News reports

A news reports is a brief piece of writing for publication in a newspaper, giving factual information concerning an important current event. It is formal and impersonal in style, presenting facts objectively and unemotionally.

A successful report should consist of:

a) a headline which is short and eye-catching, giving the reader an idea of the subject of the report.

b) an introductory paragraph (paragraph 1) which summarises the event, including information about the people involved, the place, the time, etc (what/who/where/when/how/why).

c) a main body (paragraphs 2-3-4) in which the relevant information is developed in detail, including an explanation of the cause(s) and/or result(s) of the event.

d) a conclusion (final paragraph) which mentions the significance of the event, future action to be taken, reactions/comments of a witness/spokesperson, etc.

Points to consider

Comments made by witnesses, victims, the police, etc may be given in direct or reported speech:

     "We won't give in." commented a workers' spokesman.

     The two boys later admitted that what they had done was wrong.

Passive voice and appropiate reporting verbs (e.g. confessed, protested, etc) are widely used in news reports, together with a range of linking words and time expressions.

Example: You can find hundreds of examples of news reports in all the newspapers which are in the "Prensa digital en ingles" section of this blog.