8/10/2019 News Narrative
1/2
Chapter 11 Exercises
Chronology Story Structure
&
News Narrative Story Structure
Exercise A: Deconstructing the Chronology Structure: Below are
the opening graphs of the first
article in a series of stories about a kidnapping. In groups of
two, write down some notes on your
observations about the construction of this article, answering
the following questions:
- What emotions does this narrative lead evokeo !oes it engage
you
o !o you want to read more
- Identify the nut graph"s#.- $an you see the chronology of
events in this article
o %ot down the events in order:
&. 'edwig Braun was in bed reading
(. )ights went out
*. +tc.
- What does the author accomplish with these opening paragraphs-
$an you find specific foreshadowing used by the writer- o online to
the link below and read the full story "part & of #.
By 'elen /01eill
2he 3ssociated 4ress
)I22)+ 453I5I+, Wis. 6 It was cold the night randma Braun was
taken, that bitter dead-of-winter cold
when the countryside is sheathed in ice and the stillness is
broken only by great gusts of snow that swirl
across the fields and back roads, easing footprints and car
tracks and all traces of life.
+ighty-eight-year-old 'edwig Braun was in bed reading when the
lights went out but she didn0tpay much heed. In her tiny farmhouse
on Bluff 5oad, miles from the nearest town, power outages are
not
uncommon. 4ulling on her dressing gown and slippers, she lit a
candle and padded into the kitchen. 7he
poured a glass of milk, settled at the table and continued her
book about angels.
2he clock was stopped at &(:89 a.m.
3 sudden blast of wind. 3 shadowy figure in the doorway.
+ddie;< she screamed as the intruder lurched toward her,
throwing something over her head.
+ddie come quick.>( white $adillac, kept praying as they tore
down the country road, screeching to a halt
beside a ditch, prayed even harder as she was tossed into the
trunk of another car and they sped awayagain.
In the darkness, wedged against the spare tire, she wondered,
Why me I0m =ust a nobody. What
does he want with me
8/10/2019 News Narrative
2/2
Exercise B: Write a News Narrative: ?sing the information below,
write the top of a newsnarrative story 6 about paragraphs "&
thought - a sentence or two - in each graph# that wouldbe published
soon after the mock funeral.
5efer to the outline of basic elements of a news narrative on
page ((@ and the sample newsnarrative with news emphasis article on
page ((>.
- 3bout 89 workers who had been laid off from $hrysler put on a
mock funeral on 3pril & to draw
attention to their plight.
- 1eAt week ,999 workers will receive their last supplemental
unemployment checks, which
give them about >8 percent of their take-home pay.
- 2hey have been out of work for five months.
- ifty workers, their spouses and children attended the mock
service.
- /ne beat a slow cadence on a muffled drum during the
procession.
- 2hey had a casket.
- 3fter neAt week, the workers will have to live on state
unemployment benefits.
- Soe !uotes:
2hey0ll give us our =obs back after we0ve lose everything. 2hey
don0t care.< 6 'enry Westoff, ,
of !etroit.
Cy wife is handicapped, and she0s supposed to have an operation.
/ur medical coverage is
running out. 2ell me what I0m supposed to do.< 6 Bill Dlisch,
8&, of !etroit.
