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 :x
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 oxccurred 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, Egypts Supreme Council of
Antiquities said Sunday.
The oldest tombs date back to around 2750 B.C., during the period of Egypts 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 Egypts 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 Egypts first and second
dynasties.
Source :
the council said that the finding of the tombs threw new light on Egypts 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 Agencys 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 countrys 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

Indonesian Sailors Free as Pirates' Ransom is Paid

Somalia - The crew of 20 Indonesian sailors aboard the Sinar Kudus cargo ship were finally
freed by Somali pirates on Sunday.
We received the cash of $4.5 million early this morning. We have abandoned the ship and it is
preparing to sail away, a pirate who gave his name as Geney told Reuters news agency
In March, a large group of 30 to 50 Somali pirates seized the Indonesian flagged and owned ship
about 320 nautical miles northeast of the Yemeni island of Socotra. The Sinar Kudus was on its
way to the Netherlands from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi when it was hijacked.
The ship is now on its way to the nearest secure port and is being heavily guarded by
Indonesian warships, David Batubara, vice president of Samudra Indonesia told reporters late
on Sunday.

Newsworthy Event :
The crew of 20 Indonesian sailors aboard the Sinar Kudus cargo ship were finally freed by
Somalia pirates.
Backgroud :
In March, a large group of 30 to 50 Somali pirates seized the Indonesian flagged and owned ship
about 320 nautical miles northeast of the Yemeni island of Socotra. The Sinar Kudus was on its
way to the Netherlands from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi when it was hijacked.
Source :
thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesian-sailors-free-as-pirates-ransom-is-paid/438494