Module 1 Sample Essay Answer

SECTION A
MODULE 1 – GATHERING AND PROCESSING INFORMATION
1. Read the extract below carefully then answer the questions that follow.
After analyzing 102 local TV newscasts from 52 metropolitan areas in the United States for
content and presentation, a media-watch group found that only 41.3 percent of the programs
contained news. What makes up the rest of the newscast?
On an average, 30.4 percent of airtime of local TV news consists of commercials. In fact,

some of the stations surveyed devoted more time to commercials than to news. In addition, news
airtime is often filled with fluff, states the report summarizing the finding of the study.
Under the heading “Fluff,” the report groups “the cumulative air-time given to chit-chat
between anchors, promotions and previews of upcoming stories, the ‘soft’ or silly news and the
items about celebrities.” A sample of some fluff stories: “Terrible Tenors Contest,” “Reporter
Takes ‘Awesome, Incredible, Astounding’ Ride on Roller Coaster,” and “More People Buy
Sandwich Spread at Supermarkets.”
What stories make up the actual news? Crime stories dominate the TV news, comprising
26.9 percent of the news airtime. “‘If it bleeds, it leads’ remains a truism in local TV news….
Crime rates may be down across the U. S. over the last few years, but not on local television
news.” Why? According to the authors of the study, “crime events are dramatic and gain
people’s attention.”
Next to crime comes coverage of disasters, such as fires, car crashes, floods, and explosions
(12.2 percent of the news), followed by sports news (11.4 per cent). Then comes coverage of
health (10.1 percent), government (8.7 percent), and the economy (8.5 percent). Such topics as
education, the environment, the arts, and science receive little attention (from 1.3 to 3.6 percent).
Weather reports, on the other hand, average 10 percent of all newscasts. “Everyone likes to talk
about the weather and TV news is no exception,” comment the researchers. They add: “Any
type of weather, good or bad, hot or cold, wet or dry, can elicit extensive news coverage.”
On a positive note, the report states that a growing number of journalists and viewers see the
need for change. However, the study admits that such a change will not come easily because
“market forces and greed may always threaten quality journalism.”
“TV News: How much of it is really news?”
Awake Magazine, April 22, 2003, p. 12
In an ESSAY of no more than 500 words,
(a) state the writer’s MAIN point,

(b) identify the writer’s main purpose and,
(c) comment on the use of THREE organizational strategies and THREE language
techniques used to achieve this purpose.
25 MARKS
SAMPLE ANSWER
The article “TV News: How much of it is really news?” is discussed here. In this article the
main point is that less than half of the content of US newscasts is actual news as a result of
“market forces and greed” and this needs to change. The main purpose is to inform the audience
that less than half of the news in the US is really news due to factors affecting good journalism.
The writer utilizes organizational strategies and language techniques to accomplish
his/her purpose.
There are several organizational strategies used in the extract. One such is
statistics. This is evident in the first paragraph when the writer asserts, “only
41.3 percent of the programs contained news.” This helps to corroborate the
claims being made that newscasts have little news by indicating that quantitative
research was done. Another strategy used is that of contrast. This is seen when
the article highlights that most of the “actual news” aired is about crime compared
to other news items such as education which may get as low as 1.3 percent of
coverage. This highlights that a disproportionate amount of the news focuses on
crime when it is clear that the news should spend more time on other topics as
well; thereby indicating that market forces are determining what is aired as news
rather than the actual news itself. Finally, the article uses appeal to authority.
This is evident by the constant reference to the media-watch group which did a
report on US news broadcasts. This assures the reader that the information being
presented is accurate and can be trusted.
The writer also utilizes language techniques to enhance his purpose.

Hypophora, as in “What makes up the rest of the newscast?” for
instance is used to help preempt readers and therefore focus them on
the issue of shoddy journalism being discussed. Additionally,
examples are used when the topics categorized as “fluff” are
highlighted to demonstrate how very little these topics are worthy of
being broadcasted as news. Furthermore, the adage/cliché “[i]f it
bleeds, it leads” points to the influence of the market and journalists
in determining what eventually gets broadcasted.
As such, it is seen that the writer ably integrates the use of organizational strategies and language
techniques to achieve his purpose. This is, to demonstrate, that the US news media needs to
change its focus and actually broadcast the news rather than allow greed and other factors to
determine what is eventually presented. (412 words)
Thesis
Transitions
Point
Example
Explanation

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SECTION A

MODULE 1 – GATHERING AND PROCESSING INFORMATION

On an average, 30.4 percent of airtime of local TV news consists of commercials. In fact,

(a) state the writer’s MAIN point,

The writer also utilizes language techniques to enhance his purpose.

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