英语新闻报道的结构
I. Introduction
What is news?
1. News is a fresh report of events, facts, or opinions 1. News is a fresh report of events, facts, or opinions
thatthat
people did not know before they read your story. people did not know before they read your story.
新闻就是针对人们读你的报道以前还不知道的事新闻就是针对人们读你的报道以前还不知道的事
件、事实或观点的一种全新报道。件、事实或观点的一种全新报道。
2. News is anything timely that interests a number of 2. News is anything timely that interests a number of
persons, and the best news is that which has the persons, and the best news is that which has the
greatest greatest
interest of the greatest number. interest of the greatest number.
凡是及时的、能引起一部分人兴趣的东西凡是及时的、能引起一部分人兴趣的东西, , 便是新便是新
闻。而最好的新闻则是那种能够激起最大多数人最闻。而最好的新闻则是那种能够激起最大多数人最
大兴趣的东西。大兴趣的东西。
3. News is any event, idea or opinion that is timely, 3. News is any event, idea or opinion that is timely,
that interests or affects a large number of people in that interests or affects a large number of people in
a community and that is capable of being a community and that is capable of being
understood by by them.
新闻是指人们能及时获悉的事件、观点或见解，新闻是指人们能及时获悉的事件、观点或见解，
它能吸引或影响社会上的许多人，并能为他们所它能吸引或影响社会上的许多人，并能为他们所
理解。理解。
4. News is the reporting of anything timely which has 4. News is the reporting of anything timely which has
importance, use, or interest to a considerable importance, use, or interest to a considerable
number of persons in a publication of persons in a publication audience.
新闻是对任何事物的及时报道，对于读者群体中新闻是对任何事物的及时报道，对于读者群体中
的许多人来说，这类报道具有重要性、实用性或的许多人来说，这类报道具有重要性、实用性或
趣味性。趣味性。
5. If a dog bites a man, it is not news; if a man
bites a dog, it's (big) news.
狗咬人并非新闻，人咬狗才是（大）新闻。
……
News is an account of what is happening
around
us. It may involve current events, new initiative
or
ongoing projects or issues. But news is not only
about what’s taking place of the day, it also
concerns background analysis, opinions,
human
interest stories, etc.
A. Identify news categories
• the nature of the reported events
1. hard news
2. soft news
• Hard news is how journalists refer to news of
the day. It is a chronicle of current events /
incidents and is the most common type of
news
printed on the front page of a typical
newspaper.
• 硬新闻关系到国计民生以及人们切身利益
的新闻。包括党和国家的重大方针、政策的
制定和改变，时局变化，市场行情，股市涨
落，银根松紧，疾病流行，天气变化，重大
灾难事故等等。这类新闻为人们的政治、经
济、工作、日常生活的决策提供依据。
• Soft news is a term for all the news that isn’t
time-sensitive（时效性）, including profiles
of people, programs or organizations, etc.
• 软新闻：人情味较浓的社会新闻（社会花
边新闻、娱乐新闻、体育新闻、服务性新闻
等），形式上通俗，注重趣味性。它没有明
确的时间界定，多属于延缓性新闻，无时间
的紧迫性。它和人们的切身利益无多大关
系，向受众提供娱乐、开阔眼界、增长知
识、陶冶情操。
B. Identify news styles
There are mainly four news styles which are
(1) news reporting (消息报道 )
(2) feature (特写)
(3)editorial (社论)
(4)advertisement (广告)
II. News Structure
A. The lead
• Every hard news article starts with a lead —
the
first 1-2 sentences that summarize the most
interesting point of the article. The lead
should
be brief yet catchy , giving the reader an
instant
sense of what the article is about and
making
him or her want to read more.
新闻导语是新闻报道开头的第一段文字，也是最重新闻导语是新闻报道开头的第一段文字，也是最重
要的部分，通常是标题的展开形式，记者必须把新要的部分，通常是标题的展开形式，记者必须把新
闻时间的主要情节用一两句化概括在新闻导语的第闻时间的主要情节用一两句化概括在新闻导语的第
一段里。这是新闻报道的精华所在。按照新闻报道一段里。这是新闻报道的精华所在。按照新闻报道
的要求，导语尽可能回答５个Ｗ和一个Ｈ即Ｗ的要求，导语尽可能回答５个Ｗ和一个Ｈ即Ｗhathat
（何事）、Ｗ（何事）、Ｗhoho（何人）、Ｗ（何人）、Ｗherehere（何地）、Ｗ（何地）、Ｗhyhy
（为何）和Ｈ（为何）和Ｈowow（如何）。这个观点曾被西方新闻（如何）。这个观点曾被西方新闻
界视为金科玉律，但是由于新闻导语趋于愈来愈界视为金科玉律，但是由于新闻导语趋于愈来愈
短，因此，新闻导语现在一般未必包含所有的新闻短，因此，新闻导语现在一般未必包含所有的新闻
要素，而是突出其中最重要的新闻要素，其他要素要素，而是突出其中最重要的新闻要素，其他要素
可放在以下的段落。可放在以下的段落。
• DENVER, Colorado (AP) A lightning strike at a DENVER, Colorado (AP) A lightning strike at a
golf course driving range Saturday killed a man and golf course driving range Saturday killed a man and
injured his 16-year-old son, a fire department injured his 16-year-old son, a fire department
spokeswoman saidspokeswoman said
• WhenWhen
Saturday Saturday
• WhereWhere
At a golf course At a golf course
• WhoWho
A man and his son A man and his son
• WhatWhat
Lightning killed the man and injured his son Lightning killed the man and injured his son
• NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Teenagers who NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Teenagers who
spend 3 hours a day or more in front of the spend 3 hours a day or more in front of the
television are at risk of developing sleeping problem television are at risk of developing sleeping problem
later in life, new research in life, new research reports.
• Who Who
Teenagers Teenagers
• What What
Teenagers may develop sleep problems Teenagers may develop sleep problems
• When When
Later in their life Later in their life
• How How
• Spending three hours or more in front of TVSpending three hours or more in front of TV
• By EMMA ROSS, AP Medical Writer BANGKOK, By EMMA ROSS, AP Medical Writer BANGKOK,
Thailand-Asia’s bird flu death toll rose to 12 with Thailand-Asia’s bird flu death toll rose to 12 with
the announcement Monday of two additional the announcement Monday of two additional
deaths, while China said it suspected the virus has deaths, while China said it suspected the virus has
reached poultry in one of its most remote cornersreached poultry in one of its most remote corners
• When When
Monday, Monday,
• Where Where
Thailand Thailand
• What What
Bird flu death toll rose to 12 Bird flu death toll rose to 12
• Who Who
Thailand and China Thailand and China
• In a soft news story , however , the lead
should
present the subject of the story by allusion
(暗示;
引喻 ) . This type of opening is somewhat
literary (文学的 ). Like a novelist (小说家) ,
the
role of the writer is to grab the attention of
the
reader.
B. The 5 “W’s” and the H
News articles, especially a hard news story,
always include the essentials—who, what,
where, when, why and how. Good news
writing attempts to answer all the basic
questions about any particular event in the
first
two or three paragraphs.
Who is involved?
Who made a scientific discovery?
Who’s speaking at a forum?
Who made the donation?
Who organized the new staff group?
(Not just names, but titles and brief
backgrounds
if necessary.)
What is the nature of the news story or event?
Is it about a scientific discovery, an economic
conference, a delivered speech, a heavy flood or
casualty in the Middle East?
Where is the news or event taking place?
When will (or did) the event take place?
What time and date is the event, or when will
someone be available for an interview if
needed?
Why is the story newsworthy?
Tell readers why they should care.
Who will be affected by this news and how?
In other words, what distinguishes the story or
event from others?
How usually describes the manner in which the
action occurs.
C. “inverted pyramid” structure
• Journalism instructors usually describe the
organization or structure of a news story as an
inverted pyramid.
• This upside down triangle serves as a guide for
how you include information in the story.
• Using the inverted pyramid means starting
with
the most important information, then giving
the
next most important information and so on.
The Inverted Pyramid Form
In other words, it is to present from the most
important material to the least important and
from
general points to specific details. Many people
read
only the first few paragraphs of a story, so it’s
important to start with the most vital
information
and add details future down.
Thank you for your
attention!!
