TINA DAHELEY:I'm Tina Daheley journalist and presenter for BBC news and in around half an hour's time I've got to present a live news bulletin but before that, I've got to write it So I've gathered all the information I need. Let's get cracking.
TINA DAHELEY:'President Trump has been all over the news recently 'and my editor has asked me' to draft a news report on one of the big stories. The president's proposed ban stopping some people from entering the USA.
TINA DAHELEY:'The first thing I need to do is plan my report. 'Planning is important because it allows me to' clearly set out the things I want to say.
TINA DAHELEY:A good way to start a news report is to think about the five Ws.
TINA DAHELEY:'What is the story about? 'Who is involved? 'Where and when is the story taking place? 'And why is it happening?
TINA DAHELEY:'Once I've answered these questions 'I'll have a much clearer idea of what information to put in my report.
TINA DAHELEY:'I use bullet points to separate out my answers.
TINA DAHELEY:Perhaps the most important part of any news report is the introduction. This is the beginning of the report. It has to clearly sum up the story, and grab viewer's attention.
TINA DAHELEY:So I need to think about which words in the sentence I will emphasise.
TINA DAHELEY:'In the introduction I'm mentioning the proposed ban, 'who it will affect, and the person that wants to issue the ban - 'President Trump.'
TINA DAHELEY:So my introduction could be "A ban on some people entering America from seven countries has been proposed by Donald Trump." That's OK but it doesn't have as much impact as I'd like.
TINA DAHELEY:This sentence is written in a passive voice - which means I put the emphasis of the sentence on the people Donald Trump is trying to ban.
TINA DAHELEY:I'm now going to try writing my introduction in an active voice. I'm going to make Donald Trump the focus of the sentence.
TINA DAHELEY:Rewriting or redrafting sentences in different ways is a great way to improve your writing.
TINA DAHELEY:'Journalists often redraft news reports 'until they find the way that works best.
TINA DAHELEY:'A good way to find out how well a report works 'is to read it out loud.
TINA DAHELEY:Donald Trump has tried to ban people from seven countries entering America.
TINA DAHELEY:I'm happy with that but let's compare active voice directly with passive voice.
TINA DAHELEY:A ban on people entering America from seven countries has been proposed by Donald Trump.
TINA DAHELEY:Donald Trump has tried to ban people from seven countries entering America.
TINA DAHELEY:You can hear that the active voice is much more immediate. Writing in an active voice helps your report make more of an impact. So, I've written my introduction, next I'm going to separate my report into paragraphs.
TINA DAHELEY:'You should start a new paragraph 'every time you write about a new time or a new place 'or you change topic or mention a new person.
TINA DAHELEY:'A good way to remember this is to remember TiPToP.
TINA DAHELEY:'Time, Place, Topic and Person.'
TINA DAHELEY:Sometimes it's good to use linking words at the start of paragraphs.
TINA DAHELEY:They can indicate whether the next paragraph will add to the previous one or offer a contrasting review.
TINA DAHELEY:'I'm including the linking word "However" 'to show that what's coming next offers a different viewpoint' to the previous paragraph.
TINA DAHELEY:The president says that these strict new controls on immigration will keep terrorists out of the United States.
TINA DAHELEY:However, some American politicians have heavily criticized the ban, claiming it discriminates against some people.
TINA DAHELEY:'Another important thing to remember 'is language formality or register. 'This means choosing the appropriate language for your audience.'
TINA DAHELEY:"President Trump's ban is saying that some people from Muslim countries can't come into America." This is what my story's about but if I said it in my news report it just wouldn't sound right.
TINA DAHELEY:'The language is too conversational. 'You might speak to your friends this way 'but it's too informal for television news.
TINA DAHELEY:'So, I need to rewrite the sentence using more formal language. 'Let's find out what this sounds like.'
TINA DAHELEY:The ban would stop people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.
TINA DAHELEY:That strikes the right balance. Now my report is ready 'I've written the introduction, separated my report into paragraphs.
TINA DAHELEY:'I've used linking words 'and I've found the right level of formality 'for my news report.'
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR:Going live in five, four, three, two, one.
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR:Cue.
This short film, first published in 2018, is for teachers and review is recommended before use in class.
Focusing on President Trump’s intended ban on immigration in 2017, Journalist Tina Daheley explains the process of drafting and writing a television news report about a big news story.
She introduces the '5 W' planning process (what, who, where, when and why), and demonstrates how to use bullet points.
The importance of an enticing introduction to a news report is explained along with the effects of active and passive voice. Alternative introductions show the need for drafting and rewriting and the practice of reading work aloud is promoted as a way to explore the effects of different wording.
She also talks about register and explores formality of language for television news, using examples.
The clip is particularly useful for demonstrating the need for re-writing and exploring how language can be used to different effects.
It will give students an insight into the job of news reporting and can also be used to encourage them to edit and proofread their own writing.
This clip is from the series Making the News.
Teacher Notes
You could pause the clip before Tina Daheley re-writes her introduction and ask students write their own version.
Ask students to write a news report and then pass to a partner who will edit and rewrite to create a more powerful version. Allow time for feedback and discussion of the suggested changes to the work.
Get your students to create a news story based on current events in the local community.
Curriculum Notes
This series is relevant for teaching English and Media Studies at Key Stage 3 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales and at Level 3 in Scotland.
