Read All About It!

The ultimate newspaper resource packed with information and activities to help develop key skills through the creative curriculum
Written by DAVID WEBB First Published February 09 in Great Britain by

David Webb 2009

The moral right of the author has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders of the works reproduced in this book and the publishers will be happy to deal retrospectively with this matter if any copyright has inadvertently been breached.

ISBN-10: 1-905637-69-1 ISBN-13: 978-1-905637-69-0

This Master may only be reproduced by the original purchaser for use with his/her students. The publisher prohibits the loaning or onselling of this Master for the purposes of reproduction.

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INTRODUCTION
Aimed at 10-14 year olds, Read All About It! is the ideal resource to introduce children to the exciting and challenging world of newspapers. From the earliest days of newspaper production to the latest digital technology, Read All About It! is packed with interesting information and challenging activities aimed at enthusing and developing young writers. Children are encouraged to be reporters, researchers, feature writers, editors, graphic designers and photographers. Many of the activities promote co-operation and are cross-curricular in nature. The resource encourages enterprise by including suggestions and guidelines for children to produce their own school or class newspaper.

Read All About It! helps develop the creative curriculum whilst addressing key skills and National Curriculum requirements. The resource is sure to re the imagination and make children want to write.

Here Is the News Dont Shoot the Messenger The First Newspapers Newspapers Today Types of Newspaper

CONTENTS

1 1 1 3 3 4 5 7 8 8 10 10 13 13 13 15 15 16 17 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 26

What Do They Do? The Editor Activity: A Job for the Editor What Do They Do? The Reporter Articles and Reports Activity: Chelseas Charity Run Research and Report Activity: Front Page News The Letters Page Activity 1: Write a Reply Activity 2: School Issues Newspaper Bias What is Newspaper Bias? Activity 1: Write an Unbiased Report of a Football Match Activity 2: Write a Balanced Report on a Heads Dismissal What Do They Do? The Photographer Activity 1: National or Local? Activity 2: Every Picture Tells a Story Activity 3: Snap a Celebrity! Features Pages Feature: New Film Release Activity 1: Study Features Pages Activity 2: Write a Feature about a Hobby Activity 3: Write a Feature about a Favourite Place Activity 4: Write a Feature about a Famous Personality Activity 5: Feature a Friend Activity 6: Back in Time

The Travel Page Activity 1: Write a Review Activity 2: Write an Advertisement Newspaper Advertising Activity 1: Spot the Slogan! Activity 2: Not Quite Right! Activity 3: Information and Persuasion Activity 4: Analyse an Advert Activity 5: Design an Advert Propaganda What is Propaganda? Activity: The Accrington Pals Cartoons and Comic Strips Cartoons Comic Strips Activity 1: Classifying Cartoons Activity 2: Collect Comic Strips Activity 3: Create Your Own Cartoon Activity 4: Create a Comic Strip Character The Puzzle Page The Crossword Puzzle The Wordsearch The Sudoku Puzzle Activity 1: Study Puzzle Pages Activity 2: Newspaper Crossword Puzzle Activity 3: School Wordsearch Produce Your Own Newspaper The Team Timescale Content Final Production Circulation Answers

28 29 29 31 32 32 33 34 35 36 36 37 40 40 41 42 42 43 43 44 44 45 45 46 46 46 49 49 50 50 51 51 52

HERE IS THE NEWS

DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGER
If you had lived a few hundred years ago, there is a good chance that you would not have been able to read or write. You would have had to rely on the town crier to bring you any important news or announcements. The town crier, or bellman as he was sometimes called, was the original newsman. Appointed by the mayor of the town, he would wear traditional robes and a threecornered hat. The town crier would ring his bell and shout Oyez! Oyez! to gain the attention of the public. Oyez is old French for Hear ye. He would then use his powerful voice to read a proclamation, often in the market square or at the door of the local inn. When nished, he would nail the proclamation to a tree or to the doorpost of the inn. This was known as posting a notice. The town crier was usually an upstanding member of the community as, of course, he had to be able to both read and write. Town criers were protected by law and the expression Dont shoot the messenger was a very real command.

THE FIRST NEWSPAPERS

The rst regular weekly newspaper, The London Gazette, was published in November 1665. It was initially named The Oxford Gazette as, for a while, the newspaper had to be printed in the city of Oxford due to the Great Plague of 1665. It became The London Gazette in February 1666 and in September of that same year it reported the Great Fire of London. The rst regular daily newspaper began publication on 11 March 1702. The paper was called The Daily Courant and it was printed and distributed from a building against the Ditch at Fleet Street. The very rst edition consisted of a single printed page of two columns. The word courant means up-to-date, the aim of the newspaper being to keep its readers well-informed. The Daily Courant ran for thirty-three years, eventually ceasing publication in 1735 when it was taken over by The Daily Gazetteer.
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As the Industrial Revolution gained momentum in the late 18th and early part of the 19th century, so the production and distribution of newspapers grew dramatically. The Industrial Revolution completely changed Britain from a mainly agricultural country, where people lived by farming the land, to a nation of town and city dwellers, where the vast majority of the population worked in factories. Gradually, more people learned to read and write and the demand for regular, up-to-date news increased. Advances in technology meant that newspapers could be printed more quickly and efciently, hence new titles began to appear. In 1785, The Daily Universal Register was launched, which changed its name to The Times in January 1788. John Walter, who had previously been a coal merchant, was its rst editor. The newspaper was made up of reports from parliament, foreign news and advertisements. John Walter was ned 50 and sentenced to sixteen months in Newgate prison for libel* concerning an article written about the Prince of Wales! The Observer was launched in 1791, followed by The Manchester Guardian in May 1821. Other familiar titles soon followed. The Daily Telegraph was launched in June 1855, the Daily Mail appeared in May 1896, the Daily Express in April 1900 and the Daily Mirror started production in November 1903. The age of the popular newspaper was well and truly established.
John Walter, rst Editor of The Times

* Libel: a piece of writing which contains bad and false things about a person.
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NEWSPAPERS TODAY
The advance of modern technology, such as satellite television, the Internet and mobile technology, means that up-to-the-minute news is now readily available 24 hours a day. Despite these new challenges to the printed press, it is unlikely that we will see the demise of newspapers in the foreseeable future. Newspapers offer something different, with the public being able to choose what best suits their interests. Todays newspapers also provide far more than news items, with feature pages on travel, sport, politics, letters, entertainment, cookery and much more. Many of the popular Saturday and Sunday papers also come with supplements and glossy magazines, which provide hours of reading as well as crosswords and puzzles.

TYPES OF NEWSPAPER

There are two main types of newspaper the daily newspaper and the weekly newspaper. As the name suggests, the daily newspaper is printed each day, sometimes with the exception of Saturday and Sunday. Daily newspapers can be either national or regional. For example, the Daily Express is published Monday to Friday nationally, whereas the Liverpool Echo is available in the Merseyside region from Monday to Saturday. Weekly newspapers are mostly regional, often serving a specic town and its immediate vicinity. Such The Liverpool Echo - a regional daily newspaper. weekly newspapers concentrate on local news and local features. The Whitby Gazette is an example of a regional weekly newspaper. National weekly newspapers, such as The Times Educational Supplement, tend to concentrate on a specic subject. As well as daily and weekly, newspapers are also classied as either broadsheet or tabloid. The broadsheet is the larger of the two formats and is approximately twice the size of a tabloid. In the past, most newspapers were produced as broadsheets but this format is less popular these days, and the majority of newspapers are produced in the more manageable tabloid format.

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WHAT DO THEY DO?

THE EDITOR
An editor has overall responsibility for the content and presentation of a newspaper. It is the editors job to decide which stories to run and what priority each story should be given. The most important story is headlined on the front page while less important stories appear in the body of the paper. Selecting the most appropriate story for the front page is very important as headlines sell newspapers. In addition, the editor often undertakes several other roles, such as giving reporters assignments, editing reports and articles, designing layout and recruiting new staff. These days, most of the work of a newspaper editor is done at a computer. It is a highly-pressurised job. Editors work long, unsociable hours, often including evenings and weekends. The editor works closely with an editorial team, which may include sub-editors, reporters, photographers, advertising staff and printers. The team regularly works to tight schedules in order to meet deadlines. Newspapers are made aware of breaking stories by news services. In the past, news services sent the stories through machines called teletypewriters. The story would be sent via a telephone line and then printed out on a teletype machine. However, stories are now received via satellite dish and fed directly into computers. The editor or subeditor then makes a decision on the importance of the story, deciding to either trim, boil or slash the story. A story that is either trimmed or slashed appears inside the paper but if the editor decides to boil a story it stands a good chance of appearing as front page news. Once all the stories have been written, it is the responsibility of the copy-editor to check for accuracy. Together with the makeup editor and the editor in chief, the news reports, features and advertisements are then organised into page layouts before being sent to print and produced as an edition.

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ACTIVITY : A JOB FOR THE EDITOR

Imagine you are the editor of The Plummington Times, a successful regional weekly newspaper. The newspaper has recently taken on a new reporter, Ivor Grudge, whose rst job was to report on the Plummington Summer Fair, a popular and well-supported annual event. You can read his nished report on page 6. Unfortunately, his report is a disaster! It is very negative and would not be well received by your readers, the people of Plummington. It is your job to edit and rewrite the report to make it much more acceptable. Here are some hints to help you do your job successfully: Firstly, read the report carefully. Use a highlighter to mark any pieces of the report that need changing. Write your new version of the report in rough. Keep any bits of Ivor Grudges report that you feel are acceptable. Produce your nal copy of the report and read it through once more. * When you are satised with your report, you may wish to re Ivor Grudge!

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The Plummington Times

Wednesday 2nd July

SAME OLD SUMMER FAIR

Last Saturday saw the grand opening of this years Plummington Summer Fair. I call it a grand opening but there was actually nothing grand about it! At least the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Over one thousand people gathered together in Plummington Park to watch guest of honour Lady Fenella Primrose, a B-list celebrity if ever there was one, cut the ribbon to open the event. Lady Fenella was wearing a terrible bright yellow dress and a ridiculously large orange hat. She looked like a sunower. In her over-long speech, Lady Fenella said: It is a great honour to be asked to open the Plummington Summer Fair and it is a pleasure to perform such a wonderful, traditional ceremony. I dont for one minute think that anyone believed a word she said but she still got an enthusiastic round of applause.

Overweight Tug-of-War Team The fair itself was as poor as usual. It consisted of the same old stalls that have been dragged out for donkeys years, including the tombola and the obligatory cake stall. They were even in the same positions that they have occupied for years! The ve-a-side competition was won for the second year running by Plummington Boy Scouts and the Tug-of-War was won by a team from The Red Lion Inn not surprising as they all looked overweight. Anyway, I suppose the Plummington Summer Fair has to be judged a success as everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. You would think that people would have better things to do with their time on a sunny Saturday. Thank goodness it is twelve whole months until the next Plummington Summer Fair.

Reported by: Ivor Grudge

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WHAT DO THEY DO?

THE REPORTER
Newspaper reporters have a vital role to play in gathering the news and keeping the public informed. They often have to play an investigative role, which may include interviewing people such as politicians, victims of crime, witnesses, members of the general public and even wellknown personalities in order to ensure that the story they print is accurate. Reporters, also known as journalists, obtain their information from a variety of sources including news services, personal interviews, news briengs and press conferences. The Prime Minister, for example, holds a news brieng with journalists once a month, which includes a question and answer session. There are considerable differences between a reporter working on a national daily newspaper and one working on a weekly paper. Daily reporters have much less time to prepare their stories as they have to work to a strict deadline. There is erce competition between newspapers and reporters compete to break a story. Thus, the life of a newspaper reporter can be both hectic and tiring. A major news story can break at any time and often breaks without warning, so reporters must be willing and able to respond quickly. Newspaper reporters who are located abroad or are sent to a specic country to cover an event are known as correspondents. Larger newspapers, for example, may have foreign correspondents in some of the major capitals of the world. Although seen as one of the more glamorous roles in journalism, the job of a foreign correspondent can be dangerous, especially when reporting from a war zone.

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ARTICLES AND REPORTS

The features that appear in newspapers are called articles or reports. A newspaper is presented differently from a book or magazine in that the content is written in columns. Each article or report is preceded by a headline, which is printed in large bold type. Depending on the length of the report, sub-headings may be used to divide the report into sections. The report may also include interviews with quotes from people involved in the event. Many reports are accompanied by a picture with a caption beneath to explain the content. To summarise: The writing in a newspaper is presented in columns. A bold headline is used to draw the readers attention to the article or report. Sub-headings divide the article or report into sections. Interviews and quotes add interest to the article or report. Pictures are often included in an article or report. A caption is used to explain the picture.

ACTIVITY: CHELSEAS CHARITY RUN

Read the article about Chelseas Charity Run on page 9. Look at the presentation of the report. The report is written in columns, organised into short, manageable paragraphs and contains all of the features you would expect to nd in a newspaper article a bold headline, sub-headings, a picture with a caption, interviews and quotes from those involved in the event. Now: Imagine you have just taken part in a sponsored charity event. It could have been anything from a sponsored penalty shoot out to a sponsored silence! Write an article all about the event. You should try to include as many of the identied features as possible in your article. Before you begin, you should make brief notes under the following headings: Headline Background to the event: What did you have to do? What was the aim of the event? When and where Interviews and quotes Success of the event.

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The Radcliffe Reporter

CHELSEAS CHARITY RUN
Chelsea Williams triumphed against all the odds last Saturday when she took part in the annual Radcliffe 5K Charity Run, raising over 250 for her favourite charity, the Asthma Foundation. Mother of two young children, twenty-eight year old Chelsea has herself suffered from asthma since she was a child. I always struggled with sports and games at school, explained Chelsea, and even though I carried my inhaler with me, I was never any good at running because I was worried that something might go wrong. I was, therefore, determined to raise money for asthma research and Id like to thank all those who sponsored me. cheering spectators of all ages and the run has grown steadily in popularity since it was rst staged. Pensioner Agnes Butt was one of the excited onlookers: I took part in the very rst race twenty years ago, Agnes told us. Ive got bad legs now so I cant do it any more. Im seventy-nine, you know! The events organisers told us that they were delighted with the response from the general public. Mr John Simpson explained that a great deal of effort had gone into making sure the event was both safe and successful: The weather was kind to us and thanks to the generosity of the public, thousands of pounds have been raised for both local and national charities. As for Chelsea, she now intends to take part in further events, including a 10K charity run to be held later next month. Chelsea proudly displaying her medal after her successful run. Over three hundred people took part in the popular event, which was held in Princes Park. The route was lined with Good luck, Chelsea! Well be seeing you in the marathon before long! Reported by Daniel Duffy

Monday 12th June

Successful Saturday

Popular Event

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RESEARCH AND REPORT

ACTIVITY: FRONT PAGE NEWS
There have been many memorable front page stories in newspapers over the years. Some have informed about tragic events while others have celebrated great achievements. The successful presentation of a front page story is dependent on the skill of both the reporter and the editor, in many instances supported by a dramatic contribution from the photographer. A well-presented and dramatic front page catches the attention of the public and can lead to a newspaper selling many more copies than its rivals. Imagine you are a newspaper reporter writing at a time a great story breaks. Design and write the front page of your newspaper. You can either use The Reporter or the Front Page News template provided or you can create your own design. Here are some suggestions that would make great front pages: The Great Fire of London in 1666. The sinking of the Titanic in 1912. V.E. Day celebrations at the end of the Second World War in 1945. Englands World Cup victory in 1966. The rst moon landing in 1969. The death of Princess Diana in 1997. Research You will need to spend time researching your topic, either in the library or on the Internet. If you are able to use the Internet, you should be able to nd a picture to complement your work. Make notes and then write your rst draft of the report before editing for your nal copy. Your nished version will look more effective if you use a computer.

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The Reporter

Reporter: .....................................................

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Front Page News

Reporter: ................................................................................................

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THE LETTERS PAGE

The letters page in a newspaper is always very popular. It promotes debate and allows people to express an opinion often in a very forceful and persuasive manner! In a national newspaper, the content of letters tends to concentrate on national issues, such as politics or particular events that have hit the headlines. Letters sent to regional newspapers usually refer to local issues. Read the three letters on page 14 that have been sent in to The Plummington Times letters page. They each express a strong opinion. Either in pairs or in a group, discuss the issues highlighted in each of the letters. Do you agree or disagree with the opinions expressed? Can you nd any aws in the arguments presented? Choose one of the letters and write a reply to the editor giving the opposite point of view. Before you write your letter, make some brief notes or a simple list of the points you wish to include. Be sure to use some strong, persuasive language when you write your nal copy.

ACTIVITY 1: WRITE A REPLY

ACTIVITY 2: SCHOOL ISSUES

Are there any issues in your school about which you feel very strongly? For example: Do you think you get too much homework? Is it fair that you have to wear a school uniform? Is there enough opportunity to play sport? Choose an issue and write a strong, persuasive letter to your school newspaper. Again, make some brief notes or a list of the points you wish to include before you write your letter.

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The Plummington Times

Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I object very strongly to the Councils proposal to introduce a Trafc Free Zone around Plummington School. I think cars should be allowed as near to the school gates as possible so that parents can drop children off. My two children, Frederick and Eliza, dont like walking and we live more than half a mile from the school. Besides, we never get up in time for them to walk to school. I know it has been argued that the new Trafc Free Zone is being introduced to make the area safe for our children but quite honestly, I think they should keep their eyes and their ears open and then they wont get knocked over. Furthermore, I dont accept that cars pollute the atmosphere. How on earth can my little Mini damage the environment? I urge your readers to write in and support my campaign to stop the introduction of the ridiculous Trafc Free Zone. A. Driver (Mrs). tax revenue which can then be spent on improving schools and hospitals. I am condent your readers will agree with me that it is time to re-introduce smoking in public places. Victor Gasp. Dear Editor, I was surprised to read all the letters in the last edition of The Plummington Times objecting to the proposals to build a new housing estate in Plummington. I know it would mean getting rid of the town playing elds and the wildlife pond but people have got to live somewhere, havent they? Besides, the playing elds are used mostly by noisy children and sports teams. I am sure the children could spend more time indoors on their computers and games consoles and sport isnt that important, is it? As for the wildlife pond who cares about a load of wild plants and creatures? I dont think a new housing estate would bring a great increase in trafc and the extra pollution would be minimal. More people would mean more money for local businesses. I run a local business myself and Im sure I would benet. I appreciate that the local school is already full but I am sure the Headteacher could cram in a few more children. I say build the houses! I quite fancy a new house myself! Sidney Greed.

Dear Editor, It is time we smokers stood up for our rights! I am disgusted that there is a ban on smoking in public places. Whatever happened to freedom of choice? If I want to damage my health by smoking then I should be allowed to do so. Im not hurting anyone else, am I? Also, if people dont like sitting near smokers in pubs and restaurants then they should move away or go somewhere else. I think there is far more pollution from cars and lorries. Should we ban them, too? Of course not! Besides, by buying cigarettes regularly I am helping the Government to raise valuable Read All About It!

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NEWSPAPER BIAS
WHAT IS NEWSPAPER BIAS?
Newspaper reports and articles should present a fair and balanced point of view. Facts rather than opinions should be presented, thus allowing the readers to make up their own minds. However, reports are often deliberately slanted to favour a particular point of view. When this is the case the writing is said to be biased. Bias in newspapers can be very persuasive and can inuence readers in an unfair way. For example, a journalist might deliberately mislead readers by using strong, persuasive language to express opinion or by leaving out important facts. Recent examples of newspaper bias have been seen where a particular paper has come out in support of the war in Iraq, while another has opposed the war. Bias can be seen regularly when newspapers report political events; some newspapers favouring the party in power while others favour an opposition party. On occasions, newspapers take on a particular cause, such as lowering tax or increasing prison sentences for anti-social behaviour, and try to persuade their readers to support the cause by printing regular biased articles, often fronted with bold headlines. Biased reporting occurs regularly in the sports pages of regional newspapers when reporters can clearly be seen to favour a local team or sports personality. Look at the contrasting headlines below. Each headline presents a biased point of view:

INHUMAN CONDITIONS IN OUR PRISONS ARE A DISGRACE!

PUBLIC DEMANDS LONGER PRISON SENTENCES.

ABOLISH THIS UNFAIR TAX!

PRIME MINISTER TRIUMPHS OVER TAX REFORM

BEST EVER BRITAINS GOT TALENT SHOW

NEW T.V. SHOW PROVES BRITAINS GOT NO TALENT!
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ACTIVITY 1: WRITE AN UNBIASED REPORT OF A FOOTBALL MATCH

Below is a table showing the match facts from a game between Manchester United and Everton. However, the two newspaper reports that follow one from a Manchester paper and one from a Liverpool paper are very biased. Your task is to read all the information available and then write a fair, balanced and unbiased report based on the evidence. Manchester United Goals Shots on Target Shots off Target Corners Fouls Committed Players Booked Players Sent Off
1 12 4 5 9 1 0

Everton
1 10 7 5 13 1 0

MAGNIFICENT CHAMPIONS
Magnicent Manchester United The reds were denied a penalty just before dominated an exciting game at Old half time when rampaging Rio Ferdinand Trafford in which Everton were lucky to was clearly brought down well inside the escape with a draw. area, only for the referee to wave play on. The champions got off to a cracking start when their free-owing football led to a Everton were fortunate to equalise brilliant goal after just nine minutes. A after sixty-ve minutes when Uniteds superb cross from Ronaldo found Wayne goalkeeper was obviously fouled, Rooney, who blasted an unstoppable allowing Yakubu to bundle the ball over shot into the top right hand corner of the the line and into the net. Everton net. United clearly deserved to win this oneUnited were completely in charge and sided game and would easily have done so had the ofcials done their jobs properly. their passing was a pleasure to watch.
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BRILLIANT BLUES
Brave Everton battled to a brilliant draw United had a dubious penalty claim with a display of passion and power at correctly disallowed just before half time Old Trafford. when the ineffective Rio Ferdinand took a dive in the box. The excellent referee The blues rattled nervous United from the was having none of his antics and waved start and were unlucky to concede a goal play on. after nine minutes. Ronaldos miss-hit cross somehow reached Wayne Rooney, A superb Everton equaliser after sixty-ve who was clearly in an offside position. minutes was well deserved. The fearless However, Rooneys deected shot was Yakubu out-jumped the feeble United allowed to stand. keeper to power a header into the net. Everton bounced back immediately and Everton were the better team throughout continued to dominate play. Their precise and if there had been any justice they passing was a pleasure to watch. would have taken all three points.

ACTIVITY 2: WRITE A BALANCED REPORT ON A HEADS DISMISSAL

A local school Headteacher has been unfairly dismissed, yet the public will not know the true facts due to biased newspaper reporting. Read the background information then read the newspaper report and re-write it in a fair and balanced way. Background Information Before the appointment of Mrs Williams three years ago, exam results had been declining steadily. When Mrs Williams took over, the pass rate was just 35%. Last year the Government cut funding to the school. Mrs Williams has steadily brought new, well-qualied staff to the school. More after-school activities have been introduced, such as extra sport, art and music activities. More school trips have been organised, including residential visits. Once appointed, Mrs Williams started a new PTA which has been very successful. For the last three years, exam results have risen steadily to a pass rate of 60%. Mrs Williams has the full support of parents, children and school governors.
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We cannot allow failure. School Cobb Street High School Headteacher, Anne Williams, has been dismissed due results must improve and we expect the to the schools abysmal performance in new Headteacher to reach our targets. examinations. On hearing news of her dismissal, unruly Mrs Williams, Headteacher for the past pupils held a protest outside the school three years, has failed to deliver the gates. A pointless petition has been started expected Government targets. Only 60% in an effort to have the failing Headteacher of her pupils passed their exams this last reinstated. school year. Hopefully, all attempts will be Although parents and school governors unsuccessful and a better appointment seemed sorry to see Mrs Williams leave, will be made before the end of term. a government spokesman said:

DISGRACEFUL EXAM RESULTS AT COBB STREET HEADTEACHER SACKED!

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WHAT DO THEY DO?

THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Modern newspapers, together with their weekend supplements, could not function without the input of photographers. It is the photographers role to illustrate the many news reports, lifestyle stories and features that appear throughout a newspaper. Photographs may be dramatic, packed with action, illustrative or fashionable. A good photograph can draw the reader into the story and, if it appears on the front page, increase sales. Photographers, like reporters, working on a national newspaper, may specialise in a particular area, such as fashion or sports. They may often be assigned to a reporter and the two will work together as a team. Such photographers are usually based in London, where most of the national newspapers are published. Those working with weekly papers may be expected to cover a wide range of stories, usually with a local interest, such as school events, local meetings, clubs and societies. Photographers who are not assigned to a particular newspaper are known as freelance photographers. This means that they are self-employed and can sell their pictures to the highest bidder. The market is very competitive and a particular group of freelance photographers are also known as the paparazzi. The paparazzi are especially renowned for their pursuit of celebrity snaps, which command high payment from both newspapers and celebrity magazines. Some paparazzi have gained a ruthless reputation in their pursuit of a good picture. The job of the press photographer has been made quicker and easier by advances in digital photography. The days of the photographers dark room where pictures were developed has long since passed. Digital photography provides instant results which can be immediately relayed to the press room ready for inclusion in the latest newspaper editions.

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ACTIVITY 1: NATIONAL OR LOCAL?

You will get a real sense of the difference between a photographer who works for a national newspaper and one who works for a local newspaper by comparing publications. Working in pairs, cut out pictures from both the national and local press. One of you should be responsible for making a collage using shots from the national press and the other using pictures from local newspapers. National newspapers often cover the same story on the same day especially if major news breaks. Gather together several national papers printed on a particular day and nd an illustrated story that has been covered by all of them. Compare the accompanying pictures. Discuss which you think is the best shot. Look to see if the photographer is credited in the newspaper.

ACTIVITY 2: EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

Look at the four pictures below. Each picture tells a different story but what are they about? Either working individually or in pairs, choose one of the pictures and write your own imaginary newspaper story.

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ACTIVITY 3: SNAP A CELEBRITY!

Pretend one of your classmates or a member of your family is a celebrity and take a picture or a series of pictures to use in a feature article. Make sure you ask permission before you take your shots! You should then write the accompanying feature for your photographs. You will have to use your imagination (unless your subject really is a celebrity!) and decide why your subject is famous, e.g. star footballer, model, pop star, politician etc. If you choose one of your classmates, maybe you could write the feature together!

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FEATURES PAGES
Look in any daily or weekly newspaper and you will nd regular features pages presenting articles of either general or specic interest. Such articles, usually complemented by one or more pictures, are different from news reports in that they are often written in a more conversational style and cover a wide variety of hobbies and interests. Topics covered may include travel, motoring, home improvement, gardening and celebrity. A feature in a newspaper can cover just about anything! Many weekend newspapers include a colour supplement which is packed with features. Chosen journalists have weekly features and well-known television personalities often contribute regularly. For example, a TV gardening expert may be employed by a newspaper to write a regular gardening feature. Other well-known gures, such as politicians, are often commissioned to write a one-off feature. Features may be linked to particular events, such as a sports nal, a ower show, a new lm or even a new series on television. Features may also reect a particular time of year. For example, features about holiday resorts may appear in spring and summer whereas features about winter cookery are more likely to appear in late autumn and early winter. Features pages are always popular as they are often longer articles which provide in-depth information. On the following page is an example of a feature written to coincide with the release of a new lm. Read the feature carefully before moving on to the tasks.

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FEATURE: NEW FILM RELEASE BLACKBEARD IS A SUMMER SENSATION

The spectacular new lm Blackbeard the Pirate is set to be this seasons sensational hit in cinemas up and down the country. Starring Philip Pipe as the fearsome Blackbeard and the delectable Melissa Moonlight as his love interest, the lm is guaranteed to break box ofce records. The non-stop action is complemented by amazing special effects. Watch out for the storm scene. It is so realistic it will have you running for shelter! Heart-throb actor Philip Pipe puts in a rst-class performance as the fearsome Blackbeard. His commanding voice and powerful physique dominate the screen. Melissa Moonlight is his perfect foil, her fragile beauty lighting up this dark tale of piracy. But who was the real Blackbeard? His name was Edward Teach and he was born in England around the year 1680. There is not a great deal of information about his early life, but as a young seaman, Teach served on a British Privateer in the Caribbean. It was not long before he turned to piracy and began his reign of fear.

Box Ofce Hit

Fearsome Figure

First Class

Notorious Pirate

Edward Teach was a fearsome gure. Tall and lean, he had a black beard that almost covered his entire face. He wove pieces of rope laced with gunpowder into his thick, black hair and he set the rope alight during battle. The very sight of Blackbeards ship struck fear and dread into the hearts of his hapless victims. Blackbeard was nally captured by Captain Robert Maynard on 22nd November 1718. It is said that Maynard cut off his head and hung it in triumph on board his ship. Blackbeard the Pirate is due for general release on 18th June.

Points for Discussion What type of reader do you think would be interested in this feature? What are the similarities and differences between a feature such as the one above and a straightforward news report? What do you think is the main focus of the feature and what other information is given?
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ACTIVITY 1: STUDY FEATURES PAGES

In groups, look at a selection of newspapers and identify features pages. Make a list of the topics covered and discuss why the editor has decided to include each feature. Does the feature coincide with an event, time of year etc.? Do different newspapers cover the same feature? If so, compare the different styles of presentation. Which is more successful? Do particular newspapers concentrate on celebrity? Why do you think this is? Do you think particular features appeal more to a particular age group? Are there specic features for men and women? Have pictures been used to complement features and, if so, how effective are the pictures?

ACTIVITY 2: WRITE A FEATURE ABOUT A HOBBY

Your chosen feature could be anything from ice skating to eating, rugby to ballet dancing! Your feature should not just be about how you are involved in your hobby or interest; it should be much more general and informative.

You should consider some of the following: How popular is your hobby or interest? What facilities are available either locally or nationally? What sort of people participate in your hobby or interest? (You may wish to write a paragraph about one or more high prole personalities). What is so enjoyable about your chosen hobby or interest and what are the benets? (e.g. Does it improve health and tness? Does it broaden the mind? Is it exciting? Do you meet new friends? Is it just good fun?) How can your readers get started with your hobby or interest?

You should write your article in rough rst of all and then edit it before presenting your nal copy. You could choose to hand write your nal copy or use a computer to present it in newspaper form. Try to include one or more pictures to illustrate your work.

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ACTIVITY 3: WRITE A FEATURE ABOUT A FAVOURITE PLACE

Again, this gives you a very wide choice. Your favourite place could be a sports venue such as Wimbledon or Wembley Stadium, a theatre, a holiday resort (either at home or abroad) or a particular venue you have visited with your school.

You should try to include information about some of the following: The location of your favourite place, i.e. if it is a theatre, is it in London, Liverpool etc.? How easy it is to get to your favourite place including costs involved. The history of your favourite place, including memorable moments. Why you think your venue is so special. When you have gathered your information, write the rst draft of your feature. Edit your work and make any improvements necessary. Try to include one or more pictures to add interest. Finally, present your neatly hand-written or computer-produced copy.

ACTIVITY 4: WRITE A FEATURE ABOUT A FAMOUS PERSONALITY

Your chosen personality could be a pop star, a sports personality, a politician, an actor or...anyone you wish! You should choose someone who is well-known as you want your feature to appeal to as many readers as possible.

Firstly, you should think of a reason why your newspaper would print an article about your chosen personality at this particular time. You will have to use your imagination, e.g. footballer transferred to a new club; politician given a high prole job; pop star embarking on a world tour etc. Try to include some of the following information in your feature: A reason for the feature at this time. Background information (e.g. age, where born etc.) Achievements to date. Quotes from your personality. (You can make these up!) Pictures to complement your article. Plans for the future. Write your article in rough rst of all and then edit it, either alone or with a partner. Finally, produce your neatly hand-written or computer-produced copy.
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Your newspaper presents a regular feature called Reader of the Week. It is your task, as the feature writer, to choose one of your friends to be the Reader of the Week in the latest edition. Firstly, you should collect all necessary information by interviewing your friend. You could choose to either take notes or record the interview. You will need to make a list of questions prior to the interview. Include such things as your friends likes, dislikes, hobbies, achievements, ambitions etc. You should also describe your friend, concentrating on his/her personality. If possible, take a digital photograph of your friend to include in your feature. Think how you are going to begin your feature, e.g. Our reader of the week is twelve-year-old Erica Plug.... Use a computer to produce a professional-looking nal copy of your feature. You should organise your feature in the accepted way, complete with a headline and sub-headings.

ACTIVITY 5: FEATURE A FRIEND

ACTIVITY 6: BACK IN TIME

Imagine you could travel back in time and interview a famous personality from history. Who would you choose? Would it be King Henry VIII, Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale or even John Lennon? Firstly, think of a list of questions you would like to ask your chosen personality. You may have to do quite a bit of research so that you know all about your subjects life. Once you have written your questions you will have to answer them! Try to imagine what answers your subject would give and even how they would answer your questions. Alternatively, your class could be split into pairs so that you have to answer questions about a famous personality formulated by someone else in your class. This would mean more research but it would be good fun!
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When you have the answers to your own questions you should write your feature. Give some background to your chosen personality and be sure to use quotes as well as reported speech. If you use a computer to produce your feature you should be able to import a picture of your personality.

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THE TRAVEL PAGE

Below is the latest newspaper advert for the Sea View Hotel, which is located in the coastal resort of Fripton-on-Sea. The aim of the advert is to encourage as many people as possible to stay at the hotel. Read the advert carefully and take note of what the hotel claims it can offer.

The Sea View Hotel

A stay at the spectacular four-star Sea View Hotel in Fripton-on-Sea is like a breath of fresh air. Located just half a mile away from one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the country, the Sea View Hotel provides you with everything you need to ensure that your holiday will be the most memorable you have ever experienced. Our 48 en suite rooms are tted to the highest standard, either overlooking our extensive gardens or, for a little extra, with wonderful sea views. The leisure facilities at the Sea View Hotel are second to none, with a fully-equipped gymnasium, a swimming pool and a sauna. You may also choose to be pampered by our beauticians in our stylish Beauty Salon. After a busy, sun-lled day, dine in our award-winning candlelit restaurant. Pierre, our prize-winning chef, chooses only the very best local produce. We are condent you will want to return to the sumptuous Sea View Hotel again and again!
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You are the travel correspondent for a popular national newspaper. Imagine you have just returned from your latest assignment a one week stay at the Sea View Hotel, Fripton-on-Sea.

ACTIVITY 1: WRITE A REVIEW

Write a full and detailed review of the hotel. Your review will appear on the Travel Page in the next edition of your newspaper. You should address the following points: What was your rst impression of the hotel? What did it look like from the outside? How were you received when you checked in? Did the staff make you feel welcome? What did you think of the general appearance of the hotel? Was it clean and well-decorated? What was your room like? Were you overlooking the gardens or did you have a sea view? What was the bathroom like? Were the meals of a high standard? How efcient was the service? How impressed were you with the leisure facilities? Did you visit the Beauty Salon? Is the hotel suitable for families with young children? What was your overall opinion of the hotel? Are you going to recommend the hotel to your readers? Now: Write your feature in rough rst of all. You will need to think of a headline for your article and decide whether you are going to use sub-headings. Read through and edit your article before producing your nal copy.

ACTIVITY 2: WRITE AN ADVERTISEMENT

Fripton-on-Sea is an imaginary seaside resort situated on the south coast of England. Your task is to write an advertisement for the resort which will feature in the national press.

You should aim to make Fripton-on-Sea sound as attractive as possible and your advert will need to be very persuasive. You should decide whether to target your advert at a specic age group e.g. families with young children, older people etc. or make your advert more general.
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Here are some imaginary facts about Fripton-on-Sea to help you formulate your ideas: Beautiful, unspoilt seaside town. Has a mild climate with above average sunshine. Offers a variety of holiday accommodation, including ve-star hotels, self-catering cottages and several caravan sites. Several good quality restaurants in the town centre. Ideal location for surng and water sports. Has a direct rail link and is within easy reach of the motorway. Has a prize-winning, traditional fairground. Now: Write the rst draft of your advertisement. Perhaps you could begin with a catchy heading or slogan. Remember to use strong, persuasive language. You should read through and edit your rst draft before producing your nal copy for the newspaper.

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NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING
Advertisements have provided an essential income for newspapers from the very earliest publications. Companies and individuals recognised that placing an advertisement in a newspaper was a cost-effective way to reach a mass audience. Early advertisements were quite formal and did not include pictures, as can be seen from the two examples below, taken from an American newspaper called The Massachusetts Centinel, printed in 1790:
Isaac Greenwood DENTIST At No. 19 Marlborough Street Continues to perform every operation on the teeth and gums, to eradicate the diseases and supply the deficiencies incident to them. He flatters himself that his success in practice is a sufficient recommendation. N.B. - P.WAINWRIGHT intending to embark for England in a few weeks, requests those who are indebted to him, to make immediate settlement - and those who have any demands against him, to exhibit their accounts. March 13, 1790

Gradually, advertisers began to use more sophisticated methods to entice readers to buy their products, the language used being both informative and persuasive. Short, catchy slogans were included in adverts to help readers remember products and brands. More recently, peer groups, such as teenagers or young men, have been targeted with peer pressure being used to make readers believe certain products are cool or necessary to succeed.

The skys the limit with Super Cola!

Newspaper advertising has, however, been badly affected by the rise in popularity of other forms of media advertising, notably television and Internet advertising, which is able to reach even wider audiences. This is particularly relevant for national newspapers, with regional newspapers still able to attract local advertisers. However, a recent study has suggested that the most effective method of advertising is to run a television campaign alongside a series of advertisements placed in national newspapers. It is probable, therefore, that there will always be a demand for advertising space in newspapers.

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COLA

ACTIVITY 1: SPOT THE SLOGAN!

How effective are slogans in advertising? Look at the famous slogans below, which have been used both on television and in newspaper advertising campaigns. How many of the products can you name? If you wish, work in pairs and hold a competition to see who can name the most products. You will nd the answers on page 52.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Beanz Meanz ----Its nger lickin good! Theyre grrrrreat! Its the real thing! A ---- a day helps you work, rest and play. Id rather have a bowl of ---- ---Because Im worth it! Let your ngers do the walking.

ACTIVITY 2: NOT QUITE RIGHT!

Listed below are a number of newspaper advertisements that are not quite right! They are very badly phrased! Discuss what each one means and then rewrite the adverts correctly. 1. Pedigree Labrador puppy for sale by elderly lady, who likes a tickle and a regular cuddle. 2. For rent: honest man with a van. Will take anything. 3. Wanted: a caring nanny to look after a beautiful baby that does not smoke or drink. 4. Take a luxury tour on our wonderful liner. It will go down a treat! 5. Ears pierced for just 5. Get an extra pair to take home. 6. Special offer on selected meals: Steaks 7.50; Roast chicken 6.00; Children just 2.50. 7. For sale: antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers. 8. Mature dog for sale. Eats anything. Especially fond of children.

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ACTIVITY 3: INFORMATION AND PERSUASION

Cut out as many adverts as possible from newspapers and weekend supplements. Discuss the techniques used by the advertisers. Which particular peer group is the advert aimed at and what is the evidence for this? Look, also, at the use of pictures and graphics. Are particular images used to attract a specic peer group? (e.g. a picture of a beautiful model used to advertise a particular brand of clothes or a beauty product aimed at young women). Identify any slogans used and highlight persuasive words and phrases. You could use the chart below to help you study your advertisements.

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENT
Name of newspaper or supplement Product advertised Slogan or catchprase used Peer group targeted Description of pictures or graphics used Examples of persuasive words or phrases Examples of informative words or phrases Your opinion: how effective is the advertisement?

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ACTIVITY 4: ANALYSE AN ADVERT

Look closely at the advert below. It begins with a catchy slogan and is packed with both informative and persuasive writing. Identify the slogan and then make a list of all the persuasive words used. Do you think the advert is aimed at a particular type of person or age group?

TAKE THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME WITH TOP CLASS TOURS!

Italian Christmas Markets

Join Top Class Tours for our exclusive and most delightful tour ever! This fantastic trip to the Italian Christmas Markets is an absolute bargain at just 299 per person! Travel in style in one of our modern, luxury air-conditioned coaches and stay in superb, well-equipped four star hotels with breathtaking views. Experience an incredible place at a relaxed pace. Accompanied by your very own friendly and knowledgeable representative, you will experience the winter wonder of the Italian market towns and you can bag yourself a bargain at the same time! This unmissable offer is sure to be popular so act immediately to secure your place! DONT DELAY RING TOP CLASS TOURS TODAY! Tel: 0616 774 1918
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ACTIVITY 5: DESIGN AN ADVERT

Your task is to design a newspaper advert for either a product or service. Your advert will be allocated half a page in a weekend colour supplement. You could choose from the list below or, alternatively, you could think of your own product: a new healthy breakfast cereal a skin care product a hair colour product a new female fashion range a seaside cottage for holiday rental a fast new sports car a weekend break in a luxury hotel a new brand of zzy drink a new garden centre. There are several things to consider before you start to design your advertisement. You will need a name for your product and you should identify the audience for which you are aiming. Also, try to include all or most of the following: A short, catchy slogan. Factual information about your product. Persuasive language. Eye-catching pictures or graphics.

Buy

Firstly, design a rough copy of your advertisement and discuss its effectiveness, either with a partner or in a group. Can you make any improvements? Finally, produce a neat nal copy either by hand or using a computer. Your advertisements should make a fantastic classroom display.

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PROPAGANDA
WHAT IS PROPAGANDA?
Propaganda is an organised programme of publicity whereby news can be censored and only selected information is presented to the public. The main purpose of propaganda is to inuence attitudes and opinion. Newspapers today often represent a political bias, clearly favouring one political party over another, and print propaganda in order to inuence their readers. For example, following a Government budget, one newspaper may print only the positive outcomes, ignoring taxation rises and cuts to services, while a different newspaper may highlight all of the negative aspects of the budget. Newspaper propaganda is not a new phenomenon. The Government initiated programmes of propaganda during both World War One and World War Two. In 1939 at the outbreak of war, the Government set up the Ministry of Information, a department solely responsible for publicity and propaganda during the Second World War. This role had been the responsibility of several different agencies during the First World War. Propaganda was broadcast regularly on the radio but the Government appreciated that popular newspapers reached into the homes of millions and played a crucial role in shaping the publics perception of war. Information was strictly controlled and censored in order to keep morale on the home front high. Every effort would be made to blacken the enemys name, with outrageous newspaper headlines and supporting stories which stirred the emotions and maintained support for the campaigns. Equally, news of heavy defeats, often initiated by tactical mistakes, were strictly censored to protect morale.

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ACTIVITY: THE ACCRINGTON PALS

Background Information The Accrington Pals was a battalion of soldiers who formed in the early months of the First World War. Brothers, cousins, workmates and groups of friends from Accrington and other nearby Lancashire towns enlisted together in response to Lord Kitcheners campaign to raise a voluntary army. The battalion was sent to France and suffered severe losses at Serre on the morning of 1st July, 1916, the rst day of the Battle of the Somme. Initial newspaper reports spoke of success on the Somme and there was even a report that Serre had been taken. However, the deliberate propaganda soon gave way to the terrible truth. The Facts Objective to capture the hilltop fortress of Serre held by German troops. Evening of 30th June, 1916 Accrington Pals leave camp for difcult seven-mile trek to the trenches in front of Serre. Battalion arrive at 2.40 a.m. on 1st July to nd the trenches badly shelldamaged. Trenches struck by enemy re at daybreak. At 7.20 a.m. Captain Arnold Tough receives command to lead the rst wave of the battalion forward into No Mans Land. A second wave soon follows. The soldiers walk in lines towards the German positions as enemy machine gun re rains down on them. An observer later likens the slaughter to swathes of cut corn at harvest time. Groups of men manage to ght their way through the barbed wire defences and reach the German front line. A third and fourth wave of the battalion move forward and experience further signicant losses. By 8.00 a.m. the battle for Serre is over. Out of 720 Accrington Pals, 584 have been killed or are wounded or missing.

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The Wartime News The imaginary newspaper report below has been written as a piece of wartime propaganda. Firstly, read the report and then compare it to the facts of the event:

Wartime News
Accrington Pals Lead Attack on Serre
Our brave boys were in action on the rst day of the vital Battle of the Somme. At 7.20 a.m. on 1st July, the courageous Accrington Pals led the offensive against entrenched German positions at the hilltop fortress of Serre. At the command of General Haig, fearless Captain Arnold Tough took the rst wave of the battalion over the top to face the demoralised enemy. A second wave of Pals, led by Captain Livesey, soon followed and the Nazis must have been quaking as line after line of soldiers advanced steadily towards them. Heroes A barrage of machine gun re rained down on our heroes and there were some casualties, including Captain Tough, who gave up his life for his country. However, the brave battalion of Accrington Pals pressed ever onward, some managing to break through the cruel barbed wire defences and attack the German front line. Our hearts are with our brave boys. We remain hopeful that, thanks to their courage and determination, Serre has been taken. One thing is certain; the action of the Accrington Pals will forever be remembered.

Now: Referring to the given facts, write an honest and accurate newspaper report about the events that took place on 1st July, 1916 the rst day of the Battle of the Somme. You will need to consider: The headline and any sub-headings you wish to use. Any background information you feel is relevant. Which facts you are going to use. Any pictures you are going to use. Any opinion you may wish to present.
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You should write a rst draft of your report and then check and edit it either with a partner or in a group. You may choose to present either a hand-written or computer-presented nal copy. To consider and discuss: If your honest and accurate report had actually appeared in a newspaper in 1916, what effect do you think it would have had? Is there a place for propaganda and censorship in the press?

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CARTOONS AND COMIC STRIPS

Cartoons and comic strips are a regular and much-loved feature of our newspapers. A cartoon may be dened as a single drawing, whereas a comic strip is a sequence of several frames of drawings that tell a story. Of course, storytelling using pictures is nothing new and has existed since at least Egyptian times. However, there are more cartoonists and comic strip artists employed by newspapers today than ever before.

CARTOONS

A Ministry of Information cartoon showing Hitler cowering beneath the strength of the British navy.

Cartoons have long been used to make social or political comment. The political cartoon really came to the fore in the early part of the twentieth century as the production of daily newspapers was increasing. On the outbreak of the First World War it was recognised that the political cartoon was an effective form of propaganda and this was developed further in World War Two when the Ministry of Information released its own political cartoons.

Political cartoonists use caricature, which relies on exaggerating a persons features, often to make them look quite ridiculous. Political cartoons often present a biased point of view reecting both the cartoonists and the newspapers opinion and the subjects usually politicians may be made to look either stronger or weaker than they actually are.

Not all cartoons that appear in newspapers are purely political. Some may reect events, such as a celebrity wedding or an important sports nal. However, the drawing is still likely to reect the cartoonists opinion.

Tony Blair

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COMIC STRIPS
The rst newspaper comic strip character was called The Yellow Kid, who was the lead character in a strip called Hogans Alley. It was created by Richard Felton Outcault in 1896 and rst appeared in an American Sunday newspaper called New York World. The Yellow Kid was a bald, big-eared child who dressed in a yellow nightshirt and hung around Hogans Alley with a number of other strange children! The Yellow Kid was so popular that other comic strips soon followed, such as Gertie the Dinosaur and Krazy Katz. Following the huge success of the comic strip in America, British newspapers began to commission comic strip artists, although this new art form evolved The Yellow Kid 1896 gradually. Comic strips may be classied into daily strips and Sunday strips. A daily strip appears in a newspaper from Monday through to Saturday and often tells a continuing story. A daily strip is usually printed in black and white, in contrast to the once-a-week Sunday strip, which is usually printed in colour. Sunday strips can appear both in newspapers and colour Sunday supplements. The rst daily strips were large and took up a lot of page space. However, as they have evolved, they have gradually become smaller and smaller. Most comic strip characters do not age however long the strip runs. A good example of this is the Daily Mirror character, Andy Capp. Created by Reg Smythe, this down to earth, northern working class character rst appeared in 1957 and was an immediate success. The strip also features his long suffering wife Florrie and their on-going battles have proved to be some of the funniest comic strip moments ever created. A mark of its popularity is that the comic strip continued to be produced even after Reg Smythes death in 1998. It is still read and loved by millions today. * If you look on the Internet you should be able to nd several images of Andy Capp.

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ACTIVITY 1: CLASSIFYING CARTOONS

Collect together as many different newspapers as possible. (You can include weekend supplements). Cut out all the cartoons you can nd. Sort out the cartoons according to whether they are political, represent social comment, reect celebrity or have some other subject. Make a large chart or wall display using the headings shown below: Political Social Comment Celebrity Other

Discuss the style and the effectiveness of the cartoons and then take a vote to decide which is the class favourite.

ACTIVITY 2: COLLECT COMIC STRIPS

Collect as many comic strip cartoons as possible from a variety of newspapers and colour supplements. As with your collection of cartoons, cut out the comic strips and create a table or chart to display them together with information about their source:
Comic Strips Newspaper Strip Cartoon

Which is your favourite comic strip? Choose one comic strip cartoon and use the Internet to nd out about its history. Try to collect your favourite comic strip for a whole week and display it each day to follow the story.

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ACTIVITY 3: CREATE YOUR OWN CARTOON

By now, you should be familiar with the nature of newspaper cartoons. Take a current newspaper report, feature or celebrity event and create your own cartoon, complete with an accompanying caption. You may wish to practise copying a cartoon before you create your own. There are several good books and Internet sites that show you how to draw cartoon characters. When you are ready, make a few rough sketches of your own cartoon before producing a nal copy. You can choose whether to produce your nal copy in black and white or in colour.

ACTIVITY 4: CREATE A COMIC STRIP CHARACTER

Create your very own comic strip character. You could work individually or you could co-operate with a partner. Your character could be a super hero, a pop star, a footballer, an animal or...anything you wish! Again, you should practise drawing your character over and over again. When you are condent, think of a storyline and see if you can produce a comic strip of several consecutive frames. A collection of comic strips makes an excellent classroom display!

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THE PUZZLE PAGE

THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE
One of the most popular pages in newspapers is the puzzle page. Many readers enjoy the challenges offered and dwell longer on the puzzle page than any other page in the newspaper, often returning to a puzzle several times. It is thought that the rst puzzle to appear in a newspaper was a crossword puzzle. The crossword F U N puzzle is still the most popular word game in the world. Crossword puzzles were rst printed in childrens books during the 19th century. However, in the United States they soon became a serious adult pastime. The rst adult crossword puzzle to be published in a newspaper appeared in the New York World in December 1913. Diamond-shaped, it was created by a journalist called Arthur Wynne, who was born in Liverpool. The puzzle was based on a childhood game called Magic Squares. Wynnes puzzle was so popular that other newspapers soon copied the idea. The rst crossword puzzle to appear in a British newspaper was published in the Sunday Express on November 2nd 1924.
1 2 3 4 32 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 33 27 28 29 30 31 34

Cryptic crossword puzzles are considered to be the ultimate challenge. The word cryptic means hidden or secret, thus the answer is hidden within each clue. All cryptic clues have a denition and each clue usually comes in two parts. For example, the clue for the word revolution could read: Go round for a rebellion. If you go round you revolve and another word for a rebellion could be a revolution. Deciphering the clues for a cryptic crossword is a real challenge as each cryptic clue is a puzzle in itself. The Times crossword is perhaps the most celebrated of all newspaper crosswords. The very rst Times crossword appeared in February 1930. Renowned for its difculty, the crossword quickly became a symbol of British culture. It is said that Winston Churchill once nearly missed an important cabinet meeting whilst trying to complete a Times crossword! There is even a Times Crossword Club.

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THE WORDSEARCH

As crossword puzzles grew steadily in popularity, newspapers looked to introduce different types of puzzles to their readers. The wordsearch puzzle rst appeared in a freely distributed newspaper in Oklahoma, America. It was immediately popular, as all of the answers were contained within the puzzle. Local teachers began to use the word puzzles in schools and their popularity spread both nationally and internationally. Wordsearches are different to crossword puzzles as each wordsearch is themed.

G U O M R H X O O Y R H Z O T T G C K R S S I Y S A E P Z T J W O

B N

L D

L B

L U B

K D N A D

More recently, the Sudoku puzzle has soared in popularity and can now be found on the puzzle page of almost every newspaper. Leonhard Euler, a Swiss mathematician in the 1780s rst developed the idea of arranging numbers in a square so that any number would appear just once in each row or column. However, the modern Sudoku puzzle was designed by Howard Garns, a retired architect from Indianapolis, and was rst published in New York in 1979. Garns presented a partially completed grid which required the solver to ll in the missing numbers. Although Sudoku is an American invention, the name is clearly Japanese. The puzzle was introduced in Japan in the mid-1980s under the name Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru, which roughly translated means the numbers must appear only once. Thankfully, the name was later shortened to Sudoku! The rst Sudoku puzzle to appear in a British newspaper was published in The Times in November 2004. Within days, other newspapers followed suit, publishing their own Sudoku puzzles. In February 2005, The Daily Telegraph introduced the Sudoku puzzle on a daily basis, advertising the fact on their front page. The newspaper gained sales simply by its presence! The puzzle surged in popularity and soon became the fastestgrowing puzzle in the world.

THE SUDOKU PUZZLE

A R C H

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ACTIVITY 1: STUDY PUZZLE PAGES

Collect a number of different daily and weekly newspapers and study the puzzle pages. You will notice very quickly that the puzzles in some newspapers are much more difcult than in others. Work with a partner. Select a couple of puzzles and see how far you get with them. The answers to the puzzles are often given in the following edition of the newspaper.

ACTIVITY 2: NEWSPAPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

See page 47. All the answers are to do with newspapers. You will nd the solutions on page 52.

ACTIVITY 3: SCHOOL WORDSEARCH

See page 48. All the answers are to do with school. You will nd the solutions on page 52.

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NEWSPAPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

1 4 2 3

5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 21 22 19 20 16 10

23 24 25 26 27

28

29

ACROSS 2 3 4 5 8 11 15 17 21 22 23 25 26 28 29 What you do with newspapers. Many of these make up a newspaper. You are doing one now! Another name for reporter. Throughout the land. Once every seven days. Takes the pictures. Every reporters dream story. Your time to relax. Could be hand written or typed. Is this format easier to read? Usually more than one on a page. Distribution of newspapers. Impressions left by type. Larger type of newspaper.

DOWN 1 2 3 6 7 9 10 12 13 14 16 18 19 20 24 27 Words actually reported. They write the stories or present the news. Another name for newspaper. Makes the important decisions. Writes 25 across. Either daily or weekly. Could be of a book, lm or theatre production. Often on the back pages. Often come with weekend papers. A popular article of interest. Used to publicise a product. Not a balanced point of view. Bold before a story. Another word for a report. Funny or political drawing. Take a journey or just read about a place!

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SCHOOL WORDSEARCH
L B G X Y T I S R E V I N U V H D N U O R G Y A L P N V F K L S S L O O H C S P U P I L P B N M T B M J Z K K Z S M A X E O M O L Z R W O Y R A M I R P S B C N U B H O T T N D L M R S T Y C D S F B X E M L J F W E T N L G A E R K R A U X H O L I D A Y N Y R I M M C I N V Y H I S T O R Y Y E L M H S D P Q L S Q L M S J Y N L J E A R R A G B N N U M T D D W U R N K N A R N M B K H R Z S R R R M S B T W E J E B G O F P I X G Y E C X Q E N H S N P C R T R L G D G K C L N T C S S J Y E P L D R D T Q K N P S L A

assembly books class desk draw exams friends gymnasium History

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school sport subject teacher term university write

PRODUCE YOUR OWN NEWSPAPER

By now you should have a good grasp of what is required to produce a successful newspaper. You should have practised writing and editing articles and reports; you should have undertaken your own research in order to produce one or more features; and you should have had the opportunity to take your own digital photographs to illustrate your work. Why not produce your very own class or school newspaper?

THE TEAM

A successful newspaper relies on a well-organised and hard-working team. Every team needs leaders and in this case your leaders will be the editors. How are you going to choose your editorial team? How many editors do you think you will need? Of course, your teacher could make those decisions for you but it would be much better to appoint your own editorial team. Firstly, consider the skills required by your editors. Editors should: be good leaders who communicate well with team members possess good writing skills and be able to write with accuracy be able to motivate team members remain calm under pressure be able to work to deadlines possess good organisational skills. You could display these requirements in the form of a job description and ask those interested in the role to put their names forward. Alternatively, once you have decided how many editors you need, your class could hold a secret ballot to elect those most suitable. For a class/team of about thirty children, four editors is a sensible number. Next you need to allocate jobs and responsibilities to the rest of the team. The editors should consider exactly which jobs are required, e.g. reporters, feature writers, photographers, cartoonists etc. Obviously, it is important, where possible, to allocate team members a job in which they are interested but not everyone can be a sports reporter! The editorial team should decide exactly how many people they need for each job, remembering that some roles lend themselves to working in pairs. Again, jobs could be displayed and pupils could apply, or a meeting/lesson could be used to allocate roles. The team is then ready to begin work.

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TIMESCALE

One of your rst decisions will be with regard to the timescale of your project. Your rst edition will be the most difcult to produce and it is important to give yourselves enough time. It would be sensible to allocate a full term to your project but this obviously depends on the number of sessions available. A starting point would be to draw up a timetable such as the example below if only to cover the rst few weeks:

Our Newspaper Timetable

Week
Week 1

Tasks
Discuss approach to project Appoint editors Make a list of jobs and allocate roles Discuss name for newspaper Discuss content of newspaper and allocate specic tasks Choose content for features and begin research Formulate questions for interview Begin to write reports Hand rst drafts to editors for editing Begin to type up nished work....

Week 2

Week 3

CONTENT

You will need to discuss and agree exactly what content you want to include in your newspaper. Be sure to look ahead to any forthcoming school events. Make a list on a whiteboard/ipchart which the editors can then copy and keep, for example: Reporters could write about school events such as sports matches, special assemblies, PTA events, Harvest, Christmas activities, school visits, guests visiting school etc. Reporters could interview members of staff both about their roles in school and their hobbies and interests out of school. Features could link in with specic topics either from your own class or from other classes in school, e.g. a topic about the Tudors could lead to a feature about Henry VIII. Do you have any stars in your school? Perhaps you have someone who is outstanding in a particular sport, music, dancing or art. A prole on such a person would make an excellent feature and could include a picture. Photographers could liaise with writers to decide upon pictures required.

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It is the job of the editors to decide upon the order that the content will appear in the newspaper. Editors should look at published newspapers to help with their decisions. Make sure a system is in place to ensure that completed work does not get lost. It is a good idea to set up a series of in trays i.e. one for general news, one for sports news, one for features etc.

FINAL PRODUCTION

Once all of your reports, articles and features are completed you will need to set aside sessions for the nal production of your newspaper. Your newspaper will most probably be printed in A4 format with articles and reports formatted in two columns, as in the example shown:

The Radcliffe Reporter

Today sees the launch of our new school newspaper. Produced by an enthusiastic team of reporters, editors and photographers, The Radcliffe Reporter is sure to be a great success....

NEW SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

We would value your views about our rst edition. Why not write to our Letters Page with any suggestions you have for improvements. Perhaps you would like to see....

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Using A4 format means that each page can be typed up separately and the newspaper can be assembled when printed. Children could work either individually or in pairs when typing up work. Editors should read through all completed work to eliminate mistakes before the paper goes to press.

CIRCULATION

It is little use producing a school newspaper if no one is going to read it! How are you going to circulate your newspaper? Are you going to charge for your newspaper and if so, how much? You may prefer to send home a copy of your newspaper to every family in the school. You should certainly consider placing a copy in the school library area and the entrance area to school. Your school governors would love to read your newspaper and the local library may be interested in receiving a copy. Finally, why not inform your town newspaper of your venture? You may nd yourselves featuring as budding journalists! Good luck!

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1. Heinz Baked Beans 2. Kentucky Fried Chicken 3. Kelloggs Frosties 4. Coca-Cola 5. Mars chocolate bar 6. Coco Pops breakfast cereal 7. LOreal beauty products 8. Yellow Pages

SPOT THE SLOGAN (page 32)

ANSWERS
R Z Z L E P J O R N A T E R S U F E A B E I A S S T U R E C C I R C U L A R P R I N T O B R O N A D S H E T R I O N E W S P A P E R H S P O R T L H E A D L I N E O N T T T O G A L U R N A L I E A D P R E S S T E D I T O R A D V E R T S T R A V E L T A B L R S P H W E R E V I E W A C C O U N T I D R K L Y A G E S

NEWSPAPER CROSSWORD SOLUTION (page 47)

Q P U O T E C R I T I S C O O

P P L E M E

N T S

SCHOOL WORDSEARCH SOLUTION (page 48)

L B G X Y T I S R E V I N U V H D N U O R G Y A L P N V F K L S S L O O H C S P U P I L P B N M T B M J Z K K Z S M A X E O M O L Z R W O Y R A M I R P S B C N U B H O T T N D L M R S T Y C D S F B X E M L J F W E T N L G A E R K R A U X H O L I D A Y N Y R I M M C I N V Y H I S T O R Y Y E L M H S D P Q L S Q L M S J Y N L J E A R R A G B N N U M T D D W U R N K N A R N M B K H R Z S R R R M S B T W E J E B G O F P I X G Y E C X Q E N H S N P C R T R L G D G K C L N T C S S J Y E P L D R D T Q K N P S L A

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Also available from:

ENGLISH TEACHER RESOURCE BOOKS Write Now! (FTRDW01) by David Webb (Suitable for 8-12 year olds) 5 Minutes Starters (FTRPB01) by Priscilla Bishop (Suitable for 10-14 year olds) HISTORY TEACHER RESOURCE BOOKS Britain at War (HISDW01) by David Webb (Suitable for 8-12 year olds) Victorian Britain (HISDW02) by David Webb (Suitable for 8-12 year olds) The 1960s (HISDW04) by David Webb (Suitable for 8-12 year olds) Explorers and Travellers (HISJD01) by John Davis (Suitable for 9-13 year olds) RELUCTANT READERS by David Webb (All suitable for 8-12 year olds) Dinosaur Day (FRRDW01) The Library Ghost (FRRDW02) Trevors Trousers (FRRDW03) Grandmas Teeth (FRRDW06) Friday the Thirteenth (FRRDW07) Professor Nutter and the Curse of the Pharaohs Tomb (FRRDW08) Professor Nutter and the Gladiators Ghost (FRRDW09) Lauras Game (F042)

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