ENGLISH FOR MASS MEDIA AND JOURNALISM-Writing & Vacabulary on proof reading

D. Writing

Proof reading – editing content and language, is an essential part of writing. Before you send any written material, it must be revised thoroughly and all errors corrected (punctuation, spelling, organisation, grammar, etc.). Remember, once it leaves your hands, you cannot retrieve it.

Task 1: Read the following report. You will notice that it has been written in a hurry. Imagine you are the proofreader of a newspaper and this material is sent to you.Correct and rewrite it:

A man was beaten and robed by two tugs in Parry Street on Wednesday evening. They had followed him into a multi-story car park where he had left his car while shoping. They made of with Rs. 5000/- in cash, leaving the driver bruised and cut. the
victim from Tambarum had just sat in the driving seat when two men wrenched open the door pulled him to the ground punched and steal his walet. The attackers where both between 18 and 20years Of age of medium height and were wearing dark glases and dark shirts. The other had 3 gold earrings in his left year. One was wore a gold chain around his neck. Anyone with information please contact the local police station.

Task 2: Read the given extracts from a Newspaper page before it
has reached the Editor. Make the editor’s task easier for
him by correcting the errors.

(a) From an interview with a celebrity clown:

Q: Why do you always look so sad?
A: Whenever I’m not smiling, people allways ask me wether I’m feeling deppressed, its an awful nuisance because no one can wok round grining on every occasion and i don’tbelieve that basicly other people are any happyer than me. Psycholgists (or do i mean psychyatrists?) would probably say that im lieing to myself but i sincerely believe its true. Although I try to practice smiling in front of the mirror. It doesn’t seem to have any affect. My friends say, “Come on, cheer up. Its not that bad!”


(b) Here are a few more items from the ‘Masala’ page of a local magazine. In his hurry, the Sub-editor has not only made a number of mistakes, but also mixed-up the headings! Rewrite them correctly.

1. Check Out this Nawab

A dog has somewhat diminish the treat of leopards straying out of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park for food. After a series of loepard attack on people, forest oficials and local people managed
to nab a few beasts using the dog as a bate. The dog which attracted leopards into a cage is something of a local hero for people around the park.


2. Heroic Bait

The ride on the escalatter at metero stations has cought the fancy of delhiites. People young and old throng the stations for a go on the escalatter. Even during peek hours many go for a second or a third ride. Meanwhile, the lifts at the station lie desrted.



3. Capital Joy Ride

The nawabs of Lucknow are now kept in small perforated cardboard boxes. What pity for the royalty of Lucknow you think.Not really, for the nawab is the brand name - like Neelam,
Banganpalli, HimaamPassaad - of a variety of mango that is packed in swanky little packets for export. The packaging is designed to protec the mangoose from the traumas of the ‘indian transport system.

Note: The language used in the above examples may be outlandish,
but done with a deliberate design to highlight the importance of
proofreading.



E. Vocabulary



Task 1: Match the words in A with their meanings in B:


Task 2: Think of other words that the media uses e.g. deadlines.Work with a partner and compile a list for your scrapbook. Also find their meanings.

F. Extensive reading

Read the two poems aloud. Both poems are about the poets’
experience with mass media.

‘My poetry speaks of life’

My poetry speaks of life
And sometimes life isn’t pretty
In life we encounter the beautiful, the ugly,
The joyful and the sorrowful.

From ‘The Mass Media War’

Late night’s haze, minds dull glaze
Is excited by the tube’s war craze!
Fighting shy, I crave for more
Front row coverage of this mass media war.
Imbedded journalist, pundits – all the press corps seek
Surrealistic, sensational and emotional peaks

Achieving success by reporting death destruction, and gore,
Risking body and soul to bring us this mass media war

Are our leaders saving us from mass destruction?
Or feeding the greed of crude oils corruption?
To more hate and terror are we opening the door?
When they drop leaflets and bombs in this mass media war.

So, I sit and think, pondering evil and good
Disturbing possibilities of what would, could or should?
I pray with my whole mind and soul’s inner core,
For peace, love and forgiveness of this mass media war.

Can you relate the poems with what you have been reading in
the newspaper? Discuss in groups.


Glossary:


barbaric : extremely cruel and unpleasant
flaking : coming off in small thin pieces from a layered surface
semi conductor : a material which allows electricity to move through it more easily when its temperature increases
multi lingual : able to use more than two languages for communication