GERMAN-JORDANIAN UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

News Analysis Worksheet

(Use WITH the news analysis notes to help you prepare for your presentation.)

News story: _______________________________________________

Source 1:__________________________________________________

Source 2: __________________________________________________

Is this story hard news / soft news / or human interest?___________________________

Why did you choose this story?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

THOROUGHNESS:

Were the 5 questions answered or did you have any unanswered questions?

Source 1 ______________________

Source 2 ______________________

1. Who? ________________________________________________________________

2. What? ________________________________________________________________

3. Where? _______________________________________________________________

4. When? ________________________________________________________________

5. Why? ________________________________________________________________

6. How? ________________________________________________________________

Was background information provided? _______________________

Did the report seem to be missing any crucial information? _____________

Are the sources credible and reliable? _______________________________

FAIRNESS:

From whose viewpoint is the story being told? ________________________________

Is there an angle to the story? ______________________________________________

Is the story slanted or biased? ______________________________________________

Is there evidence of loaded language? ________________________________________

Give examples of this loaded language ________________________________________

Give examples of any other kind of language (inflammatory, persuasive, judgmental,

informative etc)
__________________________________________________________________________
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Were images used? ______________

How did these images affect the story? ________________________________________

What were the headlines? __________________________________________________

How did these headlines affect the story? ______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

NEWSWORTHINESS:

Is the news story international, national or local?

____________________________________________________________

Is the story timely? ____________________________

Does the story appeal to the emotions? ______________________

Does the story draw on peoples’ fears? __________________________

If yes, how? ________________________________________________

REPRESENTATION OF THE WORLD:

What view of the world is given by this news story? _____________________

_________________________________________________________________

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Evaluating your news story:

Here are five questions to help you evaluate your news story:

1. Who created this story, and why was written?

2. What techniques are being used to attract your attention?

3. What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in the story?

4. How might someone else’s understanding of this story differ from yours?

5. What is omitted from this story?

Checklist for Analyzing News in the Media

Check that you have……

- looked at several media to get a range of perspectives?

- examined the accuracy, objectivity, and thoroughness of the news reporting?

- considered the lifestyles, values, and points of view presented?

- analyzed the use of images, photographs or video?

- compared the treatment of a news story by different media?

PERSONAL REACTION:

What do you think of this news story?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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