Summary
Summary TEX2601 - Writing Skills For The Communication Industry Lesson 2
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- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Summarised TEX2601 Lesson 2 ( no answers to assignment)
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TEX2601 Lesson 2Altern
introduction ative
INTRODUCTION
The Y and hourglass structures summarise key facts first, followed by rest
Struct
of information.
Documenting paragraphs are different from IPF.
y structure ures
Y STRUCTURE
Also known as champagne or martini method.
Rewards reader by ending article with something important or surprising.
End of article is important, and harder to edit, and longer in length
because they recap events in detail.
Framework consists of the following:
1. IPF summary lead: logical summary of important
events based on common wh-questions (what, why,
when, where and who)
2. Transition: brief statement indicating article is
moving on from summary lead and now focus on
detailed account of event.
3. Chronological explanation of events: event retold,
blow-by-blow, in chronological order with details.
4. Kicker: final statement, leaves reader in awe, shock, surprise or
thinking. Can take form of quote, joke, fact, or twist.
Y-structure is not about summarising events.
Chronological explanation of events helps understand reported events
better and ending packs a punch (difference between IPF and Y-structure)
Works well for articles about complicated sequences, crime stories and
sports reporting.
HOURGLASS STRUCTURE
hourglass structure
Framework that summarises main event followed by a shift in focus of
article (focus on related stories).
Structure suits two types of readers; impatient (only wants to know what
happened) and curious (invested in story).
Tend to be longer and mostly used for feature-type contributions.
Combines IPF and narrative style reporting; contains following
components:
1. Summary Lead: identical to IPF, used to summarise
important facts by answering wh-questions.
Paragraphs following lead are used to flesh out main
facts in order events took place. Forms first bowl of
hourglass.
1
, 2. Turn: brief statement/short paragraph notifies reader that article is
shifting focus from main event to second (related) story. Turn
indicates transition.
3. Narrative: second bowl tells a story. Story is told chronologically and
divided into three sections; beginning, middle, and end, contains
detail, dialogue, and background info.
Not ideal for reporting hard news only. Author needs greater command in
writing the narrative part. Need to provide more detail and understand
topic in a deeper level to aid documenting the mood and psychology
involved.
THEthe
NUTnut
GRAPH
graph
Not all articles aim to summarise the important facts of an event. Instead,
engage with information to make sense of it.
Different frameworks apply to bringing this kind of article to life, but one
thing most of them have in common is the nut graph (also spelt nutgraph
and nutgraf).
Meant to provide context and explain what direction the article is taking.
Soft lead precedes and complements the nut graph.
THEthe
SOFTsoft
LEADlead
Soft leads (also known as delayed leads) do not summarise the main facts
by answering common wh-questions.
Function as appetisers; gimmicks to get the reader interested through
atmosphere, mood, curiosity and by setting a scene. Soft leads questions,
highlight interesting perspectives, describe something in detail or capture
a moment.
Fedler (1989:115-126); types of soft leads:
1. Anecdote/Example (“delayed/buried lead”): introductory paragraph
sketches an interesting example (or anecdote) and thereby
establishes the theme of the report. The story returns to the actual
event only afterwards.
2. Quotation: in which a person is usually the focal point, appropriate
to begin report with a quotation of a statement the person made. In
other cases, the report can begin with a statement that
newsworthy, and the best place to put it is in the introductory
paragraph. Main goal is to capture attention. Quotations only
appear if they meet the following requirements:
Sources states something so effectively journalist cannot put
it in a better way.
Quotation sums up whole event/theme and is short and
succinct.
Quotation is self-explanatory.
Statement is sensational.
3. Question: is a good lead – if it is short, simple, and specific and of a
nature that one will feel compelled to answer. Succeeds when
question deals with controversial matter.
2
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