Features of a Newspaper Report KS2 - Standalone Lesson

Features of a Newspaper Report KS2 - Standalone Lesson

What is a newspaper report?

Newspaper reports are written to inform people about recent events and retell these events so that people know what has happened. They are factual pieces of writing and are typically found in newspapers, online news sites or magazines.

What are the features of a newspaper report?

Newspaper reports have several features to make sure that they are easy to read, factual, formal and informative. Features of a newspaper report include a headline, columns, an introductory paragraph containing the key information about the report (who, what, when, where and why/how), further paragraphs with more information about the event or issue, and a closing paragraph.

They can also sometimes contain direct or reported quotes from eyewitnesses or other key individuals involved in the story, as well as pictures with captions.

Newspaper reports are usually written in the past tense because they describe events that have happened in the past.

Headlines

Newspaper headlines need to be short and snappy in order to gain the reader's attention. They can often include puns, alliteration and exclamations.

The 5Ws

The introductory paragraph of a newspaper usually contains the 5Ws: who, what, when, where and why/how. These five key pieces of information help to tell the reader exactly what the rest of the newspaper report will be about. It gives the reader a quick summary of the report so that the reader can decide if they want to continue reading.

Layout

Newspaper reports are usually written in columns with the text separated into paragraphs. Both of these devices make the reports easier to read, and for the reader to scan the report to read the parts they are interested in.

Newspaper reports are written in columns and paragraphs.

Direct and Reported Quotes

The authors of newspaper reports often include quotes for eyewitnesses or other people involved in the story. This is a good way for the reporter to add more personal details to the story, without having to give their own opinion. Quotes can either be direct or reported.

Direct quotes record exactly what the person said. They stand out more from the rest of the writing because the punctuation and tense change forces the reader to slow down. This kind of quote gives more importance to what is being said and creates more of an impact. Direct quotes use inverted commas.

Reported quotes give less of an impact but still allow the writer to include the insight and opinions of others in the report. They blend in with the rest of the writing more than a direct quote and therefore they don’t disrupt the flow of the writing as much. Reported quotes usually start with, e.g. ‘She said that…’ or ‘He reported that…’.

Pictures and captions

Some, not all, newspaper reports have a picture of photograph. This will usually be the people, place or objects involved in the story. The caption is a short phrase or sentence added underneath the picture to explain what the picture shows.

Newspaper reports often include pictures or photographs.