News Items
Social Function :
To inform readers or listeners about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.
Generic Structure Of News Items :
1. Newsworthy event ( tells the main event in a
summary form)
2. Background events/Elaboration (elaborate what
happened, tell what caused the incident. It can
be a background, participant, time, and place
relating to the news)
happened, tell what caused the incident. It can
be a background, participant, time, and place
relating to the news)
2a
3. Sources (comments by participants, witnesses,
authorities and experts involved in the event)
Language Features of News Items :
1. Information on the use of head lines.
2. Use of action verbs (hit, attack)
3. Use of saying verbs (said, added, claimed)
4. Use of passive sentences ( Aceh was hit
3. Use of saying verbs (said, added, claimed)
4. Use of passive sentences ( Aceh was hit
by Tsunami in 2004)
5. Use of adverbs in passive sentences (The
victims were badly injured)
Example :
Title : Supreme Court rejects Dicky's appeal
Newsworthy Events : JAKARTA: The Supreme Court has upheld
the 2006 graft conviction of Dicky Iskandar Di Nata,
the former president director of PT Brocolin International
Dicky was found guilty by the South Jakarta District Court
the former president director of PT Brocolin International
Dicky was found guilty by the South Jakarta District Court
Background Events : of misusing Rp 1.9 trillion in funds from Bank BNI, which
he claimed was a grant from an Israeli investor´. The
court sentenced him to 20 years in prison.
Source : " We have Rejected Dicky's Appeal. Therefore he must serve his 20 years prison and pay a fine of Rp. 500 million (US $ 55,000), " Presiding Justice Artidjo Alkostar was quoted by Detic.com news portal as saying thursday. JP
