News Item

News item is factual text which informs the readers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important. Social function of news item is to informs readers, listeners, or viewers about event of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

Generic Structure of News Item:

• Newsworthy event: recount the event in summary form
• Background event: elaborate what happened, to whom, in what, circumstances.
• Sources: comments by participants in witnesses to and authorities expert on the event.

Significant Grammar Features:

• Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline
• Generally using simple past tense
• Use of material priocesses to retell the event
• Using action verbs
• Using saying verbs
• Focus circumstances
• Use of projecting verbal procccess in sources stages

Example News Item :

A bomb was found in a Cirebon mosque on Saturday prior to a Muslim gathering to commemorate the Prophet Muhammad's birthday.

Cirebon Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ary Laksmana Wijaya said the Sang Ciptra Rasa Keraton Kasepuhan mosque officials were aware that there was a plastic bag in the mosque on Friday and they still found it on Saturday morning.

"When they opened the bag, it was a bomb. So they reported the case to the police," Ary said.

Police said it was possible that the bomb would be detonated at the mosque.

However, police did not ruled out another possibility that the bomb might be brought and detonated in another place.