D.C.H.S.Higher Close ReadingEnglish Department

Broadsheet Newspaper Analysis

It is essential to practise your close reading skills on a regular basis. Reading articles from quality broadsheet newspapers is the best way to get used to the type of writing that you will find in the final examination. These exercises are designed to improve your ability to understand, analyze and evaluate texts.

Understanding

1. Look at the title- what do you think the article is going to discuss?

2. Read through the article once

a)Summarise the key points that it makes.

b)Identify and look up the meaning of any unfamiliar vocabulary.

Vocabulary / Meaning

3. Read through the article again and focus on the ideas(s) being presented in each paragraph. Write down the main point(s) from each paragraph and use this as a way of keeping track of the arguments being made.

Paragraph 1
Introduction- the U.S. election is of great importance.
The election of a black man will cause a huge change in not only American but world politics.

Analysis

1. Read the article and look out for any examples of interesting language, structure, tone, use of punctuation etc. (This may take some time to begin with but as you get more proficient you will notice these features on your first read through)

If Barack Obama becomes the 44th president on Tuesday, it will symbolise atectonicshift from a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant United States to a multi- ethnic America.

Word choice of ‘tectonic’ literally means a shift in the earth’s crust but here suggests the magnitude of the change that electing Obama would bring.

2. Identify examples of the following features from the article and comment upon how these features contribute to the argument being made.

  • Word Choice
  • Sentence Structure
  • Structure of Text
  • Tone

Evaluation

In your opinion, is the article successful at convincing you to take its point of view? Explain how it does so commenting on the ideas and style used by the author.

What is the argument that the article is trying to persuade you to adopt?
Your opinion
What facts/ ideas are presented in the text that support your opinion?
How has the style of the article helped to convince you of this view? (i.e. tone, word choice, structure…)