Memory

The News

What is News?

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News is the report of a past or recent topic of interest1. News has the ability to spread information that the public might find interesting or controversial. News is used to spread information about a topic and can consist of interviews, live reports, or opinions that may be shared by a community. News can be found on newspapers, televised sources such as Fox News and off internet sites like Yahoo!. While news is meant primarily to inform the public using factual evidence and information, much of it can be biased and incorrect2. Therefore while reading news, it is important to know the source of the information as well as the hidden motives and ideas that fuel the stories.

News as Information

  • News provides new information to inform the audience about a topic.
  • It provides citations and examples, as well as factual evidence, to assure accuracy.
  • It is designed to teach viewers what important events or processes are occurring.
  • News on past events can be used to show correlation to recent events and give information on how the two are similar or different.
  • Depending on what information is given or who is being quoted, the information can be biased.

Popular Types of News

  • Newspapers - Newspapers are printed sources of information that tell about world events and also local events. Journalists are the people who write the articles in newspapers and are trusted to find correct information. Quotes, ideas, and personal opinions can be used in many of these articles to influence the reader or show another side to the story. Newspapers can be printed daily or weekly.
  • Local News Channels - The television has many sources of news. These sources air from different times and are on multiple channels. Each local news source gives a broad overview of the world activities and a deeper view on localized activity. These news stations are good sources for information closer to home and are an okay source for major world activities.
  • Internet sources - Sites like Yahoo! are great sources for world and local information. The news on the sites are regularly updated hourly and daily, depending on if changes in stories or events have occurred. These sites are bustling with information that can be found easily and quickly. While giving less information on local events that might be affecting nearby cities, they are great sources for world news and events.
  • Magazines/Journals - Magazines and Journals are written about a specific topic for a specific audience. They are great sources of information about the topics they are writing about and show recent and past events that have occurred.

Where to find News

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Things to do Before Writing

  • Decide upon a specific topic that can be used to inform the reader.
  • Decide upon the type of news to write. Writing a newspaper article on job losses would require more factual information whereas writing a magazine article on celebrity drama can use more quotations and opinions.
  • Find factual evidence that can support the information or argument. Usage of quotations or opinions can also be used to support the information.
  • When using facts and quotes, be sure to cite the source of the information.
  • Make sure the article will be informative about the desired topic.

Steps to Writing News

1. Make a title. The title can be a short sentence or a few words that describe what is going to be talked about.
2. Introduce the topic in the first few lines.
3. Introduce factual information or a quote to support the statement.
4. Continue to talk about the topic, introducing facts and quotes whenever suitable.
5. If the task is to be completely factual and informational, do not show any biased nature. If trying to form opinions and cause change, biased information and quotes are great tools to persuade.
6. Make sure to cite outside information or quotes.

Example of Using the Steps

1. Man finds millions of dollars in house.
2. John Steward tore down his kitchen wall, only to find bags of cash instead of plaster and cement.
3. John said "There was so much money I could barely carry it all!"
4. During the Great Depression, people hid money in the walls of their house because they were afraid of bank failure. This could explain how the money got in the walls in the first place.
5. However, people should not hide money in their walls because some may forget what they have hidden and where.
6. Matthew Shields, an electrical expert, says his electrical engineering employees have found many strange items hidden in walls, from money to strange heirlooms3.

Bibliography

Dictionary.com. 2009. 20 Feb. 2009 <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/news>.

Media Bias Basics. Media Research Center. 2009. 22 Feb. 2009 <http://www.mediaresearch.org/biasbasics/biasbasics1.asp>.

Shields, Matthew. "Treasure Hidden Behind Your Walls?" ezinearticles.com 2009. 28 Feb. 2009
<http://ezinearticles.com/?Treasure-Hidden-Behind-Your-Walls?&id=1757273>.

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