Lesson Eight Journalism

The Sunday Times 1991 on the Miner’s Strike From the start the Sunday Times took a firm editorial line: for the sake of liberal democracy, economic recovery… Scargill had to be defeated. It was a position from which we never wavered. Our views, however, were kept where they belong – the editorial column. For us the miners’ strike was above all a massive reporting and analysing task to give our readers an impartial and well informed picture of what was going on.

Report. The Independent New Year’s Eve end for USSR

Editorial: The Independent A burden lifted for UN

Daily Mirror Don’t be an ass, Fergie

The Sun Up yours, Delors

Report Factual information greater use of past tense passive form sensational (and redundant) lexis in tabloids “meteoric rise in cancer cases” “terrible catastrophe”

Editorial Cluster of elements (see Biber) present tense infinitives modals (must, should, may, etc.) suasive verbs conditionals

The Times 16/10/03 - report It was the ultimate Chinese take-away: twenty dishes were blasted into space from the Gobi desert yesterday, and eaten by a single man as he circled the Earth fourteen times.

The Times 16/10/03 - editorial Space Junk Yesterday’s launch into space of Lieutenant- Colonel Yang Liwei, the first Chinese astronaut, is an event which has been long in coming…. There are no new lands to conquer, trade to generate, natives to pacify… China would be well advised to temper national pride with pragmatism.

The Economist – A Decent Choice Three weeks ago there was a strong suspicion… Mr Gore probably won the first and third debates. He has generally seemed more likeable… And he has exceeded expectations Elections can turn on trivial personal details If people want to reject Bush Mr Gore stands for a more interventionist America But politics is rarely ideal.

The Economist – A Decent Choice (2) Past Tenses 17 Present Tenses26 Perfect Tenses8 Progressive increase of present as text progresses.

Noun phrases One -word noun phrases Angela, Bolivia she, it woman, country

Noun phrases (2) an illness an old, rather obstinate woman The Angela I introduced you to last week

Noun phrases (3) Government Environment Department Air Pollution Report Findings Scandal

Headlines AIDS RAPE DEATH FEAR Extended noun phrases (lack of verbs)

Headlines (2) empty lexis AIDS RAPE DEATH FEAR SCANDAL AIDS RAPE DEATH FEAR CASE AIDS RAPE DEATH FEAR PHENOMENON

Grammar for extended noun phrases 1. Vacuous phrases common 2. Verb in canonical sentence becomes head 3. Central adjectives modify head 4. Collocations remain 5. Modifier on left modifies element on right

Vacuous phrases common Football bribes scandal Iraq invasion threat Teenager drugs concern

Verb in canonical sentence becomes head AIDS RAPE DEATH FEAR People fear that a person raped by an aids victim may die.

Modifier on left modifies element on right Government > Environment > Department > Air > Pollution > Report > Findings > Scandal

Central adjectives modify head Great fruit drinks con