Analyzing News, Political Analyzing News, Political Cartoons, and Media Cartoons, and Media

ReportsReports

Take careful notes of the Take careful notes of the following information.following information.

It will show up on a test!It will show up on a test!

First: What is the text First: What is the text about?about? the the subject subject mattermatter

►You need to show you have You need to show you have understood the text's understood the text's subjectsubject mattermatter and and contentcontent..

►You will also need to be able to You will also need to be able to locate locate detailsdetails andand discuss them (do you get discuss them (do you get the text’s the text’s big picturebig picture??). ).

Second: Who has the text Second: Who has the text beenbeen written for? written for? the the audienceaudience►This is This is veryvery important: you need to important: you need to

consider consider audienceaudience carefully. carefully.►Writing about Writing about audienceaudience means means

recognizing and showing recognizing and showing howhow a text has a text has been created to suit a particular kind of been created to suit a particular kind of readerreader. . When a writer is asked to write a text, one When a writer is asked to write a text, one

of the key questions is of the key questions is who the text is who the text is aimed at?aimed at? With knowledge of the With knowledge of the audience, then the writer can choose the audience, then the writer can choose the text’s - text’s - contentcontent, , vocabularyvocabulary and and tonetone. .

Third: Why was the text Third: Why was the text written?written? the the writer's purposewriter's purpose

►This means recognizing the This means recognizing the messagesmessages in the text. in the text.

►Look on the surface- what is the Look on the surface- what is the obvious message?obvious message?

►Look below the surface- are there Look below the surface- are there layers of meaninglayers of meaning? ? Is there a Is there a symbolic message?symbolic message?

Fourth: How has the text Fourth: How has the text hashas been made to 'work' been made to 'work' forfor its audience & its audience & purpose?purpose? the writer's the writer's methodsmethods►You need to be able to identify the You need to be able to identify the

methodsmethods a writer has used to create a writer has used to create the the text. This includes considering the the text. This includes considering the text's the text's stylestyle, , languagelanguage and and structurestructure. .

Fourth: How has the text Fourth: How has the text hashas been made to 'work' been made to 'work' forfor its audience & its audience & purpose?purpose? the writer's the writer's methodsmethods►Discuss the Discuss the effectseffects of these methods on the of these methods on the

audienceaudience. . Are they Are they moremore or or lessless persuaded? persuaded?► Look closely at the Look closely at the languagelanguage and and layoutlayout

used in the text. used in the text. How is How is languagelanguage being used – what is the being used – what is the tonetone

and what is the and what is the purpose of the tonepurpose of the tone?? How does the How does the layoutlayout helping the text support the helping the text support the

purposepurpose for its audience? for its audience?

Parts of a Media ReportParts of a Media Report

►HeadlinesHeadlines► Camera ShotsCamera Shots► ImagesImages► SourcesSources►Witnesses Witnesses

►QuotesQuotes► LengthLength► Anchor/Anchor/

PresenterPresenter►DesignDesign► LayoutLayout

Vocabulary- Which words Vocabulary- Which words are new to you?are new to you?

What you already What you already know:know:

► Writer’s purposeWriter’s purpose► AudienceAudience► Information textInformation text► FactsFacts► HumorHumor► StereotypeStereotype► Loaded LanguageLoaded Language► ToneTone

New concepts:New concepts:► ContextContext► IronyIrony► HyperboleHyperbole► Story focusStory focus► ScopeScope