News Item Text

A. Definition of News Item:

News item is a text which informs readers about events of the day. The events are considered
newsworthy or important.

B. Generic Structure of News Item:

1. Newsworthy event (Main Event) :

News item text presents the daily newsworthy. In this example of news item text, the first
paragraph is the main event.

2. Background Events (Elaboration) :

The second paragraph of this example of news item gives further explanation about the main event.

3. Source (Resource of information) :

The last paragraph is the official statement from the expert or the authority which strengthen the news
of the main event.

C. Language Feature of News Item:

1. Using Action Verbs

2. Using Saying Verbs

3. Using Passive Sentence

D. Examples and structures of the text:

Town Contaminated

Newsworthy Events :
Moscow – A Russian journalist has uncovered evidence of another Soviet nuclear catastrophe, which
killed 10 sailors and contaminated an entire town.

Background Events :

Yelena Vazrshavskya is the first journalist to speak to people who witnessed the explosion of a nuclear
submarine at the naval base of shkotovo – 22 near Vladivostock.

The accident, which occurred 13 months before the Chernobyl disaster, spread radioactive fall-out over
the base and nearby town, but was covered up by officials of the Soviet Union. Residents were told the
explosion in the reactor of the Victor-class submarine during a refit had been a ‘thermal’ and not a
nuclear explosion. And those involved in the clean up operation to remove more than 600 tones of
contaminated material were sworn to secrecy.

Source :

Sources A board of investigators was later to describe it as the worst accident in the history of the Soviet
Navy.

Tombs with Mummy Found in Egypt

CAIRO – Archaeologists have unearthed 57 ancient Egyptian tombs, most of which hold an ornately
painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside, Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities said Sunday.

The oldest tombs date back to around 2750 B.C., during the period of Egypt’s first and second dynasties,
the council said in a statement.Twelve of the tombs belong the 18th Dynasty, which ruled Egypt during
the second millennium B.C. The 18th Dynasty includes such well-known pharaohs as Tutankhamun,
Akhenaten and Queen Hatshepsut.

The discovery throws new light on Egypt’s ancient religions, the council said.
Newsworthy Event :

the news of finding of tombs with mummy in Egypt

Background :

the tombs has the oldest date around 2750 B.C. It was the period of Egypt’s first and second dynasties.

Source :

the council said that the finding of the tombs threw new light on Egypt’s ancient religions

Growing Number of High School Student Smoking

Newsworthy Events :
Surakarta – A survey has found about 13 percent of first-time smokers in the country are junior high
school students. It also revealed 89 percent of young female employees were smokers.The survey was
conducted in five major cities across the country, including Surakarta in Central Java.

Background Events :

Muhammad Syahril Mansyur, the Surakarta Health Agency’s respiratory illness division, said that the
finding of the survey showed an alarming growth rate of Indonesian smokers. "This situation is a cause
for concern,” he said. “It appears the country’s younger generation is uneducated about the health risks
of smoking.” The Indonesian anti-tobacco campaign has reportedly been deemed as ineffective as the
government refuses to sign the international convention on tobacco control. It said that cigarette
producers contributed to a large amount to state revenue and gave jobs to thousands of workers.

Source :

www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/11/12/growing-number-school-students-smoking.html

Indonesian Maid Beheaded

London :
An Indonesian housemaid has been executed in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of killing her
employer, the Saudi Interior Minister said.

The woman was beheaded in the Southern Asir province in what was the second execution in the
country.

The maid was earlier found of suffocating her female boss and stealing her jewellery. Rape, murder and
other serious crimes can carry the death penalty in the conservative desert kingdom.

Last year, Saudi Arabia, which follow a strict intepretation of Syaria, Islamic law executed more than 130
people.

(Taken from: BBC News)

Generic Structure Analysis

Main event; an Indonesian maid was beheaded in Saudi Arabia.

Background 1; the maid was found guilty of suffocating her bos.

Background 2; serious crimes can carry death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

Background 3; Saudi Arabia executed more than 130 people last year.

Resource; the Saudi Interior Minister statement.

Language Feature Analysis

Focussingcircumtances; law of serious crimes.

Using material process; behead, execute, carry, etc

Stoner wins Catalunya Grand Prix

Spain :

Casey Stoner won the Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday for his third victory in the MotoGP championship
this season.

The 2007 world champion overtook Jorge Lorenzo on the first lap and never looked back as the
Australian's Honda proved too fast to catch on the 4.727-kilometer (2.937-mile) Catalunya circuit.
Lorenzo was second, 2.403 seconds behind. After five races, defending champion Lorenzo holds a seven-
point lead over Stoner. While american rider Ben Spies came in third for his first podium of the season.

Stoner said: "Jorge got off to a good start and I had to wait until the end of the first lap to overtake him
and then he couldn't stay with me, fortunately."

Newsworthy Event :

Casey Stoner won in the Catalunya Grand Prix

Background :

Casey Stoner overtook Jorge Lorenzo on the first lap and never looked back

Source :

www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/06/05/stoner-wins-catalunya-gp.html
Landslide in Bukittinggi

Padang :

Two people died while four others were wounded in a landslide at a yard behind a house near Teleng
market in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra on Tuesday.

Killed were 3-year-old Yusuf, who was the son of a kiosk owner at the market, Bujang, and 22-year-old
Meli, who was a visitor to the market. The injured were rushed to the AchmadMuchtar and
Yarsihospitals.

Bukittinggi Deputy Mayor IsmetAmziz said Tuesday it was suspected that recent heavy rainfall had
caused the landslide.

Newsworthy Event :

People died while four others were wounded in a landslide at a yard behind a house near Teleng market
in Bukittinggi,

Background :

Landslides have killed 3 years old

Yusuf, who is the son of a stall in the market, Bujang,and 22 years old Meli, who was a visitor market.

Source :

thejakartapost.com/news/2009/11/10/two-die-bukittinggi-landslide.html