UNIT 2: NEWSPAPERS AND REPORTING
UNIT 2: NEWSPAPERS AND REPORTING
Key Unit Competence:
Language use in the context of Newspapers and Reporting
Introductory Activity:Observing and interpreting pictures
Discuss the following questions
1. Narrate a past event that you have read from any newspaper or magazine.
2. Tell why one must read newspapers and magazines.
3. Discuss the role of media in Rwanda during the genocide against Tutsi
in 1994.
4. Brainstorm on the most recommended techniques of extracting
information from newspapers and magazines.5. Which techniques are required in composing a good news article?
2.1. Aspects of Newspapers and Magazines
2.1.1. Reading and Writing:
Text 1: News articles and feature articles
A Newspaper is a printed publication (usually issued daily, weekly or monthly)
consisting of folded unstapled sheets and containing news, articles, opinion,advertisements and correspondence. It gives information and opinions about
current events and news. While, a Magazine is a periodical publication containing
articles and illustrations, often on a particular subject or aimed at a particular
readership or audience.
Newspaper articles are in two categories: News articles and feature articles. News
articles cover the basics of current events while feature articles are longer and more
in depth than regular news articles. Feature articles are often research-based.
The best way to structure a newspaper article is to first write an outline. Review
your research and notes. Then jot down the ideas in a continuous flow. There are six
structural aspects which can lead us to constructing a good article. They include
headline, sub-heading (if applicable), topic sentence, paragraphing, main body, and
conclusion. Where necessary, one could use relevant quotations and sayings tocontextualize the content of the article.
A newspaper always contains many different kinds of articles. Most of us do not read
the whole newspaper, we choose articles we are most interested in. We find these
articles by reading the headlines. A headline is a heading for an article. It is printed
in large, bold letters. It gives you a short description of what the article is about.
Headlines are not written in full sentences; they start with capital letters, but theydo not end with a full stop.
There are two types of newspapers: Tabloid and broadsheet. In newspapers or
magazines some terms are commonly used: back copy, back issue, biweekly,
broadcast, brochure, bulletin, daily, edition, gazette, glossy magazine, the gutterpress, issue, journal, publication, paper, news-sheet and print media.
There is a multitude of different types of articles, including news stories, features,2.1.2. Application Activitiesprofiles, instructional articles, and so on.
I. Using a dictionary, look up the meanings of all the bolded words in
theabove notes.
II. In a paragraph of fifty words, write a summary explaining the main aspects
and types of newspapers.
2.1.3. Listening and Speaking: Comparing Magazines and Newspapers
The following task will help you to listen to your peers’ views as well airing your ideasabout newspapers and magazines.
2.1.4. Picture observation and interpretation
Observe the pictures below and answer the questions.1. Critically observe and share about the pictures below and explain the
difference between a Newspaper and a Magazine.
2. Describe the different types of magazines and newspapers
3. State the different components that make a newspaper4. List the different magazines and newspapers published in Rwanda
2.1.5. Skimming and Scanning
Definitions
• Skimming and scanning are some of the techniques of extracting information
from newspapers or magazines.
• Skimming refers to act of reading very fast through a written text in order to
get general information about it.
• Scanning, on the other hand, refers to the act of quickly reading through a text
in order to find specific facts. It means looking at a text to find some particular
information.
Text1: The Fall of the African Wall
“If you want to avoid solving a problem, you must start at the end”, a maxim is known
to say. Tales of a United Africa are told through songs, literature and speech. The first
wave of African independence since early 60s included galvanising guerrilla groups,
university agitations and popular uprising across our continent, with Romanesque
ideology and a sense of moral high ground.Anywhere else, the hour for revolution and romance,
dreams of chaos and system ic change had come and gone,
except in Africa where the music had to be stopped and
in ushered sobriety and substance, empty slogans had to come and be of African
Unity.The philosophy, which devises that a human being is a human being through human
beings, strives to reach beyond a purely managerial approach and strengthens an
attitude of open conversations. ‘Coercive powers were generally not employed by
the chief to achieve Unity of purpose through the process of consensus building’. In
reforming the AU, human being reflects a critical discourse because it includes the
voice of all participants in the organisation and the building of consensus.For that we must take a moment to think of those who started this journey, didn’t
make it, but set in motion the wind of change that will hopefully sweep across the
African continent. Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara, Ahmed Sekou Toure, Mwalimu
Julius Nyerere, Samora Machel and more recently, Abdoulaye Wade, Thabo Mbeki
and Olusegun Obasanjo. Yet, this has not only been an agency of heads of states, it
was too, a struggle of civil servants, scholars, artists and activists, all Pan-Africanists
who share enthusiasm and passion for our continent and our people.In Things Fall Apart (1958), Chinua Achebe ironises: ‘The sun will shine on those who
stand before it shines, on those who kneel under them.’ While the journey must be
inclusive and consultative, we must accept that those ready to move will board on
the plane while others follow at their pace.To the African media, while it’s hard to write stories about complex international
agreements and make them interesting to readers, we ought to try. If African
media does not run the show, all we’ll hear of western media are rumors of political
disagreements within our union, which will erode citizen’s ownership – a key pillar
to our agenda 2063.Adapted from www.newtimes.co.rw.,http retrieved on March 15th, 2018 2.1.6. Application Activities2.1.6. Application Activities
I. Basing on the definition of skimming and scanning, scan the above text to
find out:
a. African leaders who raised the idea of African Unityb. The role of African mediac. Ideas on how the African reforms should be approached.II. Scan the above text. In a paragraph or two, explain the meaning and
relevance of each of the sayings below:• “The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneelunder them”. (paragraph5)• “A human being is a human being through human beings.” (paragraph3)III. In around 250 words, write a news article expressing your view on whatAfrican Leaders should do for a better Africa.2.1.7. Reading Comprehension
Text 2: How to Start a Newspaper
A smartly dressed young woman stood at the front of the school hall and addressed
the senior students of the school. “Good morning, everyone,” she started. My name
is Faida Muhoza. As you know, I am the Chief Editor of your newspaper, the Ladies
Daybreak. But my career as journalist began a long time ago. I was one of the reporters
of our school newspaper which we called Our little daughter. Later I trained as a
journalist at college. But there is only one place to acquire experience, and that’s onthe job; and it is never too early to start learning about being a reporter.
I have come here today to tell you how you can run your own newspaper. Let us start
by talking about the four steps towards starting a newspaper. First, you must consider
the purpose of your newspaper. Second, you must form an editorial committee to
produce the newspaper. Third, you must decide on the types of articles you want toinclude. Finally, you must decide on the size, shape and make up of your newspaper.
The first duty of the editorial committee is to agree on the main purpose of theIt is better to have more than one person to carry out each task. One or two people
newspaper and therefore, the contents. The editorial committee is made of five
members who perform different duties. The Chief Editor is to make sure that the
committee works well as a team, to check the whole newspaper for quality and
content, to write the editorial column in the newspaper, to chair most of the editorial
meetings and report. The editor reviews the articles from the reporters to give any
comment on articles presented. The Chief Editor and the committee proofread
the articles, work with the designer(s) on the arrangement of the articles. The Chief
Editor also chairs editorial committee meetings. The Secretary has the duty of
handling all correspondences, takes notes at the editorial meetings, receives articles
from reporters and passes them on to the editors. He or she works with and helps
the Chief Editor. The Designer organises articles and advertisements by deciding
space between them, etc. He or she organizes the illustrations and photographs;
works with the editors to: (a) make sure that the articles have the right structure
(b) make sure the articles are ready on time. He or she works with the printer to
ensure the printing goes smoothly. The treasurer is to look after money, find ways
of getting funds to pay for printing, contact advertisers, inform the designer about
all the advertisements on various issues, organize the sales and distribution of
the newspapers and pay printers. He or she also receives money from sales andadvertisements.
could share the duties of Chief Editor, two to three people sharing the Editor’s job,one to two people sharing the secretary’s job, etc.
Before reporters can begin to work, the editorial committee must decide the kind ofarticles they should contribute to the newspaper, and what it should look like.
Adapted from JJB Bugembe (1993). Oxford Primary English: ninth impression 2002. Oxford ox26DP,England
2.1.8. Application Activities
Read the above passage and answer the questions that follow.1. Explain the process of publishing a newspaper or magazine2. Explain why publishing a newspaper or a magazine article goes throughlong process.3. By using skimming and scanning techniques of reading, clearly state thepeople involved in running a newspaper.4. In two paragraphs, explain the two main ideas presented in the article.5. Draw the table in the example below into your exercise book and matchthe following people who work for a newspaper in column A to theirduties in column B.
ExampleThe editor checks and scrutinises the articles submitted by reporters to ensuretheir accuracy and relevancy. He or she may suggest changes or even insert theappropriate corrections before forwarding it to the Chief Editor.7. In the text above “How to start a newspaper,” you encountered newvocabulary items. Look at the words or phrases and their correspondingmeanings in the table below. Make complete sentences by matchingthem in your exercise book. You can use a dictionary or thesaurus.Example:A daily is a newspaper that is published every day except Sunday.1. Compose your own article for a newspaper or magazine taking accountof its type and audience.2. Conduct a research on the role of media firms especially newspapers andmagazines and write a 300 word proposal explaining why you wouldwish to start such a project.3. Project work: Introduce a weekly newspaper or magazine for your classand schoolmates. Select its type according to the purpose and audienceyou would wish to serve.Text 3: Refined Carbs and Sugar
Read the following text and answer questions below:
What are refined, simple, or “bad” carbs?Bad or simple carbohydrates include sugars and refined grains that have been
stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients, such as white bread, pizza dough, pasta,
pastries, white flour, white rice, sweet desserts, and many breakfast cereals. They
digest quickly and their high glycemic index causes unhealthy spikes in blood sugar
levels. They can also cause fluctuations in mood and energy and a build-up of fat,
especially around your waistline.When you eat refined or simple carbs, your bloodstream is flooded with sugar whichtriggers a surge of insulin to clear the sugar from your blood. All this insulin can
leave you feeling hungry soon after a meal, often craving more sugary carbs. This
can cause you to overeat, put on weight, and over time lead to insulin resistance
and type-2 diabetes. Diets high in refined carbs and sugar have also been linked
to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, hyperactivity, mood disorders, and
even suicide in teenagers.For many of us, cutting back on sugary treats and overcoming our carb cravings
can seem like a daunting task. As well as being present in obvious foods such as
sugary snacks, desserts, and candies, sugar is also hidden in much of the processed
food we eat—from soda, coffee and fruit drinks to bread, pasta sauce, and frozen
dinners. But cutting back on these diet saboteurs doesn’t mean feeling unsatisfied
or never enjoying comfort food again. The key is to choose the right carbs. Complex,
unrefined, or “good” carbs such as vegetables, whole grains, and naturally sweet
fruit digest slower, resulting in stable blood sugar and less fat accumulation.By focusing on whole foods and complex, unrefined carbs, you can reduce your intakeof sugar and simple carbs, keep your blood sugar stable, maintain a healthy weight,
and still find ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. You’ll not only feel healthier and more
energetic, you could also shed that stubborn belly fat so many of us struggle with.Good carbs vs. bad carbs
Unlike simple carbs, complex carbohydrates are digested slowly, causing a gradualrise in blood sugar. They’re usually high in nutrients and fiber, which can help preventserious disease, aid with weight-loss, and improve your energy levels. In general,“good” carbohydrates have a lower glycemic load and can even help guard againsttype 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems in the future.
Good carbs include:Unrefined whole grains – whole wheat or multigrain bread, brown rice, barley, quinoa,Comprehension questionsbran cereal, oatmeal.Non-starchy vegetables – spinach, green beans, Brussels sprouts, celery, tomatoes.
Legumes – kidney beans, baked beans, peas, lentils.
Nuts – peanuts, cashews, walnuts.
Fruit – apples, berries, citrus fruit, bananas, pears.Switching to good carbsWhile there are many health benefits to switching from simple to complex carbs,
you don’t have to consign yourself to never again eating French fries or a slice of
white bread. After all, when you ban certain foods, it’s natural to crave those foods
even more.
Instead, make refined carbs and sugary foods an occasional indulgence rather than
a regular part of your diet. As you reduce your intake of these unhealthy foods, you’ll
likely find yourself craving them less and less.
Added sugar is just empty caloriesYour body gets all the sugar it needs from the sugar that naturally occurs in food—
fructose in fruit or lactose in milk, for example. All the sugar added to processed
food offers no nutritional value—but just means a lot of empty calories that can
sabotage any healthy diet, contribute to weight gain, and increase your risk for
serious health problems.Again, it’s unrealistic to try to eliminate all sugar and empty calories from your diet.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of added sugars
you consume to no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams
of sugar) for women and 150 calories per day (9 teaspoons or 36 grams) for men. If
that still sounds like a lot, it’s worth remembering that a 12-ounce soda contains up
to 10 teaspoons of added sugar—some shakes and sweetened coffee drinks even
more.How to cut down on sugar
Slowly reduce the sugar in your diet a little at a time to give your taste buds time to adjust
and wean yourself off the craving.
Adapted from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/healthy-eating.
htm retrieved on 8th September 2021.
Read the following text and answer questions below:
1. Compare good and bad carbs in a diet.
2. Why is cutting down on sugar and refined carbs so difficult?
3. Explain how eating unrefined carbs help in weight loss.
4. Which health problems are likely to result from taking a lot of refined carbs?
Vocabulary
Use the following words and expressions in sentences
a) stripped of
b) spikes
c) cutting back
d) dauntinge) whole grainsf) indulgenceg) sabotageh) budsi) weanApplication activityDebate on the following motionShould we stop consuming refined carbs?2.2. Describing a Scene
2.2.1. Picture Observation and Interpretation
Carefully observe the pictures below and write a description of what happened at the scene.2.2.2. Reporting situations and eventsGenerally a scene is a unit of a story that takes place at a specific location and time.In case of an accident, it is a place where an unpleasant event has happened.2.2.3. Reading and writing“I want all of you to see this, firsthand. Look at it,” Christine Barakat was yelling. Hereyes were wide open and her hands were shaking as she forced her 13-year-old sonand 16-year-old nephew to look down the block at their dead friend.The 13-year-old made a weak attempt to break away and go back inside. But his auntstanding nearby grabbed him by the arm forcing him to look at the dead friend.“I want all of you to see this firsthand, look at it,” Christine Barakat said.“This is what you all want? The hell with this. . .because they are going to scrape meon the floor if that’s you, do you hear me? Do you hear me?”Christina Brown and her twin sister had dragged their sons out of the bed after theysaw the boy’s body lying in a front yard.Barakat’s 13-year-old son wore a white T-shirt and Brown’s son, 16, wasshirtless. According to their mothers, the boys never belonged to a gang, they alsoaffirmed that they are both good students and they are not allowed excessive timeto play outside the classroom.After the boys went back into the apartment building, their mothers learned that
one of them had been close friends with Kevin.
Back outside, Brown cried alone. Kevin’s family had left the scene more than an hour
earlier, the boy’s body had been removed and only four police officers remained
behind: Two forensic investigators and a beat car assigned to the crime scene.
“We didn’t hear gunshots, said the parents. The boy was out here fighting with
somebody,” Brown said. “That’s crazy.”Said one of the policemen
While one of the beat cops used a hose to wash blood from the grass into the gutter,
and the forensic investigators finished their scene work, Brown tucked her hood
over her head and walked back home.2.2.4. Application ActivityI. Read the following passage on pages 39-40 and answer questions below:1. Who are the prime suspects in the crime that led to Kevin’s death?2. Why is Christine Barak troubled and yelling at the two boys?II. Make sentences with the following wordsbeat car d. to gutterbeat cop e. forensicto scrape f. firsthandIII. In not less than four paragraphs, write a newspaper article describing ascene of a quarrel or road accident.2.2.5. Listening and Speaking: Role playRe-read the above text and role - play it.2.3. Direct and Reported Speech• In newspapers, reporters need to repeat what other people have said. In thiscase, the mastery of reported speech is needed. If a reporter writes about apast event, he/she has two options; they can either use the exact words thepeople used or report it in their own words.
2.3.1. Direct SpeechIt is using the exact words the people usedExampleSpeaking to Igihe.com, the minister of infrastructure said, “New machines arrivedyesterday.”• In the example, the sentence is in direct speech and the verb “arrived” is in pastsimple. In the second example, the sentence is in indirect speech and the verbhas been changed into past perfect tense.2.3.2. Indirect SpeechUsing own words, a reporter can also report the above sentence.ExampleSpeaking to Igihe.com, the minister of infrastructure said that new machines hadarrived the previous day.• Mostly, in newspapers the simple past is used to report events. This tensechanges into past perfect if the event is reported indirectly. However, to reporta progressive past event, the past perfect continuous tense is used.2.3.3. Past Simple in Indirect SpeechThe past simple tense changes into past perfect tense.ExampleThe senior editor said, “you wrote a good article” (Direct speech)• The senior editor said that I had written a good article. (Reported speech)2.3.4. Application ActivityPut the following sentences into Reported speech.4. The newspaper reported, “The manager intended to take a big amountof money.”5. The policeman said, “The robbers broke into the house and stole money.”6. “Police officers rescued a seven-year-old boy,” the witnesses told ImvahoNshya.7. The driver reported, “There were many passengers at the scene.”8. Brown said, “We didn’t hear gunshots and the boy was out here fightingwith tsomebody.”9. “The plane crashed en-route to Dubai,” BBC reported.10. “Seventy per cent of the farmers used fertilisers last year,” minister ofagriculture told the Newtimes.11. “Thirty news journalists graduated yesterday,” the dean of facultyannounced.12. “This girl wrote a good article for Nyampinga,” said the headmistress.13. “Her article inspired young entrepreneurs,” said the Chief Editor.2.3.5. Past Continuous Tense in Indirect SpeechThe past continuous tense changes into past perfect continuous tense.Example“The editor was skimming a newspaper,” said Kalisa. (Direct speech)• Kalisa said that the editor had been skimming a newspaper. (Reportedspeech)2.3.6. Application Activity1. Put the following sentences into Reported speech.2. I was reading a magazine when my mother told me about the accident,’John said.The policeman said, “The robbers broke into the house andstole money.”3. ‘Yesterday, I was writing an article for our newspaper,’ Lilian said.4. ‘The Police was still investigating a case,’ said the magistrate.5. ‘I was editing my work for submission,’ said the reporter.6. ‘The tourists were coming to watch TV,’ the waitress said.7. ‘Janet was revising the article before reporting for duty,’ said herworkmates.8. ‘The boys were fine-tuning their report for presentation,’ they revealed.9. ‘The secretary was harmonising resolutions from the editorialcommittee,’ confirmed the Chief Editor.10.‘The magazines were featuring various articles about women rights,’the project manager told us.11.‘James was writing a report about the scene,’ the police announced.12.Using Past Perfect Continuous Tense, write a summary of threeparagraphs on any past event that you have experienced.2.4. Reporting a Past Event
2.4.1. Picture Observation, Interpretation and ReportingLooking at the scene in the pictures below, as a journalist, describe what youwitnessed in form of a report.2.4.2. Techniques of Reporting EventsIf we want to tell somebody what happened in the past, we should include the placeand the time, the sequence of events, feelings and interruptions. Expressions suchas: It happened, ago, last…, yesterday, on, in, while, when, one day, etc. can be used.In sequencing the events on a past event we use: at first, later, next, at the sametime, as soon as, before that, finally, at the same time, in the meantime, in the end,the next thing I did was, It looked like ...When we report, we also use the Past Perfect tense to describe the action whichhappened before another past action in the Past Simple.Example: We had left the party before Jenny called for the newspaper report.In order to write a news report on a past event, it is often vital to conduct an interviewwith either an eye witness or someone who heard about the event.2.4.3. Techniques of Conducting an Interview for a News ItemFor a journalist to compose a newspaper article, there is need to conduct research
or gather information to have a dependable content. Conducting an interview
with some people is one of the sources for the required information. This exercise
requires some skills and techniques on the part of the journalist which include the
following:1. Tools needed• Pens and pencils• a tape recorder or digital voice recorder (optional)• a video camera for interviews you plan to webcast2. Preparing for the interview• Research – This should be done as much as possible. For example, beforeinterviewing a cardiologist about heart attacks, it is necessary to read a lotand make sure terms like “cardiac arrest” are well understood. A well-preparedreporter should consult a competent and reliable source of information (theinterviewee).• Develop Questions – this is done after the topic has been researched2.4.4. Reading and Writing• thoroughly, a list of questions should be prepared. These help to rememberall the points to be covered.• Establish a Rapport(relationship) – When starting out, don’t abruptly launchinto your questions. Chitchat(teasing) a little bit at first. Compliment yoursource on his/her office, or comment on the weather. This puts your sourceat ease.• Keep it Natural – An interview can be uncomfortable, so keep things natural.Instead of mechanically reading out your list of questions, put in your queriesin a natural manner. Put in your questions by waving them in the flow of aconversation. Also, maintain eye contact as much as possible. Nothing is morecomforting to a source than a reporter who never search for information froma notebook.• Be Open – Don’t be so focused on getting through your list of questionsthat you miss something interesting. For instance, if you’re interviewing thecardiologist and he/she mentions a new heart-health study that’s coming out,ask about it. This may take your interview in an unexpected - but newsworthy- direction.• Maintain Control – Be open, but don’t waste your time. If your source starts toramble on about things that are of no use to you, politely – but firmly – steerthe conversation back to the topic at hand.• Wrapping Up – At the end of the interview, ask your source if there’s anythingimportant that you hadn’t asked about. Double-check the meanings of anyterms he/she used that you’re unsure about. And always ask if there are otherpeople he/she may recommend that you speak with.• Note-taking – Beginners in reporting often freak out when they realize theyare possibly unable to write down everything the source is saying, word-byword.Don’t sweat for that. Experienced reporters learn to take down just thestuff they know they’ll use, and ignore the rest. This takes practice, but themore interviews they do, the easier it gets.• Taping – Recording an interview is fine in certain circumstances, but alwaysget permission to do so. The rules regarding taping a source can be tricky.According to Poynter.org, recording phone conversations is legal in all50 states. Federal law allows you to record a phone conversation with theconsent of only one person involved in the conversation - meaning that onlythe reporter is required to know that the conversation is being taped.• However, at least 12 states require varying degrees of consent from those
being recorded in phone interviews, so it’s best to check the laws in your own
state. Also, your newspaper or website may have its own rules about taping.
• Transcribing interviews involves listening to the taped interview and typing
out virtually everything that’s said. This is fine if you’re doing an article with
an extended deadline, such as a feature story. But it’s too time-consuming for
breaking news. So if you’re on a tight deadline, stick to note-taking.Adapted from notes by Tony Rogers from: https://www.thoughtco.com/conducting-interviews-fornews-stories-2073868 (Updated May 31, 2017) retrieved on 26th April, 2018
• Finally, always take notes, even if you’re using a recorder. Every reporter has a
story about the time they thought they were recording an interview, only to
get back to the newsroom to discover that the machine’s batteries were dead.
Unconstitutional attacks on president Mugabe must stop!March 2018 – Harare: The PNF calls on ZanuPF- junta and its associated propaganda
mouthpieces to stop their rabid divisive and unconstitutional attacks on President
Mugabe such as those that have gone out of control and are now threatening
peace and stability in the country.
The past week has seen outrageous and desperate attacks on President Robert
Mugabe. By Emmerson Mnangagwa, youths of ZanuPF- junta and its propaganda
mouthpieces in the print and electronic media. Some of the attacks, such as those
regarding President Mugabe’s legally protected personal banking, are indirect
violation banking laws and of his constitutional right to privacy.
While NPF does not speak for President Mugabe, we take exception of self evidence and unavoidable fact that unconstitutional attacks on President Mugabe
by Zanu PF-junta are linked to the audience he gave at his Blue Roof Residence to
PNF’s president and presidential candidate for 2018 general elections Rtd Brig
general Ambroise Mutinhiri.
Everyone can see that the intimidation, blackmail and demonization of President
Mugabe is designed to:
Prevent him from exposing the fact that 15 November 2017 military coup was
unconstitutional;
Force him to legitimatize and endorse the evaluation of the very same people who criminally and unconstitutionally removed him from office.Claims of new democratic and new constitutional and dispensation are absurdwhen made by the same people who caused hell President Mugabe by hisAdapted from:https://minbane.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/https-wp-me-p1xtjg-6w
unconstitutional remove from the office in a humiliated manner that brutalized
his supporters, while others were tortured, killed or internally or externally
displaced; these people want to get away with their brutality while having
humiliated the President, they also want him to humiliate himself by endorsing
his coup tormentor at the expense of his constitutional rights under the pretext
of a fraudulent transition.Read the above text and carry out the following tasks:
1. Examine the meanings of the words listed in the table below and construct
sentences by matching them with their definitions in the next column.
Example:
Junta is a military or political group that rules a country after taking
power by force.2. Sentence constructionConstruct 10 complete sentences using bolded words from the text above.Example:The PNF accused the Zanu PF junta of overthrowing Mugabe, Zimbabwe’spresident.3. Carefully read the article and write an informative report on what happened
in Zimbabwe.2.4.5. Techniques of Writing a Summary for a Newspaper or Magazine2.5. Expressing Probability on a Past Event
Article• Once assigned a summary activity, the initial step should be criticallyreading and reviewing the text to be summarised.• Re-read it thoroughly and outline the article while taking notes of majorpoints you want to include in the summary.• When writing the summary ensure the use of own words. Write a first draftof the summary without consulting the article.• Then, revise the draft to ensure its correctness, clarity and accuracy. Makesure to use grammar, punctuation, and spelling correctly. Paraphrasewhenever writing a summary.• Read the article to be summarised to ensure it’s clearly understandable.• Whenever a phrase is extracted from the original text, ensure that it is putin quotation marks.• Your first draft should be approximately 1/4 the length of the original, andkeep downsizing it depending on the volume of the content.2.4.6. Listening and Speaking
Listen to a news item and share your views about it with peers, answer questions
from the teacher and peers. Remember to also ask questions to the teacher and
peers as well.
2.5.1. Tense used when expressing probability on a past event• When we want to express probability on a past event, we use must have ormight have + past participle of a verb.• We use must have + past participle to express that we think that somethinghappened.• We use might have + past participle to express the possibility for something tohave happened, but with some degree of doubt.Examples1. The Chief Editor must have thought no one knew what he was doing.2. He must have scanned the advertisement.3. According to some newspapers, the road might have been broken.
2.5.2. Application ActivitiesI. Rewrite the following sentences in your exercise book and underline the
expressions of probability on a past event:1. The Chief Editor must have thought before writing an article.2. He might have taken much more money from the company even thoughhe had not been caught.3. Clear instructions must have been given to the writers.4. The school magazine, that we have introduced , might have beensponsored.5. He might have seen people approaching that public library.6. The Secretary might have been well instructed.7. The designer must have been busy today.8. The reporters might have got information from the field.9. Editors must have read through the articles.II. For each sentence of column A look for the corresponding sentence from
column B. Combine them to form correct sentences.Example:
I am not good at Journalism, I may have joined media firms.III. Scrutinize the following sentences and discuss what probability happened
or didn’t happen in each of these situations. Use the expressions of
probability in past, then write two sentences for each one.
Examples1. The government has banned a magazine and declared its publicationoutlawed:2. The government might have banned it because its articles are poorlyresearched.3. The magazine may have been containing biased analytical views.Application Exercises1. Your editorial committee is not functioning today. It worked perfectlysince it started three years ago.2. A journalist was murdered on the road near by the battle. The driverdisappeared and no one knows what happened.3. I did not see this newspaper for a long time.4. She saw a notice about the closure of their business without informingtheir customers.5. Comic magazines are not easily found in our library.6. They questioned the newspaper editor in Boston by phone. She didnot manage to reach their working place.7. The man took the decision of resigning after having read the articlefrom a newspaper2.6. Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Clauses
2.6.1. Restrictive ClausesSometimes the information a relative clause provides is essential for the identificationof the noun. Without the relative clause, the reader or listener will have difficultiesidentifying the noun or pronoun.Look at the following exampleThe reporter who went to the field interviewed the minister.In this sentence, the relative clause is essential. Without it, some information will bemissing and one will not be able to tell ‘which reporter interviewed the minister’.Thus, this type of relative clause defines the noun or pronoun referred to. It is adefining relative clause.Defining relative clauses are also called restrictive relative clauses. They tell us whichperson or thing is being referred to. They define the noun or pronoun by restrictingthe members of the larger group included. The clause who went to the field, forexample, restricts the group of reporters referred to; it is not all the reporters, butonly the one who went to the field.Examples1. The woman who published this news article was one of my relatives.
2. I saw the author who was outside our publishing house.
3. 3. They wanted the picture that cost two pounds.2.6.2. Non-restrictive clausesStudy the following sentences:1. Mr Mugisha works for The New Times. He is related to my wife.We can say:• Mr Mugisha, who works for The New Times, is related to my wife.2. Four editors are hired for our newspaper. They were my classmates.We can say:• Four editors, who were my classmates, are hired for our newspaper.The clauses in italics in the sentences above give extra information about the nounsthat precede them. This information can be left out without affecting their meaning.These clauses are non-defining relative clauses. The identity of the nouns in thesentence is already clear; they do not need to be defined further.Look at the following example:
John Murenzi, who works as a reporter in your magazine, is my brother. The essential
information in this example is the fact that “John Murenzi is my brother.” The relative
clause “ who works as a reporter in your magazine”, can be left out. Non-defining
relative clauses are also called non- restrictive relative clauses.Examples
1. The secretary, who delayed our publications, had been fired.
2. The reporter, who had worked for the newspaper for five years, was
accused of theft.
3. Treasurer, who was aged 23, was sent to jail because of fake bills.
4. The writer, who was familiar with the career, was transferred to another
company.2.6.3. Application Activity
Analyse the following sentences and identify the restrictive and non-restrictive
relative clauses.1. London, which is the capital city of England, is one of the largest cities inthe world and with a lot of publishing houses.2. The book that she read was important for her literature review.3. Walden university, which is entirely online, has main administrativeoffices in Baltimore.4. The participants who were interviewed volunteered to be a part of thestudy.5. The office I have just rented for my publishing house is near my home.This is the newspaper that they have banned recently.6. The musician, who is a well-known pop star, used to read brochure.7. Our speaker who explored many electronic sites, gave an interesting talk.8. The message that my aunt sent yesterday has arrived.9. The journalist whose story I read yesterday, has won prizes for her work.2.7. UNIT SELF- ASSESSMENT
2.7.1. Reading Comprehension
Read the article below and answer questions that follow:
Uhuru-Raila truce a window to carry out radical surgery
Hats off to whoever designed the mediation efforts that led to the sudden
rapprochement between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the opposition leader,
Mr Raila Odinga.
From what I gather and what I have observed, the template followed by the
mediators was as follows.
First, isolating the hardliners from both sides of the divide and limit engagement
to as few people as possible.
Second, remembering that breakthroughs in sensitive mediation efforts tend
to happen when
proceedings are through informal processes where negotiations are conducted
behind the scenes.
Third, not involving too many major political players; dealing mainly with nonpartisan types such as family friends, business partners, church leaders and top
public officers sworn to secrecy.
The more private sessions and one-on-one meetings secured for the
protagonists during mediation, the better chances of success.
They followed the template to the letter and pulled what is clearly the most
momentous political event of our time.
Going forward, eyes will focus on the two key men who have been given the
responsibility of putting flesh around the deal — Mr Martin Kimani and Mr Paul
Mwangi.
Who are they, and how did they come into the picture?
Mr Mwangi is a radical-leaning lawyer who has, over the years, become a
confidant of Mr Odinga.He is, perhaps, one of the few remnants of the technocrats who worked in the
Prime Minister’s office during the Grand Coalition Government.
He was one of the background advisers to Mr Odinga during the Eurobond
investigations and played a key role in the successful election petition against
President Kenyatta last year.
Mr Kimani has emerged as a highly regarded diplomat with deep domain
knowledge and
experience in the conduct of negotiations between political adversaries. He
was one of the main backroom players at the time Kenya was negotiating
peace between South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his erstwhile deputy Dr
Riek Machar in 2015.
Having worked with the high-profile US security think-tank the Atlantic Council,
in Washington, and the Institute of Security Studies, in Ethiopia, he also had a
short stint at IGAD before his appointment as Kenya’s Ambassador to UNDP in
2014.
Details of the institutional framework which the duo are expected to craft to
steer the reform agenda agreed by President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga are still
scanty.
Adapted from https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fmobile.nation.
co.ke%2Fblogs%2FUhuru-Raila-truce-window-for-radical-surgery% retrieved on 16th March 2018I. Comprehension Questionsa. Briefly explain what the text is about.b. In whose hands was the full implementation and realisation of thetruce placed?c. Briefly point out the profiles of the two personalities.II. Vocabulary activity
Read the following passage and fill blank spaces within using the words or phrases
in the box below.1. Whether you are writing for a small ……………………………. or a bignewspaper, you must write like a professional if you want to produce agood article. So what does it take to write like a real reporter?2. First you must decide what to write about. Sometimes a ………….. willgive you specific assignments, but other times you’ll have to find yourown stories to write about.3. If you do have a choice about the topic, you might be able to write anarticle that is related to your own ……………………or family history.You could also pick a topic that revolves around a strong interest, likeyour................4. Even if you are able to start out with ………………………..close to yourheart, you should conduct research right away, read books and articlesthat will give you a full understanding of your story. Go to the library andfind …………………………about people, organizations, and eventsyou intend to cover.5. Next, ………………………………….to collect quotes that reflect thepublic’s perception of an event or story. Don’t be intimidated by the ideaof interviewing important or newsworthy people.6. However, you must try to avoid bias. You may have strong opinions thataffect your conclusions. Beware of fallacies in your logic...Adapted from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-news-article-1857250, retrieved onMarch 16th ,20182.7.2. Grammar and PhonologyI. Fill the blank spaces in the sentences below using the most correctstructure between either must have or might have1. I am sure the Chief Editor was here. I saw his car in the front of thebuilding.2. He …………………………………… been here.3. I am not sure if I passed the interview. I don’t feel so sure that I passed.4. I ………………… passed the interview.5. Last summer I took four writing competitions and failed them all! I………… been disappointed.6. She speaks excellent Kinyarwanda. I am sure she’s lived in Kigali for a longtime.7. She ………………… lived in Kigali for a long time.8. We agreed to meet yesterday, but when the secretary got there I didn’t
see him. It’s possible he was waiting elsewhere.
9. We agreed to meet yesterday, but when I got there I didn’t see him. He
……………. been waiting for elsewhere.
II. Join the pair of sentences in one using relative pronouns beginning
with the given phrases, omit the pronoun if possible and add commas if
necessary.1. a. Our publishing house is very big. It is in Musanze.
b. Our publishing house…………
2. a. I had to fix my printer. I bought it less than a year ago.
b. The printer ……………………
3. a. Researchers were Rwandan authors. They played a big role in
producing this perfect work.
b. The researchers …………………………………………………….
4. a. I bought this magazine yesterday.
b. It has a crucial information. The magazine ………
5. a. Michael is a policeman. His father is a writer.
b. Michael ………………………………..
6. a. I bought a computer last month. It doesn’t work properly.
b. The computer …………….
7. a. I requested an article for coming writing competition. It did not arrive
on time.
b. The article……………………………………………………………….
8. a. I was given a note on how I can write a good article. It is of great
importance.b. The note …………………………………………….
III. Give the phonological transcription of each of the following words:a. Sloganb. Coercive powerc. Record2.7.3. Summary Writingd. Tenure
I. Write a summary on each of the following topics:Explain at least five impacts of newspapers and reporting on individualprofessional development.II. Analyse the impact of print media on the economic growth of yourcommunity.a. Write a short essay pointing out the role of newspapers and magazineson academic achievements.b. Briefly explaining the role of each, write a letter guiding someone onthe required people in the running of a magazine.2.7.4. Essay Writing/ ReportingWith information from the article “Uhuru-Raila truce a window to carry out radical
surgery” on page 49 above, carry out the following tasks:1. Write a summary of around fifty words, detailing the template used andparties involved in the negotiations.2. Imagine that you went to the market where fire has damaged everything.Write an article3. of four paragraphs to report what happened. Remember the uses ofpast perfect continuous tense.2.8. Glossary
Skim: read rapidly in order to get a general overview of the material
Scan: read rapidly in order to find specific facts or some particular information.
Headline: A heading at the top of an article or page in a newspaper or magazine
Newspaper: Newspaper is a printed publication (usually issued daily or weekly)
consisting of folded unstapled sheets and containing news, articles opinion,
advertisements and correspondence.
Article: a writing included with others in newspaper, magazine or other publication.
Magazine: is a periodical publication containing articles and illustrations, often on a
particular subject or aimed at a particular readership.