AL DIYAFAH HIGH SCHOOL, DUBAI

Name:________________________________ Year: __11___ Sec: _____ Date: _________________

Subject: English Topic: Newspaper writing & M agazine article

Objective: To understand the key conventions of newspaper and magazine article

To write reports and articles, using the conventions.

Success Criteria for Newspaper report

o Headline (title)-needs to be catchy, bold, should include who and what

o LEAD PARAGRAPH: 5 W’s- who, what , where, when, why and how (should be the first
paragraph)
o background information leading to the main event-why
o how? detailed account of what happened and what is still happening
o Include quotes using quotation marks properly-make sure to have quotes from many
different perspectives
o Include future consequences. investigations or next stage
o Factual report- needs to be about something that could have happened
o Inverted pyramid-most important to least important
o Accurate information
o You need to leave your opinion out of the article
o varied sentence structures
o sophisticated punctuation marks
o Know your audience- who are you writing for?
o Transition words
o add reported speech, simple or compound sentence and sensational vocabulary- to give
a sense of drama

Sample 1- Newspaper Report

Rescuers find trapped student caver alive

Eight Swiss potholers trapped in a cave in eastern France by rising water were found alive
yesterday. Rescue teams were preparing to work through the night to bring them to the surface.
Known as Bief-du-Paraud, the cave, which runs for 415 yards but only about 20 feet below the
surface, is normally considered a beginner-level site for potholers.

1
The expedition had been part of a project for the students to develop their ability to face
challenges. Inexperienced, poorly equipped and with one of the group being partially blind, the
students were initially given little chance of survival.

The potholers had entered the long narrow cave on Wednesday despite warnings from local
people to stay away because rain in recent weeks had made the area dangerous. Hope for
survival of the three women and five men – students and a teacher in their twenties – had been
fading when they were found before midday by a driver who swam through a narrow passage to
reach a chimney where they had taken refuge.

The diver had discovered them crouched in the corridor above the water level 75 yards into the
cave at Goumois in the Doubs department, 30 miles from the Swiss border. They had been
trapped there for nearly 40 hours by sudden flooding on Wednesday.

Distraught relatives who had gathered at the site gave a cheer when news of their discovery was
announced. The group was expected to be brought out through a hole being drilled into a
chimney where they had taken refuge. Rescuers were pumping water from the cave to avert flood
danger from heavy rains over the past 24 hours. Two divers, one of whom is a doctor, where
spending the night with the students in the chimney. They brought them food and water and
heating appliance.

‘The group took refuge in a dry spot in a chimney, ’Eric Zipper, technical adviser informed.
‘They are in good shape considering their ordeal. They are hungry and a little weak. They have
very little food left, but they are in good spirits. There was no panic. They had a little light
because they had rationed their batteries.’ Local potholing experts described the expedition as
foolhardy, given the dangerous prevailing conditions. ‘They were equipped only with walking
shoes, jeans and anoraks’, M. Zipper said. Markus Braendle, director of the Social Workers
College of Zurich, where most of the students came from, asserted: ‘I am so happy this
nightmare is over’.

The French authorities are expected to start a legal inquiry into the conduct of the group’s leader,
a normal practice in such incidents.
Analysis:

1. Is the report written in the past tense?

2. Does the first paragraph include the most important information?
Who? What? When? Where?
3. Does the rest of the report include more detail about how and why? 4. Is it written in the third
person?
5. Is there a quote in speech marks?
6. where in the report is the emotive language used? underline the words/sentences
e.g. struggle, hardship, unfortunate, demise, exciting, compelling, honourable
7. Is the report written in chronological order? (Time order)
8. Does the last paragraph speculate what will happen in the future?

2
1. Read the Passage carefully, and then answer the Question:

In 1972, the writer and his family were crossing the Pacific in their boat the Lucette when she was
wrecked by a killer whale. They took to their dinghy, Ednamair, and at the start of this passage, had been
adrift for thirty-seven days.

Rescue at Sea

My eye caught sight of something that wasn’t sea. I stopped talking and stared; the others all looked at
me. ‘A ship,’ I said. ‘There’s a ship and it’s coming towards us!’ I could hardly believe it but it seemed
solid enough. ‘Keep still now!’ In the sudden surge of excitement, everyone wanted to see. ‘We mustn’t
capsize now!’

I felt myself tremble as I told them I was going to hold a flare above the sail. ‘Remember what happened
with the last ship we saw!’ They suddenly fell silent at the memory of that terrible despondency when our
signals had been unnoticed. ‘Oh God!’ prayed my wife, Lyn, ‘please let them see us.’ I could see the ship
quite clearly now, a Japanese fishing vessel. Her grey and white paint stood out clearly against the dark
cross swell.

The flare sparked into life, the red glare illuminating Ednamair and the sea around us in the twilight.
'Hand me another! I think she’s altered course!’ My voice was hoarse with pain and excitement, and I felt
sick with apprehension that it might only be the ship cork-screwing in the swell. But it wasn’t needed:
she had seen us and was coming towards us.

‘Our ordeal is over,’ I said quietly. Lyn and the twins were crying with happiness. I put my arms around
Lyn, feeling the tears stinging my own eyes. ‘We’ll get these boys to land after all.’

The high flared bows of Tokamaru 1 towered over us as she closed in, pitching and rolling in the uneasy
swell. We emptied turtle oil on the sea to try to smooth it as the dinghy rocked violently in the cross chop
of waves. As they drew near enough, the sailors threw heaving lines. Willing hands reached down and we
were hauled bodily on board.

When I reached the foredeck the family were already seated, in their hands tins of orange juice and
blissful content on their faces. I picked up the tin that was left for me, smiled my thanks to the sailors who
grinned broadly back at me, then lifting my arm, said ‘Cheers.’ I shall remember the taste of that beautiful
liquid to the end of my days.

The crew carried the twins to the large four-feet deep, hot sea-water bath. There, in the fresh water shower
(we had to adjust our ideas to the notion that fresh water could be used for other things besides drinking)
they soaped and lathered and wallowed in luxury, scrubbing at the brown scurf which our skins had
developed. Then Lyn and I luxuriated in the warmth of the deep tub. The ecstasy of not having to protect
boil-covered parts of our anatomies from solid contacts had to be experienced to be believed, but the
simple joy of soap lathering in fresh water is surely one of the greatest luxuries of mankind.
New clothes had been laid out for us from the ship’s stores and the kind concern shown us by these
smiling, warm-hearted sailors was almost too much for our shattered emotions. How cosy to have
garments that were soft and dry!
On our return to the foredeck, there on the hatch stood a huge tray of bread and butter and a strange
brown liquid called coffee. Our eyes gleamed as we tasted these strange luxuries.
We tried to settle down to sleep on the tarpaulins spread out for us, but the unaccustomed warmth became
a stifling heat; the vibration of the engines, the whole attitude of relaxation and freedom to move around

3
was so strange that sleep would not come. At about midnight, we could stand it no longer and staggered
out on deck to seek the cool night air, the starlit skies and the swell of the ocean.
In the days that followed, we indulged in the luxury of eating and drinking wonderful food, the meals
growing in quantity and sophistication. The familiar figure of the cook became the symbol round which
our whole existence revolved as he bore tray after tray of spinach soup, prawns, fruit juices, fried chicken,
and fermented rice-water.
The crew took the twins to their hearts and showered them with kindness. They had already made gifts of
clothing to us all, soap and toilet requisites, towels, notebooks, and pens. They delighted in watching the
twins draw, write and play together.

1 Write a newspaper report using the headlines printed below. Base what you write closely on the reading
material in Passage A.

Lost family found alive and well − hours from death

Dramatic rescue by fishermen

Include the following in your report, in any order you wish:

• comments about the rescue made by some of the people involved

• reference to what life on the Ednamair was like before the rescue took place

• feelings experienced by the family and the Japanese crew

Write between, 250–350 allowing for the size of your handwriting.

Up to 15 marks will be available for the content of your answer, and up to 5 marks for the

quality of your writing.

Writing a Magazine Article

4
Success Criteria for a Magazine article

 Introduce the issue to be discussed in the article

 give background information of the topic to be discussed
 state the future developments or predicted outcome of the present situation
 The article needs a conclusion which may be an ironic reference or humorous comment or an
evaluation of the different viewpoints or a reference back to the beginning of the article, or a
quotation.
 give a thorough, perceptive, convincing evaluation of the ideas, positive and negative, with links
between these logically made.
 develop the reading material and integrates it into the argument.
 need to use an excellent, consistent sense of audience; persuasive/authoritative style; very fit for
purpose.
 Include fluent, varied sentences for effect
 wide range of vocabulary. Strong sense of structure and sequence.
 Style includes opinion – a mixture of main points, facts and emotional content

 A persuasive voice to suit the composer’s purpose (1st, 2nd, 3rd person)

Structure of an article
The intro:

The purpose of the intro or lead is to capture the attention of the readers and entice them to read further
into the story. The following are several well-known ways to do this:

 The question intro poses a question of the readers. If they want to find out the answer, then they must
read on.
 The anecdote intro uses a short account of some interesting or humorous experience to get the readers
interested.
 The quote intro lets the subject of the article do the talking right from the beginning. It is often used
in personality profiles.
 The action/adventure intro begins with a high point of excitement.
 The description intro can describe either places or people.
 The summary intro gives details about the subject in a brief lead. These details have to be interesting
enough to made the readers want to continue.
 The shock/horror intro uses sensational information to get the readers to read on.

The body:

 Am I allowed in? A magazine writer can use ‘I’ in certain circumstances. However, writers must
remember the readers are not interested in them, but instead in the subject of the article.
 Quotations can be used to add life and personality to an article. However, a quote should appear only
when necessary. Long, drawn out and ordinary quotes should be avoided. Quotes normally give a
sense of getting to know a person and readers expect a quote to reveal something important.
 Pace. A magazine feature article should develop to give the reader only as much information in each
paragraph as is needed. Too much too soon kills the article and has the effect of boring the reader.

5
 How long should a paragraph be? It should not be so long as to discourage readers from reading it,
but unlike the newspaper feature article, it can be of any length. Nevertheless, a regular pattern is
usually preferred.
 Moving right along…Paragraphs should flow so that the reader does not feel any sudden jolting
changes of subject. The trick is to use a transitional/connecting word or phrase.

The conclusion:
A conclusion should tie everything together and sum up the article. There are many ways to conclude. A
few are listed below:

 an anecdote or story that explains the point of the article

 a return to some earlier statement that now means more than it did
 saving an explosive piece of information until the last paragraph
 an unexpected twist
 a ‘call to action’ or a recommendation.

Sample 1.

1. A documentary on television captures your attention. In this programme two families have recently
taken part in a research project looking into the positive and negative effects of television on family life.
Family X agreed to the removal of all television programmes and film for a period of three months.
Family Y were asked to carry on as normal.

The views of the eldest teenager in each household are given in the transcripts on the opposite page.
Makers of the documentary have invited responses on their website.

Write an article for the website on the subject of television and family life.

In your article you should:

• identify the positive and negative aspects of television in the home

• evaluate the role played by television in family life.

Base what you write on the ideas found in the transcripts on the opposite page.

You should write between 1½ and 2 sides, allowing for the size of your handwriting.

Up to 10 marks will be available for the content of your answer and up to 15 marks for the

quality of your writing

6
Family X

Chief spokesman for the X family, this is Kwami here. I’m nearly 18 and the eldest in a family of two younger
sisters and an irritating 10 year old brother. Initially, I couldn’t believe what my parents had done to us and felt
like joining in the loud weeping coming from the others. How would we cope for three whole months without
the hub of entertainment in the corner of the room?

Early withdrawal symptoms were suffered by all: frantic searches for the remote control, anticipation of a
favourite programme, jostling for position to watch … an empty space! Sulking, we retreated, realising that
we were asking each other questions, sharing similar feelings and actually communicating as a family for the
first time in ages. It wasn’t easy, but it was good to have a break from the constant bleak news and the tired
chat shows. We discussed the fact that most of us turned on the television out of boredom or habit.

At the end of the first week mum dug out our mountain bikes from the garage and we did the unthinkable: a
family outing to nearby woods with fresh air filling our lungs as we raced each other downhill. We realised
how unfit we all were, but we were also aware of how enjoyable it was. I even helped the younger ones with
their homework. I had more energy, partly owing to not staying up late to watch some bad horror film, but also
because I rediscovered basketball and tennis. Our parents started doing things they had always talked about,
such as a family bowling night. We discovered they had secretly taken up salsa dancing. These changes
didn’t happen overnight. We missed our nightly dose of soap operas and reality shows, but instead of
watching others live their lives, we are leading full lives of our own.

Family Y

Hi. I’m Saskia. At 17 I’m the eldest of four and, if I say it myself, the most responsible person taking part in
this family research project. I suppose everyone will think that we’re the lucky ones. I mean, what’s difficult
about keeping the televisions and watching every programme on the box day and night? Well, it’s not been
as straightforward or as boring as that really; in fact it has been quite illuminating. Aware that we were part of
an experiment, we began to analyse our viewing habits.Within three days there were additional questions
before we even switched the television on: why had we decided to watch a certain show, who wanted to turn
on the television first, what else could or should we be doing instead?

By the end of week one, we didn’t feel that we had the best deal after all! We aren’t ‘couch potatoes’ in this
house. We usually decide what each of us wants to see. Take travel documentaries, for example. Without
watching programmes like these I would not have the burning ambition to go around the world or to do my
voluntary work abroad next year. Documentaries have instilled a passion in me that I can’t find in books or
photographs.

However, it became clear that too often the television would be on all evening as one ‘favourite’ programme
merged into the news that filled the slot before an ‘exciting new drama’ someone had to watch. We became
more honest with ourselves and learned to recognise when we just put on ‘the box’ to have some noise and
company if we were the first ones home, or if we were just using the television to escape homework, washing
up, or simply talking to each other. The more we had to justify our reasons for viewing, the less television
dominated our lives. My younger brothers still enjoy the new inventions and car shows, our little sister cannot
miss ‘Pet Rescue,’ and programmes like these give them ideas for careers or nurture a caring instinct. Mum
and Dad take one night a week ‘off’ to pop some popcorn and watch a film with us. We can talk or argue
about it afterwards, as everyone has different opinions about the actors or the ending. From comedies to
current affairs it’s our choice, but now we choose more wisely!

7
Answer
How much influence does a television- a mere box-have on our lives- socially, physically and
intellectually? Well, I'm sure we would all have different answers and reasons to this question.
Some of us feel that television is dominating our lives and influencing us negatively while there
are others who think that it actually benefits us in several ways.
A recent research that was carried out to evaluate the effects of television both the negative and
the positive has yielded interesting results. We have come to know that having a television in the
home encourages the family to spend time together but also too much of it disrupts family life.
Many at times, an interesting movie or programme comes up on one of the channels and
encourages us to sit with the members of the family and watch it. By the time it ends, we have all
laughed or cried together and come up with different opinions about the characters, type and plot
of the film and automatically tend to discuss these views. Haven't we already participated in
family discussions then? Of course we have! So how is it that television discourages families
from spending time together?

Well I am sure we all have favourite programmes and channels that we must watch at certain
times no matter what happens or who is affected, don’t we? This is what disrupts family life.
Each of us fight for the remote control and argue with each other until one wins and the others
lose. What happens then? The losers sulk away and the winner in contented with watching his
programme even if he/she is the only one. Hasn’t this stopped us being together? It has also been
admitted by an 18 year old that television stagnates our hobbies and tends to confine us at home
when we could be enjoying a family race and supplying our lungs with fresh air. The absence of
‘a box’ has awoken in us teenagers the desire to take part in sports, assist siblings with their
homework- which will obviously stimulate our brains to get buzzing and also start healthy
communication with them and our parents.

Yet, television is not all that bad. Apart from encouraging family discussions , it also increases
our knowledge, broadens our minds, positively affects our emotion and blows into us a career
passions, and also, above all, gives us a laugh. The television offers us a myriad of useful
programmes . Travel channels help us learn about the world and encourages us to explore it, they
help us know about different cultures and learn to respect them and allow those of us who can
actually not travel, to see all the beautiful places around the world. There are so many channels
and documentaries to help us expand our knowledge and at the same time instil in us a need to
follow a beneficial career. Programmes like ‘pet rescue’ teach us how to care and respect animals
while comedy shows just helps us to relieve our stress and lose some calories simply by
laughing.

Therefore, just like everything else, the television has its pros and cons, but it all depends on how
we use it. Excessive usage of television and burning obsessions with certain programmes are
sure to have a negative impact both to an individual as well as to his/her family life. At the same
time using it in moderation and for good reasons like gaining knowledge or having company
when alone is always useful. I mean we are all humans and do get bored with the same people all
the time, so in these cases the television is a good choice. All we need to remember is that too
much of anything is poisonous and the television will have the effect we want it to have on us

8
and our family life.
Analysis:

1.Does the introduction grab readers attention? How does the introduction introduce the topic?
2. Does the introduction give an overview of the problem
3. What is the purpose of this article? Who are the intended audiences? Underline the words/sentences
which relate to the purpose and audience.
4. Are the points evaluated with details from the passage?
5. Is the Article emotionally engaging and thought-provoking which introduces the central idea or thesis
6. Are they any Persuasive techniques i.e. emotional appeal; emotive words to convey attitude; rhetorical
questions; selective use of facts; quotations or comments by important people (experts and witnesses,
etc); humour added?
7. Does the essay include any predictions Or Concluding statement which is a final attempt to win the
reader’s support and reinforces the thesis (gives the article a circular structure)
8. Does the article gives a thorough, perceptive, and a convincing evaluation.
9. Does the writing show that the writer has read the documentary effectively and has developed much of
the reading material and integrated it into a response to the task.
10. Is there a Consistent sense of audience?11. Is the style authoritative and appropriate to the context
12. Does the article include fluent, varied sentences; with wide range of vocabulary?
13. comment on the structure, paragraphing and sequencing of the article?.

Practice questions:

1 Read the following discussion and consider the views of both the teacher and her students.

Imagine that you are one of the students involved in the discussion. Write an article for your

school magazine about how people use modern technology.

In your magazine article you should:

• examine issues about family and social life;

• examine issues about health and safety;

• give your own view and develop your arguments.

Base your magazine article on the ideas found in the discussion and be careful to use your own

words. You should write between 250–350 words. allowing for the size of your handwriting.

Up to ten marks are available for the content of your answer and up to fifteen marks for the

quality of your writing. [25]

After a Communication Studies lesson, the teacher, Mrs Trapido, and three students discuss modern

technology.

Mrs Trapido: That lesson makes me more worried than ever about your physical well being. Surely it’s
not a good thing that you use modern technology to escape from reality so often?
9
Bharat: So, what do you do to escape from the stresses of your job? No doubt you ‘up the volume’ on
your classical music in the car or watch the latest soap opera on television. Either way, it’s not that
different.

Mrs Trapido: Okay, we all need to switch off now and then, but the kids I see are permanently hooked up
to some gadget that stops them communicating with others. My son is constantly in his own bubble; if
he’s not on the phone to a friend then he’s ‘shuffling’ and focused on his music player, and don’t get me
started on these new games and films he watches on a ridiculously small screen.

Katrin: It’s the latest technology. It solves the problem of what film you all want to watch on television.
He’s just ‘zoning out’; it’s what we all do. In your day you would have gone to your room. Well, now we
can block out situations that are stressful.

Mrs Trapido: What? Like family life? You see that’s what worries me. He’s there in the room with us, but
he’s not really there. Ali: Well, it depends on how high the volume is! I can easily listen to my music as
well as tune in to what’s being said around me. If my mother starts an argument, then I just turn the
volume up to the maximum!

Bharat: That’s how I like to listen to my music anyway. Loud.

Mrs Trapido: You see that also concerns me. New studies prove it is dangerous to listen to really loud
music as it can cause hearing loss.

Katrin: Well, what about you and your laptop? You’re always hunched over it typing, risking injury to
your back and your hands. You see, you condemn our use of technology, but you forget how much people
older than us rely on it. Plus, if anything goes wrong with your new devices, you usually ask us to fix it.

Mrs Trapido: Okay, I know you belong to the technological society, but it doesn’t stop me worrying about
your health. My laptop isn’t a miniscule gadget that requires me to risk my eyesight to see the screen. The
keys on your game players are so small that you could suffer from repetitive strain injury or even arthritis
in the future.

Katrin: I get your point. However, we know that we should have breaks when our eyes get tired or our
fingers ache.

Mrs Trapido: What about the dangers of walking around or cycling whilst the latest rap song is blaring in
your ears? You’re oblivious to the traffic around you and you risk being in an accident. What’s more,
someone could attack you as you wouldn’t be aware of their presence.

Ali: It is stupid to lock yourself up in your own world in a busy city, but is it very different from adult
motorists talking on their mobiles and causing accidents? Mrs Trapido: But it’s in cities where I see most
teenagers not interacting with what’s going on around them, and they don’t even mutter please or thank
you to others who serve them.

Ali: You can’t blame these devices for bad manners. Don’t tell me that adults aren’t tempted to block out
the noise and stress of public transport! I saw an old guy with headphones on in the subway, blissfully
unaware of his surroundings.

Mrs Trapido: Everyone over thirty looks old to you lot! My point is still relevant. I’m not just concerned
about noise. I’ve even heard of discos where teenagers listen and dance to their own choice of music on
their own headphones.

Katrin: Hey, that’s a good idea! The world is changing. By the way, is that your cell phone ringing?

10