What is News Item?
1.
Definition
of News Item
News item is a text which informs readers
about events of the day. The events are considered newsworthy or important.
2.
Generic
Structure of News Item
1. Main event
2. Elaboration (background, participant,
time, place)
3. Resource of information
3.
Language
Feature of News Item
1. Focusing on circumstances
2. Using material process
4.
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.
|
|
Sumber Informasi
Sources
|
A board of
investigators was later to describe it as the worst accident
in the history of the Soviet Navy.
|
Malaysian Deputy
Health Ministry urged every woman to carry a condom to protect against HIV, a
news report said.
“This is not to debate them but to protect
them. Women are the first ones to get exploited by their partners (whom are
infected by HIV-positive)” Abdul Latiff Ahmad was quoted as saying by Sunday
Star Newspaper. “But this just a suggestion, it’s up to them”.
Abdul latiff made
remark to coincide with the International Aids Memorial day, which was
celebrated openly for the first time in Malaysia, in bid to reduce stigma for
HIV-victim. In the past the event was held behind closed door.
Last year, 745
Malaysian women were identified as HIV-positive and 193 were diagnosed with
AIDS, he said in the report. Officials have said nearly 81000 Malaysian have
been infected with HIV, less then 10 percent are woman, but the number is
steadily rising.
Malaysian Aids
Council president, Adeebah Kamarulzaman, was quoted as saying besides sex
workers, many women who contract HIV are housewives, were infected unknowingly
by their husbands. “It’s not that people don’t know that condoms can protect
them. But there are some men who don’t care to take precaution, even though
they know they have HIV” she said.
(Source The
Jakarta Post,
June 01, 2008)
Generic Structure Analysis
News worthy event: Malaysian women
is urged to carry condoms to protect HIV.
Background event 1: International
Memorial Day was held openly in Malaysia
to reduce stigma for HIV victims.
Background event 2: The number of
Malaysian women who are infected with HIV is steadily rising.
Source: Malaysian Aids
Council president said that there were some men who did not care to take
precaution even though they knew they had HIV
A 45-year old
Indonesian maid admitted having sex with her Hong Kong
employer’s 14-year old son after watching internet porn together.
The maid is a
divorcee and a mother of two children. The maid, named Suwartin, had worked
with the boy family for 11 years.
A court heard how
the maid had sex with the boy in relationship that lasted five months. The boy
tried to end the affair but she refused. The teenager eventually confessed to
the relationship to the leader of Christian group he belonged to.
Then the maid was
arrested. She pleaded guilty to five charges of committing an indecent act with
underage partner. She will be sentenced in two week’s time.
She later
apologized and said that she would live with the shame of what she had done for
the rest of life. “She had acted out of loneliness” the maid’s lawyer said.
(Adapted
from Reuters, Hong Kong, May 6, 2008)
Generic Structure Analysis
News worthy event: Indonesian maid court and admitted having sex with her young employer
Background event: The maid is a divorcee. She had worked in the boy family for 11 years.
She had relationship the boy for five months. She apologized and felt guilty
Source: The maid lawyer said that the maid had acted out of loneliness
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: www.news.bbc.co.id)
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
Focussing circumtances; law of serious crimes.
Using material process; behead, execute, carry, etc
Small Notes
News Item (Berita)
Ciri Umum:
(a) Tujuan Komunikatif
Teks:
Memberitakan kepada pembaca, pendengar atau
penonton tentang peristiwa-peristiwa atau kejadian-kejadian yang dipandang
penting atau layak diberitakan.
(b) Struktur
Teks/Generic structure
ü Newsworthy events;
Kejadian inti.
ü Background Events;
Latar belakang kejadian, orang yang terlibat, tempat kejadian dsb.
ü Sources; komentar
saksi kejadian, pendapat para ahli, dsb.
(c)
Ciri Kebahasaan:
·
Informasi singkat tertuang dalam headline
·
Menggunakan action verbs
·
Menggunakan saying verbs, misalnya say, tell,
dsb.
·
Menggunakan kata keterangan, misalnya badly
injured, the most beautiful bride in the world, dsb.
