Dealing With News Report Writing

Objectives: 1. Encourage students to read newspaper.
2. Enable students to understand parts of news (headline, dateline, intro and main body)
3. Enable students to note down features of headlines.
4. Enable students to prepare news report.
Method: 1. Distribute newspapers to students.
2. Introduction of news, letters to the editor, editorial, article, ads, weather report, classifieds, leaflets, book review, film review if any.
3. Discussion on news.
Time : 1:30 hrs
Execution: About 30 newspapers of the month (The Lokmat Times and The Indian Express) were distributed in the class XII Arts A. One newspaper at one bench and one page one student was the plan. Students were shown different contents of the newspaper. They were introduced with the editorial section, classifieds, letters to the editor, news etc. Later on I zeroed on news. I asked them to find out the brief news of accident, celebration, theft, drowning, strike, arrest and lightening. Students started searching for it. Amazingly they were looking headlines only to guess the news. They pointed out such different news. I asked students to read headlines loudly one by one and wrote those headlines on white board. We held discussion on those headlines. I initiated the discussion by asking them about the tense, voice used in the headlines. I drew their attention towards the omission of article and use of concrete words. Students pointed out the use simple present tense in headlines. One of the students raised the query about the use of simple past tense used in one of the headlines. I explained how it is simple present tense and shortened form of passive voice.
However, I let the students know about the date line and intro. They observed the datelines (Name of the town/city and date, name of news agency) and noted down. Thereafter I led them to the intro/lead. I asked them to read the intro silently. After reading I asked them find out what happened in the news, who involved, where and when. I asked them to relate headline with the intro. I explained how the intro is an extended headline. The headline is converted into intro by using simple past tense, necessary articles, mentioning the place and time indicating with proper prepositions. I had some headlines and shot intros ready with me. I used them to match the pair activity. I asked students to guess the meaning of the headlines. It was not easy for some students. But they tried differently. Instead of telling them the meaning directly I provided the clue.
Lastly students were taken towards the main body. As usual students read the main body. I brought their attention towards how main body is written giving details of the event or story. With this workshop students were given the exposition the news writing and live English.