Media Studies - News Construction of a news report

Works as an enigma (Barthes), teasing the audience to want to find out more. They are an important hook to capture the audience and encourage them to pay attention to the article. There is an assumption in this headline that the audience will know who Brady is, and the word ‘moor’ will remind them if they have forgotten.

Like the headline, the hook should grab the audience’s attention and encourage them to want to read the rest of the article. Intros are usually very short – maybe 30 words – and should be able to be read and digested quickly and easily. The intro sums up the main point of the article – in this case the discussion of Brady’s possible final resting place.

Journalists often present stories from a human interest angle, putting people at the centre of their stories. Quotes are often used to give a human touch by emphasising the importance of the people in the story. In this instance, Brady is the focus but the sympathy clearly lies with the victims and their families. A quote from one of the victim’s brothers shows this.

Reveals information in such a way as to keep the reader interested but also to aid their understanding of what is going on.

Short paragraphs are important in news reports and each one is used to develop the narrative of the story a little bit more. There is also often a structure to news stories in that all the important info is given at the start and less important details are added later. In this example, the important info is that a coroner will not release Brady’s body until he is satisfied his ashes won’t be scattered on the Moor. Arguably less important information comes later such as how he died.