• UNIT 9:MEDIA AND REPORTING

      Key unit competence: To use language learnt in the context of media and 

    reporting.

       INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY

              

                  9.1 Describing words and expressions used in the media

                      

                          Text: Starting a school newspaper

                            

    The next day, students gathered in the hall again. They were all very excited. 
    The members of editor committee sat at the front. This time Miss Catherine, the 
    English composition teacher, addressed the pupils. “Good morning, everyone,” 
    she stated. “Yesterday you listened to Miss Mwangi describe how to start a 
    school newspaper. Remember that she herself was an active member of the 
    school newspaper. Do any of you remember the name?” Billy put up his hand 
    but everyone had the answer. “The Kigali shinning” they chanted. “Good. Yes 
    that is right. I hope you too will find a good name for our school newspaper. 

    You have elected your editor committee and I wish to congratulate those twelve 
    pupils who will be responsible for producing the newspaper. Remember, it will 
    mean a hard work and commitment, and you will need help from the rest of 
    the students here. If you want to produce the first issue, before term ends, 
    everyone will have to work hard. So, those of you who are not members of the 
    editorial committee do not be too disappointed. Your contribution is also very 
    important. As reporters, it is your job to produce the article. And we can’t have 
    a school newspaper without any article, can we?

    The students laughed and began to talk excitedly among themselves. ‘Now, 
    ‘continued Miss Nakamwaga, and everyone became quiet again. ‘Yesterday 
    you discussed the kinds of articles that we usually find in our local 
    newspapers. Have you decided what kind of articles you want to include 
    in your own school newspaper? Perhaps one student from each group can 
    write her or his group’s list on the board here, and then will discuss them.’
    Afterwards, Miss Nakamwaga read out all the topics: the school, school news, 
    school sports news, our surroundings, the people and their activities, news 
    about our community, especially when it affects the school or students, special 
    events: Announcements before and descriptions afterwards, advertisements. 

    “OK,instead of your usual composition lessons this week, you will all work on 
    an article for the school newspaper. Your writing skills will improve if you get 
    a lot of writing practice. And the editorial committee will not accept an article 
    that is of poor quality. If it is untidy, uninteresting, or contains a lot of mistakes, 
    they will ask you to rewrite it.”

    “I want you to prepare your articles in groups so that you can help each other. 
    Each group will have a different topic. As a group, you can discuss and prepare 
    your article before you begin writing. You may want to do some research, that 
    is, go and ask questions to find out information that will make your article 
    interesting. Before you start writing, put yourself in the reader’s position and 
    ask yourself “if I was the reader, what would I want to know? What would I 

    enjoy reading about?

    Adapted from JJB Bugembe (1993). Oxford English: ninth impression 2002. Oxford 

    ox26DP, England.

       Comprehension questions
    1. How many members did the students vote on the editorial committees?
    2. What is the job of the rest of people?
    3. When do they want to produce the first issue of their newspaper?
    4. What are the six kinds of articles that the pupils want to include in their 
         newspaper?
    5. For what reasons might the editorial committee ask group to rewrite an 
         article?
    6. If your school produced a school newspaper, what would you like to read 
         about?

    7. What do you think is the job of a reporter for a newspaper?

                 9.1.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
          Vocabulary, sentence and summary writing
    1. Match the words from the story in column A with their meanings in 

         column B

                  

      2. Use the above words in the table and make your own sentences.

      3. Summarize the story “starting a school newspaper in 8 lines. “

                 9.2 Describing a scene

          

          Scene 1: Adika’s memorial ceremony

    It is set at Adika’s grave. The grave appears to have been burnt and there is a 
    bowl of coins on it. Nina and doga, Adika’s parents are approaching the grave 
    in the morning to prepare for the shaving memory. The burning of the grave 
    confirms that the person who killed Adika lives among them. It is revealed that 
    Adika was shot by a police officer during university demonstration. Chagaga, 
    the sub-chief’s brother was implicated in the murder. 

    Jusper comes back. Since his brother’s death, he has been behaving strangely. 
    This has made his parents suspect that he is mad. He is coming from the river 
    where he has thrown Chagaga’s body whom he had caught burning Adika’s 
    grave to prevent Adika’s ghost from haunting him- as the community believes. 
    He asks his parents whether he should go and confess the murder. Thinking 
    that he is raving, they tell him to put on a clean shirt and go confess.

    Two soldiers, jere and Mulili, arrive to insure that no ceremony is held in the 
    memory of Adika. They inform Nina and Daga that Jusper is currently in custody. 
    After confessing to have murdered Chagaga, an angry mob almost lynched him. 
    He was saved by the police and locked up. Mulili and jere argue over whether 
    to allow the ceremony to go on. Jere being from that village understands the 
    importance of shaving ceremony as a traditional ritual and therefore he wants 
    to let the old couple proceed with it. Mulili differs with him because he has been 
    promised a large chunk of land by Boss in return for his loyalty. They fight. jere 
    shoots at Mulili. 

    An extract from the play Betrayal in the city by Francis Imbuga

        Comprehension questions 
    1. Describe the start of the scene one of betrayal in the city. 
    2. What did Adika die of in the play?
    3. What is making Jusper act madly?
    4. Who came to stop the ceremony?
    5. Why do Mulili and jere differ in deciding up on “the shaving ceremony”? 

    6. In not more than 4 lines, describe the scene above.

           9.2.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY  
           Vocabulary, sentence and composition writing
    1. Find the meaning of the following words and use them to write your 
                  own sentences 
             1. Scene
             2. Demonstration
             3. Ghost
             4. Custody 
             5. Murder 
    2. Think of a scene about a business activity at the market and describe 

         it in not more than eight lines. 

                9.3 Reporting speech

                

                 Text: Church commended

    Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister commended the church’s contribution 
    in Rwanda’s journey of unity and reconciliation. Within the framework of 
    achieving unity and reconciliation among Rwandans, he said the Government 
    opted for home-grown solutions (such as Gacaca courts) noting that such 
    initiatives were shaped by fusing traditional and biblical values.

    “It is commendable that the Bible society and the churches worked hand in 
    hand with government and non-government institutions. This partnership 
    brings about community development social welfare in society,” he said. He 
    also highlighted the role of the youth in the development of a nation. He said 
    that investing in the youth and providing them with proper value orientation 
    is not an option, adding that the youth should be at the forefront of innovation, 
    leadership and decision making.

    “I am proud that the issue of youth is a major focus of African Biblical Leadership 

    Initiative,” the Premier noted.

    Renowned American evangelist and author, Rick Warren, said that there is a lot 
    to celebrate about Africa noting that, the strength and future of the Church is 
    Africa.

    He also applauded Rwanda’s progress noting that years ago Rwanda was known 
    mostly for what happened in the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and that now the 
    world knows it for its progress.

    “And this is something to celebrate, you may not realize this because you live 
    here all the time, but the rest of the world is realizing this. Many want to come 
    and learn from Rwanda, this is why we have much to celebrate my brothers and 

    sisters,” he added.

    New Times article from https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/premier-ngirente-roots

    african-youth-empowerment

        Comprehension questions
    1. What did the prime minister commend churches for?
    2. Discuss the role of youth in innovation.
    3. What is the hint that the reporter used to convey the message?

    4. Does he/she report the message effectively?

           9.3.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
    Vocabulary, sentence and composition writing
    1. Improve your vocabulary: Use dictionary and thesaurus to check the 
                meaning of the following words.
                      1. Applaud 
                      2. Fusing
                      3. Welfare
                      4. Forefront
                      5. Reconciliation
    2. Write meaningful sentences using the above words.

    3. Write a summary of the above article in 5 lines

             9.4 Describing a report

          

          Text 1: How to write a report

    Some academic assignments ask for a ‘report’, rather than an essay, and 
    students are often confused about what that really means. Likewise, in 
    business, confronted with a request for a ‘report’ to a senior manager, many 
    people struggle to know what to write. Confusion often arises about the writing 
    style, what to include, the language to use, the length of the document and other 
    factors. This point aims to disentangle some of these elements, and provide you 
    with some advice designed to help you to write a good report. 

    In academia there is some overlap between repots and essays, and the two 
    words are sometimes used interchangeably, but reports are more likely to be 
    needed for business, scientific and technical subjects, and in the workplace. 
    Whereas an essay presents arguments and reasoning, a report concentrates on 
    facts. 

    Essentially, a report is a short, sharp, concise document which is written for a 
    particular purpose and audience. It generally sets out and analyses a situation 
    or problem, often making recommendations for future action. It is a factual 
    paper, and needs to be clear and well-structured. Requirements for the precise 
    form and content for a report will vary between organization and departments 
    and in study between courses, from tutor to tutor, as well as between subjects, 
    so it’s worth finding out if there are any specific guidelines before you start. 

     Comprehension questions 
    1. What do many people struggle to know when writing a report? 
    2. What confuses them?
    3. Discuss the difference between a report and an essay

    4. Give a short definition of a report

         Text 2: Weight problem in America by Israel Sandoval  

             

    Next time you are in a crowd, take a look around you. If the crowd is typical, 
    many people probably are heavier than they should be. Weight has become a 
    real health issue in America. This paper will present facts and discuss causes. It 
    will also suggest possible ways to overcome our weight problem. 

    Are all overweight people unhealthy or unfit? No. some heavy people are very 
    fit. Muscular people weigh more than others who look about the same size. This 
    is because muscle is heavier than fat. Pregnant women also weigh more than 
    they would normally. Some people are just heavier than others. That doesn’t 
    always mean they are unhealthy. However, many people who are seriously 
    overweight are at risk for health problems. 

    Here are some figures to think about. More than 97 million Americans are 
    overweight. According to the American Obesity Association, about 39 million 
    of these are obese. Obese means more than 30 pounds overweight. Obesity 
    is the cause of some 300000 death in this country every year. It is also a risk 
    factor in many ailments. These include heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, high 
    cholesterol and cancer. According to U.S surgeon General David Satcher, obesity 
    is “an epidemic”

    Weight problems are not unknown in other countries. However, they are much 
    easier to fall prey to in the United States. Consider Sam Moore, who moved here 
    from Sierra Leone in 1998. His story is fairly common. “When I first came,” Sam
    told writer Lawrence Lindner, ‘I was around 165 (pounds). Now I am looking 
    at close to 200. It creeps upon you.” Sam is 5 foot 9 inches tall. Two hundred 

    pounds is definitely more than he should weigh.

    Other immigrants report similar weight gain. Some of them were asked to 
    think about why their weight shot up. Some of them pointed out the size of 
    restaurant portions. Over and over, they talked about the size of meal they 
    served in American restaurants. One woman commented on a huge salad and 
    enormous dish of pasta she was served for dinner. She noted that even her 
    6-foot 5- inch boyfriend couldn’t have eaten it all. Yet the meal was typical size 
    for an American diner in a restaurant. 

    Extract from zaner-Bloser (2003) . strategies for writers : Columbus,Ohio,p.g 207

     Comprehension questions 
    1. What kind of text is this?
    2. Are all overweight people unhealthy or unfit? Why?
    3. With the above text, discuss the problem of overweight in America 

           9.4.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
       Vocabulary, sentence and composition writing
    1. Use dictionary and thesaurus to check the meanings of the following 
                 words: 
               a. Disentangle
               b. Overlap
               c. Concise
               d. Obese
               e. Cholesterol
                f. Portions
               g. Inch
               h. Creep upon
                i. Portion
                j. Arthritis
    2. Write sentences using the above words on the list

    3. Summarize the above report on weight problem in America in 7 lines

                   9.5 Describing stages in reporting

              

            Text: Skills you need to write a report
    Step 1: know your brief : You will usually receive a clear brief for a report, 
    including what you are studying and for whom the report should be prepared. 
    First of all, consider your brief very carefully and make sure that you are clear 
    who the report is for (if you’re a student then not just your tutor, but who it 
    is supposed to be written for), and why you are writing it, as well as what 
    you want the reader to do at the end of reading: make a decision or agree a 
    recommendation, perhaps. 

    Step 2: Keep your brief in mind at all times: During your planning and writing, 
    make sure that you keep your brief in mind: who are you writing for, and why 
    are you writing? All your thinking needs to be focused on that, which may 
    require you to be ruthless in your reading and thinking. Anything irrelevant 
    should be discarded.

    As you read and research, try to organize your work into sections by theme, a 
    bit like writing a literature review.

    Make sure that you keep track of your references, especially for academic 
    work. Although referencing is perhaps less important in the workplace, it’s also 
    important that you can substantiate any assertions that you make so it’s helpful 
    to keep track of your sources of information.

    Pay particular attention to whether all the information that you have included 
    is relevant. Also remember to check tenses, which person you have written in, 
    grammar and spelling. It’s also worth one last check against any requirements 
    on structure.

    For an academic assignment, make sure that you have referenced fully and 
    correctly. As always, check that you have not inadvertently or deliberately 

    plagiarized or copied anything without acknowledging.

    Comprehension questions 
    1. What is it needed first to make a good report?
    2. Which question does he/she ask before writing?
    3. Why do you think a reporter should keep references?
    4. Discuss other things that a reporter takes into consideration while he/

    she is writing.

            9.5.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
            Vocabulary, sentence and report writing
    1. Use the dictionary to check the meanings of the following words and 
           phrases and use them to make good sentences. 
             a. Ruthless
             b. Discarded
             c. Assertions
             d. Substantiate
             e. Keep track of 
    2. Choose an issue of your choice at your school and report it in 300 
          words. Share it to your class. 

           9.6 Expressing probability on past events 

               

        Text: Okonkwo sinks into depression
    Okonkwo sinks into a depression. He feels weak, and he cannot sleep or eat. 
    Ezinma worries that something might have gone wrong wither father. When 
    she brings him his evening meal three days later, she tells him that he must 
    finish everything. He repeatedly wishes that she were a boy, and he berates 
    himself for acting like a “shivering old woman.” He visits his friend Obierika and 
    congratulates Maduka on his successful wrestling. Obierika, in turn, requests 
    that Okonkwo stay when his daughter’s suitor arrives to determine a bride price. 
    Okonkwo complains to Obierika that his sons are not manly enough and
    says that he would be happier if Ezinma were a boy because she has “the right 
    spirit.” He and Obierika then argue over whether it was right of Okonkwo to 

    partake in Ikemefuna’s death.

    Okonkwo begins to feel revived a bit. He decides that his unhappiness was a 
    product of his idleness—if Ikemefuna had been murdered at a busier time of the 
    year, he, Okonkwo, would have been completely undisturbed. Someone arrives 
    to report the death of the oldest man in a neighboring village. Strangely, the 
    old man’s wife died shortly thereafter. Okonkwo questions the man’s reputed 
    strength once he learns how attached he had been to his wife. Okonkwo sits with 
    Obierika while Obierika bargains his daughter’s bride-price with the family of 
    her suitor. Afterward, Obierika and his future son-in-law’s relatives talk about 
    the differing customs in other villages. They discuss the practice of, and skill 
    at, tapping palm trees for palm-wine. Obierika talks about hearing stories of 
    men with skin as white as chalk. Another man, Machi, pipes in that such a man 
    passes through the village frequently and that his name is Amadi. Those who 

    know Amadi, a leper, laugh—the polite term for leprosy is “the white skin.”

             An extract from the novel things fall apart, by Chinua Achebe

        Comprehension questions 
    1. Discuss two deaths that appear in the passage.
    2. Why does okonkwo admire his daughter?
    3. Why do you think okonkwo is failing to eat?
    4. What worry does Ezinma possess?
    5. Discuss the probability in the past that appears in the passage.

        9.6.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
        Vocabulary, sentence and composition writing 
    1. Use the dictionary and check the synonyms of the following words: 
        a. Suitor
        b. Murdered
        c. Partake
        d. Undisturbed
        e. Bargains
    2. Use the above words to make correct sentences. 

    3. Summarize the above story in your own words in not more than 50 words.

        9.7 Language structure: Past perfect continuous
        1. Past perfect continuous
         Examples
    1. The manager had been taking money from the company.
    2. They had been planning to write this report since last the previous
    month.
    3. The witness said that the driver had been talking on his mobile phone.
    4. The car had been emerging into the main road when the accident took 
    place.
    5. Janet had been preparing her news presentation for an hour when I 
    arrived.
    6. Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class.
    7. Reporters had been waiting there for more than two hours when the 
         press conference finally started.

    Note: 
    The past perfect continuous is used to talk about actions or situations that 
    were in progress before some other actions took place. Using the past perfect 
    continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and 
    effect. You can use time expressions like for and since with this tense. You have 
    learnt about the use of since and for in unit 3 of this book.

    Exercise
    Put the verbs into the correct form of the past perfect continuous.
    1. We (sleep) ……….. for 12 hours when he woke us up.
    2. They (wait) ……….. at the station for 90 minutes when the train finally 
         arrived.
    3. We (look for) ………… her ring for two hours and then we found it in the 
         bathroom.
    4. I (not / walk) ………… for a long time, when it suddenly began to rain.
    5. How long (learn / she) ..………. English before she went to London?
    6. Frank caught the flu because he (sing)………… in the rain too long.
    7. He (drive) ………… less than an hour when he ran out of petrol.
    8. They were very tired in the evening because they (help) ……….. on the 
    farm all day.
    9. I (not / work) ..………… all day; so I wasn’t tired and went to the disco at 
    night.
    10. They (cycle) ………... all day so their legs were sore in the evening.

    2. Passive voice
    Examples
    1. This article was written by a young journalist.
    2. All articles had been checked by the chief editor.
    3. The newspaper has been banned by the government recently.
    4. The news was presented late because of the football match.

    5. Reporters were advised on professional rules of ethics.

    Notes: 
    The passive voice is marked by be + the past participle form of the verb + by 
    + noun (agent). The verb in a passive sentence contains the appropriate form 
    of the auxiliary be and the past participle form of the main verb. We use the 
    passive voice when we are interested in what is done rather than who does it. 
    The phrase by + noun (agent) is left out when the doer of the action has been 

    mentioned earlier, is obvious, is unknown or is considered unimportant.

          Below is a table showing the main verb forms.

             

            

             Exercise
    Put the following sentences in passive voice.
    1. The secretary received the article in the morning.
    2. The chief editor structured all the reports himself.
    3. Jimmy had carefully planned the writing of the report.
    4. The editor understood the purpose of the report.
    5. The reporters gathered and selected the information wisely.
    6. This made the writing much easier.
    7. The manager had taken the money from the company.
    8. A burglar broke into the house.
    9. Many journalists use cameras and reporters.

    10. A police officer rescued a seven-year-old boy.

                3. Reported speech

                    Examples 

        

       

         Notes: 

    In newspapers, reporters need to repeat what other people have said. In this 
    case, the mastery of reported speech is needed. Mostly, in newspapers the 
    simple past is used to report events. This tense changes into past perfect if 
    the event is reported indirectly. However, to report a progressive past event, 
    the past perfect continuous tense is used. In reported speech, the word that is 

    optional. That’s why it is put between brackets in the above sentence. 

    The table below shows other important changes:

               Direct speech Reported speech

         Ago                                                                             Before
         This                                                                            That
        These                                                                         Those
        Here                                                                           There
        Today                                                                        that day
        Tonight                                                                    that night
        Now                                                                           then / at that time (moment)
        Tomorrow                                                              the next day / the following day
        Yesterday                                                               the previous day/ the day before 
        last night                                                                the night before, Thursday night

        last week                                                                the week before / the previous wee

    Exercise
    Put the following sentences into reported speech. 
    a) The newspaper reported, “The manager intended to take a big amount of 
         money.” 
    b) The policeman said, “The robbers broke into the house and stole money.” 
    c) “Police officers rescued a seven-year-old boy,” the witnesses told Imvaho 
          Nshya. 
    d) The driver reported, “There were many passengers at the scene.” 
    e) Brown said, “We didn’t hear gunshots and the boy was out here fighting 
        with somebody.”
    f) ‘The magazines were featuring various articles about women rights,’ the 
          project manager told us.
    g) “The plane crashed en-route to Dubai,” The BBC reported. 
    h) “Seventy per cent of the farmers used fertilisers last year,” minister of 
           agriculture told The Newtimes.
    i) “Her article inspired young entrepreneurs in this region,” said the Chief 
          Editor. 

    j) ‘James was writing a report about the scene,’ the police announced. 

              9.7 END UNIT ASSESSMENT
    1. Construct meaningful sentences with words below
            a) Journalist
            b) Reporter
             c) Newspaper
             d) Advertisement
             e) Media
             f) Broadcasting
             g) Copyright
              h) Article
              i) Brochure
               j) Documentary
    2. Choose some daily activities at your college and write an article. 

          Share it with your class. 

    3. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets using the past 
              perfect continuous. 
          a. I ………………………… (work) all day, so I didn’t want to go out. 
          b. She ………………….. (sleep) for ten hours when I woke her.
          c. They …………………….. (live) in Beijing for three years when he lost his 
               job.
          d. When we met, you …………………… (work) at that company for six 
                months.
           e. We ………………….. (eat) all day, so we felt a bit ill.
            f. He was red in the face because he ……………… (run).
            g. It ………………(rain), and the road was covered in water.
             h. I was really tired because I ……………………… (study).
              i. We ……………..(go) out for three years when we got married.
              j. It …..………..(snow) for three days.
    4. Change these active sentences to passive ones. Choose if you need the 
            agent or not.
         a. The Government is planning a new road near my house.
         b. My grandfather built this house in 1943.
         c. Picasso was painting Guernica at that time.
         d. The cleaner has cleaned the office.
         e. He had written three reports in 2017.
          f. John will tell you later.
         g. The traffic might have delayed Jimmy.

          h. They are building a new stadium near the station.

          REFERENCES
           Books

    1.Musée Royal de l’Afrique. (1964). Annalen - Koninklijke Museum voor Midden
       Afrika, Tervuren, België. Reeks in-80. Musée royal de l’Afrique centrale. p. 473.
    2. F. Kawesi, P. Oluka and A. Akoth, (2017). General studies and communication 
      skills, S5 student book: Kigali. Longhorn Publishers (R) Ltd 166 KG 13 off KG 
       11 Avenue 
    3. Rwanda Education Board (2019). Entrepreneurship Student’s Book for Senior 
         Five: Kigali
    4. Jones Leo, Alexander Richard, (2003). New International Business English, 
          Cambridge University Press, 
    5. Rwanda Education Board, (2017). Geography for Rwandan schools, senior 4 
         student’s book: Kigali, p376
    6. Robert Ramsey, (1987). The Languages of China, Princeton University Press
    7. K.A. VISWANATHAN NAIR, 2012. English grammar without tears: Goswami 
        Associates, Delhi. Laxmi Publications pvt. Ltd
        M. Musinguzi, M. Njoki, P. Oluka, A. Akoth (2016). General studies and communication 
        skills, S4 student book: Kigali. Longhorn Publishers (R) Ltd 166 KG 13 off KG 
          11 Avenue

       Electronic resources
    1.http://www.shareyouressays.com/persuasive-essays/487-words-short
        essay-on-a-visit-to-a-village/482
    2. https://gudwriter.com/what-makes-you-unique-essay-example/
    3. https://studymoose.com/life-in-a-village-or-a-city-essay
    4. https://studymoose.com/life-in-a-village-or-a-city-essay
    5.https://www.testbig.com/toefl-essays/what-are-characteristics-good
        leader-give-reasons-and-examples-support-your-response-0
    6. https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/21083
    7.https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/economics/money-and
         banking/functions-of-money
    8.https://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/what-does-marketing
          mean-marketing-essay.php
    9. http://tfig.unece.org/contents/payments-types.htm
    10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneurship
    11.https://www.newtimes.co.rw/opinions/nyungwe-forest-magnificent

           place-ecotouris

    UNIT 8:NATIONAL ASSETSTopic 10