworthy or important. That means if there is a newsworthy event which should be known by people, the event will deserve to become news. Thus, the text is called the news item. However, if there are events which do not deserve to be known by people, they will not be definitely worth to be news.

Generic Structure of News Item

·         Main events or newsworthy events that recount the event in summary form.

·         Elaboration or background events elaborating what happened, to whom, in what circumstance.

·     Information of resource or source containing comments by participants in, witnesses to and authorities or experts on the event.

Communicative Purpose of News Item

News Item is used to:

·        -  inform the readers about events that are considered newsworthy or important or

·        -  present information the readers need to know about newsworthy or important events of the day.

 

Language Feature of News Item

– Focusing on circumstances (using a simple language in writing the text).

– Using saying verbs: “….”, She said, informed, told, reported.

– Sometimes at the beginning of news, the scene is mentioned: Jakarta – … / Bali – …

– Using past tense in explaining news events and simple present tense when informing about fact that happen now.

– Using short, telegraphic information about a story captured in headline.

– Using adverbs of time, place and manner.

– Uses of material processes to retell the events.

 

 An example of a news item

 

The Biggest Insect was Found

An explorer has found the biggest insect ever on record – so large it can scoff a carrot. The insect is called a Weta Bug and has a huge wing span of seven inches and weighs as much as three mice.

An entomologist Mark Moffett, 55, discovered the cricket-like creature up a tree on New Zealand’s Little Barrier Island. He spent two days searching for the creepy crawly which were thought to be extinct after Europeans brought rats to the island many years ago.

“This became all the more amazing when we realized that this was the largest insect recorded.” Mark said.