Connect Across the Curriculum

Literary Analysis: Analyze News Media
Academic Vocabulary

  • • report (ri-port) verb When you report on an event, you describe what happened.

Articles in news publications report facts about events. Facts are statements that can be proved as true or false. Dates, places, and data suggest facts. Articles can include opinions, too. Most opinion statements use words like think, believe, or like.

Because people read news publications for information, a reporter can focus people’s attention on a topic or issue by writing about it. The facts and opinions that the reporter presents also help people form opinions about the topic or issue.

Practice Together

Read and Discuss This news feature is from a music magazine. Notice the facts. Then notice how the writer reports people’s opinions.

“He’s the best guitar player in the world,” one fan said. “I think he has natural talent.”

I interviewed Miguel’s parents after the show. They told me that Miguel practices at least three hours every day. His guitar coach confirmed this. “Miguel does seem to have a gift, but he works hard, too. I give him very difficult exercises and he works on them all week. At his next lesson, I can tell he learned from the exercises.”

Miguel has performed in more than ten cities in the past year. Everywhere he goes, fans scream for more.

He just might be the country’s next great talent.

The reporter of this article focuses on the guitar player Miguel. What opinions might people have about Miguel after they read this article?

Try It!

Work with a partner. Find facts and opinions in the news article “Old Music Finds New Voices.” Then think about what topic the reporter wants people to focus on. What opinion do you have about this topic because of the article?