News Item is used to inform readers, listeners or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important. We often find it in a newspaper because the passage often tells the readers about great, important, interesting, tragic, entertaining or fresh incident or events that all people should know about it
Study the notes on news item below!
Social function/ aim or purpose of the text:
To inform the readers, listeners or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.
Generic structure:
· Newsworthy event(s): recount the event in summary form
· Background event(s): elaborate what happened, to whom, in what circumstances
· Sources: comments by participants in, witnesses to and authorities expert on the event
Significant language features:
· Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline
· Uses of material processes to retell the event. (mental process is ….)
· Use of projecting verbal process in sources stage
· Focus on circumstances
Now read the example of news item text!
Jakarta: the spreading of Lapindo hot mudflow post explosion of Pertamina’s gas pipe forced the residents of Kedungbendo and Renokenongo villages to evacuate.
The mudflow also flooded half of the Tanggulangin anggun Sejahtera housing complex in Sidoarjo. Mudflow of more than half a meter in depth flooded 66, 0448 houses in this complex.
“The residents were evacuate to Pasar baru, which was previously a shelter for 2, 605 families whose houses were flooded by mudflows”, said Syaiful Illah, a deputy regent of Sidoarjo, yesterday (16 november 2006)
From Tempo’s monitoring, the refugees came continuously by trucks, public transportations and motorcycles. They straightaway occupied the market, kiosks and stalls by spreading out mats and pillow for sleeping.
Government officials appeared to be busy preparing mass kitchens and supplying rice, instant noodles, cooking oil and other needs. “We took the food from Sidoarjo Social Service”, said Syaiful Illah. “There hasn’t been any aid provided by Lapindo”. In the mean time, the National team for mudflow relief in Sidoarjo has not been able to block mudflow in the gas pipe explosion
Sources:
Mufarichah, Yulia, Zumakhsin. 2007. Progress: A contextual Approach to Learning English. An English Textbook for Senior High School. Ganeca Exact: Bandung
