purpose of newspaper article essay

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6.1 Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content

Learning objectives.

• Identify the four common academic purposes.
• Identify audience, tone, and content.
• Apply purpose, audience, tone, and content to a specific assignment.

Imagine reading one long block of text, with each idea blurring into the next. Even if you are reading a thrilling novel or an interesting news article, you will likely lose interest in what the author has to say very quickly. During the writing process, it is helpful to position yourself as a reader. Ask yourself whether you can focus easily on each point you make. One technique that effective writers use is to begin a fresh paragraph for each new idea they introduce.

Paragraphs separate ideas into logical, manageable chunks. One paragraph focuses on only one main idea and presents coherent sentences to support that one point. Because all the sentences in one paragraph support the same point, a paragraph may stand on its own. To create longer assignments and to discuss more than one point, writers group together paragraphs.

Three elements shape the content of each paragraph:

• Purpose . The reason the writer composes the paragraph.
• Tone . The attitude the writer conveys about the paragraph’s subject.
• Audience . The individual or group whom the writer intends to address.

Figure 6.1 Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content Triangle

The assignment’s purpose, audience, and tone dictate what the paragraph covers and how it will support one main point. This section covers how purpose, audience, and tone affect reading and writing paragraphs.

Identifying Common Academic Purposes

The purpose for a piece of writing identifies the reason you write a particular document. Basically, the purpose of a piece of writing answers the question “Why?” For example, why write a play? To entertain a packed theater. Why write instructions to the babysitter? To inform him or her of your schedule and rules. Why write a letter to your congressman? To persuade him to address your community’s needs.

In academic settings, the reasons for writing fulfill four main purposes: to summarize, to analyze, to synthesize, and to evaluate. You will encounter these four purposes not only as you read for your classes but also as you read for work or pleasure. Because reading and writing work together, your writing skills will improve as you read. To learn more about reading in the writing process, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” .

Eventually, your instructors will ask you to complete assignments specifically designed to meet one of the four purposes. As you will see, the purpose for writing will guide you through each part of the paper, helping you make decisions about content and style. For now, identifying these purposes by reading paragraphs will prepare you to write individual paragraphs and to build longer assignments.

Summary Paragraphs

A summary shrinks a large amount of information into only the essentials. You probably summarize events, books, and movies daily. Think about the last blockbuster movie you saw or the last novel you read. Chances are, at some point in a casual conversation with a friend, coworker, or classmate, you compressed all the action in a two-hour film or in a two-hundred-page book into a brief description of the major plot movements. While in conversation, you probably described the major highlights, or the main points in just a few sentences, using your own vocabulary and manner of speaking.

Similarly, a summary paragraph condenses a long piece of writing into a smaller paragraph by extracting only the vital information. A summary uses only the writer’s own words. Like the summary’s purpose in daily conversation, the purpose of an academic summary paragraph is to maintain all the essential information from a longer document. Although shorter than the original piece of writing, a summary should still communicate all the key points and key support. In other words, summary paragraphs should be succinct and to the point.

A summary of the report should present all the main points and supporting details in brief. Read the following summary of the report written by a student:

Notice how the summary retains the key points made by the writers of the original report but omits most of the statistical data. Summaries need not contain all the specific facts and figures in the original document; they provide only an overview of the essential information.

Analysis Paragraphs

An analysis separates complex materials in their different parts and studies how the parts relate to one another. The analysis of simple table salt, for example, would require a deconstruction of its parts—the elements sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl). Then, scientists would study how the two elements interact to create the compound NaCl, or sodium chloride, which is also called simple table salt.

Analysis is not limited to the sciences, of course. An analysis paragraph in academic writing fulfills the same purpose. Instead of deconstructing compounds, academic analysis paragraphs typically deconstruct documents. An analysis takes apart a primary source (an essay, a book, an article, etc.) point by point. It communicates the main points of the document by examining individual points and identifying how the points relate to one another.

Take a look at a student’s analysis of the journal report.

Notice how the analysis does not simply repeat information from the original report, but considers how the points within the report relate to one another. By doing this, the student uncovers a discrepancy between the points that are backed up by statistics and those that require additional information. Analyzing a document involves a close examination of each of the individual parts and how they work together.

Synthesis Paragraphs

A synthesis combines two or more items to create an entirely new item. Consider the electronic musical instrument aptly named the synthesizer. It looks like a simple keyboard but displays a dashboard of switches, buttons, and levers. With the flip of a few switches, a musician may combine the distinct sounds of a piano, a flute, or a guitar—or any other combination of instruments—to create a new sound. The purpose of the synthesizer is to blend together the notes from individual instruments to form new, unique notes.

The purpose of an academic synthesis is to blend individual documents into a new document. An academic synthesis paragraph considers the main points from one or more pieces of writing and links the main points together to create a new point, one not replicated in either document.

Take a look at a student’s synthesis of several sources about underage drinking.

Notice how the synthesis paragraphs consider each source and use information from each to create a new thesis. A good synthesis does not repeat information; the writer uses a variety of sources to create a new idea.

Evaluation Paragraphs

An evaluation judges the value of something and determines its worth. Evaluations in everyday experiences are often not only dictated by set standards but also influenced by opinion and prior knowledge. For example, at work, a supervisor may complete an employee evaluation by judging his subordinate’s performance based on the company’s goals. If the company focuses on improving communication, the supervisor will rate the employee’s customer service according to a standard scale. However, the evaluation still depends on the supervisor’s opinion and prior experience with the employee. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine how well the employee performs at his or her job.

An academic evaluation communicates your opinion, and its justifications, about a document or a topic of discussion. Evaluations are influenced by your reading of the document, your prior knowledge, and your prior experience with the topic or issue. Because an evaluation incorporates your point of view and reasons for your point of view, it typically requires more critical thinking and a combination of summary, analysis, and synthesis skills. Thus evaluation paragraphs often follow summary, analysis, and synthesis paragraphs. Read a student’s evaluation paragraph.

Notice how the paragraph incorporates the student’s personal judgment within the evaluation. Evaluating a document requires prior knowledge that is often based on additional research.

When reviewing directions for assignments, look for the verbs summarize , analyze , synthesize , or evaluate . Instructors often use these words to clearly indicate the assignment’s purpose. These words will cue you on how to complete the assignment because you will know its exact purpose.

Read the following paragraphs about four films and then identify the purpose of each paragraph.

• This film could easily have been cut down to less than two hours. By the final scene, I noticed that most of my fellow moviegoers were snoozing in their seats and were barely paying attention to what was happening on screen. Although the director sticks diligently to the book, he tries too hard to cram in all the action, which is just too ambitious for such a detail-oriented story. If you want my advice, read the book and give the movie a miss.
• During the opening scene, we learn that the character Laura is adopted and that she has spent the past three years desperately trying to track down her real parents. Having exhausted all the usual options—adoption agencies, online searches, family trees, and so on—she is on the verge of giving up when she meets a stranger on a bus. The chance encounter leads to a complicated chain of events that ultimately result in Laura getting her lifelong wish. But is it really what she wants? Throughout the rest of the film, Laura discovers that sometimes the past is best left where it belongs.
• To create the feeling of being gripped in a vice, the director, May Lee, uses a variety of elements to gradually increase the tension. The creepy, haunting melody that subtly enhances the earlier scenes becomes ever more insistent, rising to a disturbing crescendo toward the end of the movie. The desperation of the actors, combined with the claustrophobic atmosphere and tight camera angles create a realistic firestorm, from which there is little hope of escape. Walking out of the theater at the end feels like staggering out of a Roman dungeon.
• The scene in which Campbell and his fellow prisoners assist the guards in shutting down the riot immediately strikes the viewer as unrealistic. Based on the recent reports on prison riots in both Detroit and California, it seems highly unlikely that a posse of hardened criminals will intentionally help their captors at the risk of inciting future revenge from other inmates. Instead, both news reports and psychological studies indicate that prisoners who do not actively participate in a riot will go back to their cells and avoid conflict altogether. Examples of this lack of attention to detail occur throughout the film, making it almost unbearable to watch.

Collaboration

Share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Writing at Work

Thinking about the purpose of writing a report in the workplace can help focus and structure the document. A summary should provide colleagues with a factual overview of your findings without going into too much specific detail. In contrast, an evaluation should include your personal opinion, along with supporting evidence, research, or examples to back it up. Listen for words such as summarize , analyze , synthesize , or evaluate when your boss asks you to complete a report to help determine a purpose for writing.

Consider the essay most recently assigned to you. Identify the most effective academic purpose for the assignment.

My assignment: ____________________________________________

My purpose: ____________________________________________

Identifying the Audience

Imagine you must give a presentation to a group of executives in an office. Weeks before the big day, you spend time creating and rehearsing the presentation. You must make important, careful decisions not only about the content but also about your delivery. Will the presentation require technology to project figures and charts? Should the presentation define important words, or will the executives already know the terms? Should you wear your suit and dress shirt? The answers to these questions will help you develop an appropriate relationship with your audience, making them more receptive to your message.

Now imagine you must explain the same business concepts from your presentation to a group of high school students. Those important questions you previously answered may now require different answers. The figures and charts may be too sophisticated, and the terms will certainly require definitions. You may even reconsider your outfit and sport a more casual look. Because the audience has shifted, your presentation and delivery will shift as well to create a new relationship with the new audience.

In these two situations, the audience—the individuals who will watch and listen to the presentation—plays a role in the development of presentation. As you prepare the presentation, you visualize the audience to anticipate their expectations and reactions. What you imagine affects the information you choose to present and how you will present it. Then, during the presentation, you meet the audience in person and discover immediately how well you perform.

Although the audience for writing assignments—your readers—may not appear in person, they play an equally vital role. Even in everyday writing activities, you identify your readers’ characteristics, interests, and expectations before making decisions about what you write. In fact, thinking about audience has become so common that you may not even detect the audience-driven decisions.

For example, you update your status on a social networking site with the awareness of who will digitally follow the post. If you want to brag about a good grade, you may write the post to please family members. If you want to describe a funny moment, you may write with your friends’ senses of humor in mind. Even at work, you send e-mails with an awareness of an unintended receiver who could intercept the message.

In other words, being aware of “invisible” readers is a skill you most likely already possess and one you rely on every day. Consider the following paragraphs. Which one would the author send to her parents? Which one would she send to her best friend?

Last Saturday, I volunteered at a local hospital. The visit was fun and rewarding. I even learned how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. Unfortunately, I think caught a cold from one of the patients. This week, I will rest in bed and drink plenty of clear fluids. I hope I am well by next Saturday to volunteer again.

OMG! You won’t believe this! My advisor forced me to do my community service hours at this hospital all weekend! We learned CPR but we did it on dummies, not even real peeps. And some kid sneezed on me and got me sick! I was so bored and sniffling all weekend; I hope I don’t have to go back next week. I def do NOT want to miss the basketball tournament!

Most likely, you matched each paragraph to its intended audience with little hesitation. Because each paragraph reveals the author’s relationship with her intended readers, you can identify the audience fairly quickly. When writing your own paragraphs, you must engage with your audience to build an appropriate relationship given your subject. Imagining your readers during each stage of the writing process will help you make decisions about your writing. Ultimately, the people you visualize will affect what and how you write.

While giving a speech, you may articulate an inspiring or critical message, but if you left your hair a mess and laced up mismatched shoes, your audience would not take you seriously. They may be too distracted by your appearance to listen to your words.

Similarly, grammar and sentence structure serve as the appearance of a piece of writing. Polishing your work using correct grammar will impress your readers and allow them to focus on what you have to say.

Because focusing on audience will enhance your writing, your process, and your finished product, you must consider the specific traits of your audience members. Use your imagination to anticipate the readers’ demographics, education, prior knowledge, and expectations.

• Demographics. These measure important data about a group of people, such as their age range, their ethnicity, their religious beliefs, or their gender. Certain topics and assignments will require these kinds of considerations about your audience. For other topics and assignments, these measurements may not influence your writing in the end. Regardless, it is important to consider demographics when you begin to think about your purpose for writing.
• Education. Education considers the audience’s level of schooling. If audience members have earned a doctorate degree, for example, you may need to elevate your style and use more formal language. Or, if audience members are still in college, you could write in a more relaxed style. An audience member’s major or emphasis may also dictate your writing.
• Prior knowledge. This refers to what the audience already knows about your topic. If your readers have studied certain topics, they may already know some terms and concepts related to the topic. You may decide whether to define terms and explain concepts based on your audience’s prior knowledge. Although you cannot peer inside the brains of your readers to discover their knowledge, you can make reasonable assumptions. For instance, a nursing major would presumably know more about health-related topics than a business major would.
• Expectations. These indicate what readers will look for while reading your assignment. Readers may expect consistencies in the assignment’s appearance, such as correct grammar and traditional formatting like double-spaced lines and legible font. Readers may also have content-based expectations given the assignment’s purpose and organization. In an essay titled “The Economics of Enlightenment: The Effects of Rising Tuition,” for example, audience members may expect to read about the economic repercussions of college tuition costs.

On your own sheet of paper, generate a list of characteristics under each category for each audience. This list will help you later when you read about tone and content.

1. Your classmates

• Demographics ____________________________________________
• Education ____________________________________________
• Prior knowledge ____________________________________________
• Expectations ____________________________________________

2. Your instructor

3. The head of your academic department

4. Now think about your next writing assignment. Identify the purpose (you may use the same purpose listed in Note 6.12 “Exercise 2” ), and then identify the audience. Create a list of characteristics under each category.

My audience: ____________________________________________

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Keep in mind that as your topic shifts in the writing process, your audience may also shift. For more information about the writing process, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” .

Also, remember that decisions about style depend on audience, purpose, and content. Identifying your audience’s demographics, education, prior knowledge, and expectations will affect how you write, but purpose and content play an equally important role. The next subsection covers how to select an appropriate tone to match the audience and purpose.

Selecting an Appropriate Tone

Tone identifies a speaker’s attitude toward a subject or another person. You may pick up a person’s tone of voice fairly easily in conversation. A friend who tells you about her weekend may speak excitedly about a fun skiing trip. An instructor who means business may speak in a low, slow voice to emphasize her serious mood. Or, a coworker who needs to let off some steam after a long meeting may crack a sarcastic joke.

Just as speakers transmit emotion through voice, writers can transmit through writing a range of attitudes, from excited and humorous to somber and critical. These emotions create connections among the audience, the author, and the subject, ultimately building a relationship between the audience and the text. To stimulate these connections, writers intimate their attitudes and feelings with useful devices, such as sentence structure, word choice, punctuation, and formal or informal language. Keep in mind that the writer’s attitude should always appropriately match the audience and the purpose.

Read the following paragraph and consider the writer’s tone. How would you describe the writer’s attitude toward wildlife conservation?

Many species of plants and animals are disappearing right before our eyes. If we don’t act fast, it might be too late to save them. Human activities, including pollution, deforestation, hunting, and overpopulation, are devastating the natural environment. Without our help, many species will not survive long enough for our children to see them in the wild. Take the tiger, for example. Today, tigers occupy just 7 percent of their historical range, and many local populations are already extinct. Hunted for their beautiful pelt and other body parts, the tiger population has plummeted from one hundred thousand in 1920 to just a few thousand. Contact your local wildlife conservation society today to find out how you can stop this terrible destruction.

Think about the assignment and purpose you selected in Note 6.12 “Exercise 2” , and the audience you selected in Note 6.16 “Exercise 3” . Now, identify the tone you would use in the assignment.

My tone: ____________________________________________

Choosing Appropriate, Interesting Content

Content refers to all the written substance in a document. After selecting an audience and a purpose, you must choose what information will make it to the page. Content may consist of examples, statistics, facts, anecdotes, testimonies, and observations, but no matter the type, the information must be appropriate and interesting for the audience and purpose. An essay written for third graders that summarizes the legislative process, for example, would have to contain succinct and simple content.

Content is also shaped by tone. When the tone matches the content, the audience will be more engaged, and you will build a stronger relationship with your readers. Consider that audience of third graders. You would choose simple content that the audience will easily understand, and you would express that content through an enthusiastic tone. The same considerations apply to all audiences and purposes.

Match the content in the box to the appropriate audience and purpose. On your own sheet of paper, write the correct letter next to the number.

• Whereas economist Holmes contends that the financial crisis is far from over, the presidential advisor Jones points out that it is vital to catch the first wave of opportunity to increase market share. We can use elements of both experts’ visions. Let me explain how.
• In 2000, foreign money flowed into the United States, contributing to easy credit conditions. People bought larger houses than they could afford, eventually defaulting on their loans as interest rates rose.
• The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, known by most of us as the humungous government bailout, caused mixed reactions. Although supported by many political leaders, the statute provoked outrage among grassroots groups. In their opinion, the government was actually rewarding banks for their appalling behavior.

Audience: An instructor

Purpose: To analyze the reasons behind the 2007 financial crisis

Content: ____________________________________________

Audience: Classmates

Purpose: To summarize the effects of the $700 billion government bailout

Audience: An employer

Purpose: To synthesize two articles on preparing businesses for economic recovery

Using the assignment, purpose, audience, and tone from Note 6.18 “Exercise 4” , generate a list of content ideas. Remember that content consists of examples, statistics, facts, anecdotes, testimonies, and observations.

My content ideas: ____________________________________________

Key Takeaways

• Paragraphs separate ideas into logical, manageable chunks of information.
• The content of each paragraph and document is shaped by purpose, audience, and tone.
• The four common academic purposes are to summarize, to analyze, to synthesize, and to evaluate.
• Identifying the audience’s demographics, education, prior knowledge, and expectations will affect how and what you write.
• Devices such as sentence structure, word choice, punctuation, and formal or informal language communicate tone and create a relationship between the writer and his or her audience.
• Content may consist of examples, statistics, facts, anecdotes, testimonies, and observations. All content must be appropriate and interesting for the audience, purpose and tone.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Public Communication: Newspaper Article

• Introduction
• Writing Techniques
• Visual Elements
• Letter to the Editor
• Magazine Article
• Opinion Piece
• Wiki Article
• Newspaper Article
• Public facing posters

On this page:

“ There is no denying that [journalism] does not only inform people but also helps people shape opinions regarding various socio-political scenarios. ” A Research Guide for Students

Depending on the publication a newspaper article will be written about local, national or international current affairs/events.  

Introduction to Newspaper Articles

There are many types of newspapers, from school/university publications to large news outlets like the Daily Mail, or Guardian. Local papers will focus more on events in and around the community, for example they may cover community fates or markets. They’ll also have stories about local people. They will still be written in a professional and formal way but may have a more conversational tone. 

Unlike local papers, national publications will focus more on events that effect the wider populous. They will also report on noteworthy international events, such as crises and wars, but also sporting and entertainment events like the Olympics. They advertise to a much wider audience than local papers and need to relate to most of the population.  

Purpose of a Newspaper Article

News articles are written to  inform and educate  readers on current affairs/events. They are used to provide readers with information they need/want to know about the world around them. You will either be told what to write your article on or have a choice of topics related to the module this assessment is for.

Newspaper articles give as much information as possible at the time of publication; if a journalist writes about an ongoing case there may be limited information available, so they might interview people related to the case, or try find background information to help inform readers more.

News articles are written on a whole range of topics due to the large target audiences of newspapers. Most papers will have several sections ranging from current national and international affairs to sports and celebrity news. There are some papers, however which solely focus on a specific topic, therefore have a smaller target audience. 

Be sure of your topic and potential target audience. 

Example: there are sporting papers which mainly report on sporting events and news. Whereas some others focus on business and economic current affairs. 

The Reliability Spectrum

Normally when writing a public communication piece you want to be looking at examples to get a feel for their tone. However, with newspapers there is also a need to think about the range of reliability that they represent. 

If you are writing to inform, aim for your work to be on the objective end of the spectrum where you stay impartial, leaving personal opinions out of your work. Whereas, if you are writing to persuade or analyse consider moving down the spectrum. Here we find the likes of  Letters to the Editor and Opinion Pieces ; work that is critical and has more focus on the writer's opinions. 

When writing any form of article ensure that you are not creating fake news  (false or misleading information presented as news). Use reliable sources and cite all references to keep your work credible, think of this as any other assessment. You will lose marks for not using and citing references correctly. Use our Referencing Guide to ensure you use the correct referencing system.  

The reliability spectrum can be highly influenced by politics and the political view points of journalists, editors and sometimes owners of publications which will determine the tone of their articles. Your assessment brief will determine where your work sits on the spectrum, depending on whether you've been asked to inform, educate or persuade. 

Example:  If you've been asked to persuade you may state your opinion, but ensure these are informed opinions that are backed up. 

Newspapers vs Magazines 

There are many similarities between magazine and newspaper articles, therefore you need to know how to differentiate between the two. This will ensure you write an authentic newspaper article.  

These are the differences and similarities between newspaper and magazine articles.  

Differences 

Newspaper articles will: 

Inform and educate readers about current events whilst being unbiased.  

Be written using formal and professional language (local papers can be conversational).

Have a single subheading/kicker paragraph at the beginning. 

Use little visual illustrations. They may use one or two images related to the story. 

Have a wider audience, unless they are on niche topics (sports, business).  

Similarities 

Magazine and newspaper articles will:

Be timely and about current events. 

Have a similar structure (columned, kicker paragraphs and quotes).  

Start with important information to grip readers making them more likely to continue reading. 

Use supporting evidence and references to help make your writing credible.  

Use sensitive and purposeful language. Our  Language section has guidance on the use of language in public communications.

Structure of a Newspaper Article

The inverted pyramid structure  (see right) is used by journalists to write effective articles. You want to give your readers as much information as possible whilst also keeping their attention. Follow this structure as well as the anatomy below to write a successful newspaper article. 

The Anatomy of a Newspaper Article

A gripping title that will entice readers. Can use  alliteration  for emphasis and effect. 

Your (the author’s) name and the date of publication/it is submitted.  

Lead sentence 

Like a  kicker paragraph  this will further entice the readers, as well as giving some insight into the story.

News Writing Inverted Pyramid

Summary 

In your first paragraph or two you want to give the most important information (who, what, when, where, why, how?). You are constantly wanting to entice your readers to continue reading.  

Body of text 

After you’ve summarised the main points of the article the rest of your text is for any further information which will be in order of importance. Here you will also want to include any supporting evidence and references, quotations and/or statements from people relevant to the story.  

Images and visuals 

Usually there will be little images in a newspaper article. There will be a large image supporting the headline and then maybe one or two others that are relevant to the text.  

Closing statement 

This will round off the article nicely either with a conclusion, quote or statement. You could use a  circular structure , therefore relating back to the original point of the article.  

Video: a visual representation of what to include in and how to structure a newspaper article.

Design 

An online article differs from a printed one in design. Ask your lecturer how they want you to design it, if it’s an online article it will be a single column whereas one for print will be several columns.  

Do write in a professional and formal manner.

Do be timely and write about current events/affairs.

Do provide supporting evidence from reliable sources linked to the story.

Do use the correct structure for your article and the publication style (online, in print).

Don'ts 

Don't use slang and colloquialisms unless they are in quotes.

Don't write about irrelevant topics that are no longer an interest to readers.

Don't submit an article without references, this will make your work less credible.

Don't format your article incorrectly. Make sure it is suited for the publication/assessment brief.

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2-Types of Sources

8. News as a Source

News sources can provide insights that scholarly sources may not or that will take a long time to get into scholarly sources. For instance, news sources are excellent for finding out people’s actions, reactions, opinions, and prevailing attitudes around the time of an event—as well as to find reports of what happened at the event itself.

Whether news sources are good for your assignment depends on what your research question is. (You’ll find other relevant information in Chapter 3, What Sources to Use When .)

News is a strange term, because even when the information is old, it’s still news. Some sources are great for breaking news, some are great for aggregated (or compiled) news, and others are great for historical news.

While news was transmitted for centuries only in newspapers, news is now transmitted in all formats: via radio, television, and the Internet, in addition to print. Even most newspapers have Internet sites today. At the time of this writing, the Student Government Association at Ohio State University provides an online subscription to The New Yok Times for all students, faculty, and staff at the university.

News must be brief because much of it gets reported only moments after an event happens. News reports occur early in the Information Lifecycle. See the Information Lifecycle video earlier in this chapter for more information.

When Are News Sources Helpful?

• You want to keep up with what is going on in the world today.
• You need breaking news or historical perspectives on a topic (what people were saying at the time).
• You need to learn more about a culture, place, or time period from its own sources.

When Are News Sources of Limited Use?

• You need very detailed analysis by experts.
• You need sources that must be scholarly or modern views on a historical topic.

Activity: Using News Effectively

Mainline and non-mainline news sources.

Mainline American news outlets stick with the tradition of trying to report the news as objectively as possibly. That doesn’t mean their reports are perfectly objective, but they are more objective than non-mainline news sources. As a result, mainline news sources are more credible than non-mainline sources. Some examples of mainline American news outlets: The New York Times , The Washington Post , The Boston Globe , The Chicago Tribune , The Los Angeles Times ; ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, PBS News, NPR News.

News from non-mainline American news outlets is often mixed with opinions. One way they frequently exhibit bias is that they leave out pertinent facts. Some examples of non-mainline American news outlets: MSNBC, Fox News, and reddit.

Types of News Sources

Press Services— News outlets (print, broadcast, and online) get a lot of their news from these services, such as Reuters, Bloomberg, or the Associated Press (AP), which make it unnecessary for individual outlets to send their own reporters everywhere. These services are so broadly used that you may have to look at several news outlets to get a different take on an event or situation.

News aggregators— Aggregators don’t have reporters of their own but simply collect and transmit the news reported by others. Some sources pull news from a variety of places and provide a single place to search for and view multiple stories. You can browse stories or search for a topic. Aggregators tend to have current, but not archival news. Google news and Yahoo News are examples.

Newspaper sites – Many print newspapers also have their own websites. They vary as to how much news they provide for free. Take a look at these examples.

• The Lantern , Ohio State University’s student newspaper
• The Columbus Dispatch
• The Boston Globe
• The Times of London
• China Daily , USA edition
• The New York Times

News Databases – Search current, recent, and historical newspaper content in databases provided free by libraries. OSU Libraries offers 69 news databases to students, staff, and faculty. They include:

• LexisNexis Academic – contains news back to 1980 from newspapers, broadcast transcripts, wire services, blogs, and more.
• Proquest Historical Newspapers – contains older content from several major U.S. newspapers.
• allAfrica – contains more than a million articles from 100 African news sources, 1996-present.
• Lantern Online – contains the archive of all of OSU’s student newspaper issues, 1881-1997.

See the complete list of OSU Libraries’ newspaper databases .

Activity: Choosing a Newspaper Database

Look at the list of OSU Libraries’ newspaper databases available to OSU users. Which one would be a good place to find an article with an international left perspective on a topic? Our answer is at the end of this section.

Broadcast News Sites – Although broadcast news (from radio and television) is generally consumed in real time, such organizations also offer archives of news stories on their websites. However, not all of their articles are provided by their own reporters: some originate from the press services, Reuters and the Associated Press (AP). Here are some examples of broadcast new sites:

Activity: Quick World News Scan

Visit the BBC’s News page and scan the headlines for a quick update on the world’s major news stories.

Social Media – Most of the news outlets listed above contribute to Twitter and Facebook . It’s customary for highly condensed announcements in this venue to lead you back to the news outlet’s website for more information. However, how credible tech companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google are with news is in serious doubt now that their lawyers have testified to the U.S. Congress that more than 100 million users may have seen content actually created by Russian operatives on the tech companies’ platforms leading up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.  Read more about their testimony at  NPR  and  The New York Times. 

Blogs – Sometimes these are good sources for breaking news, as well as commentary on current events and scholarship. Authors who write more objectively elsewhere can share more insights and opinions, more initial questions and findings about a study before they are ready to release definitive data and conclusions about their research.

Citizen Journalism – A growing number of sites cater to those members of the general public who want to report breaking news and submit their own photos and videos on a wide range of topics. The people who do this are often referred to as citizen journalists.

Examples of such sources include CNN iReport , and  reddit . For more details on the history and development of citizen journalism, including addressing some of the pros and cons, read Your Guide to Citizen Journalism .

News Feeds – You can get updates on specific topics or a list of major headlines, regularly sent to you so you don’t have to visit sites or hunt for new content on a topic. Look for links that contain headings such as these to sign up for news feeds:

• News Alerts
• Table of Contents Alerts

What’s an RSS feed? How can it help you stay informed about what you are interested in?

Answer to Activity: Choosing a Newspaper Database

If you look at the database descriptions, you will notice that the one for Alternative Press Index matches the need expressed in the question.

Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research Copyright © 2015 by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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The Difference Between an Article and an Essay

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• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition studies , an article is a short work of nonfiction that typically appears in a magazine or newspaper or on a website. Unlike essays , which often highlight the subjective impressions of the author (or narrator ), articles are commonly written from an objective point of view . Articles include news items, feature stories, reports , profiles , instructions, product descriptions, and other informative pieces of writing.

What Sets Articles Apart From Essays

Though both articles and essays are types of nonfiction writing, they differ in many ways. Here are some features and qualities of articles that differentiate them from essays.

Subject and Theme in Articles

"A useful exercise is to look at some good articles and name the broader subject and the particular aspect each treats. You will find that the subject always deals with a partial aspect examined from some viewpoint; it is never a crammed condensation of the whole.

"...Observe that there are two essential elements of an article: subject and theme . The subject is what the article is about: the issue, event, or person it deals with. (Again, an article must cover only an aspect of a whole.) The theme is what the author wants to say about the subject—what he brings to the subject." (Ayn Rand, The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers , ed. by Robert Mayhew. Plume, 2001)

"An article is not everything that's true. It's every important thing that's true." (Gary Provost, Beyond Style: Mastering the Finer Points of Writing . Writer's Digest Books, 1988)

Article Structure

"There are five ways to structure your article . They are:

- The inverted pyramid - The double helix - The chronological double-helix - The chronological report - The storytelling model

Think about how you read a newspaper: you scan the captions and then read the first paragraph or two to get the gist of the article and then read further if you want to know more of the details. That's the inverted pyramid style of writing used by journalists, in which what's important comes first. The double-helix also presents facts in order of importance but it alternates between two separate sets of information. For example, suppose you are writing an article about the two national political conventions. You'll first present Fact 1 about the Democratic convention, then Fact 2 about the Republicans, then Fact 2 about the Democrats, Fact 2 about the Republicans, and so on. The chronological double-helix begins like the double helix but once the important facts from each set of information have been presented, it then goes off to relay the events in chronological order...

"The chronological report is the most straightforward structure to follow since it is written in the order in which the events occurred. The final structure is the storytelling model, which utilizes some of the techniques of fiction writing, so you would want to bring the reader into the story right away even if it means beginning in the middle or even near the end and then filling in the facts as the story unfolds." (Richard D. Bank, The Everything Guide to Writing Nonfiction . Adams Media, 2010)

Opening Sentence of an Article

"The most important sentence in any article is the first one. If it doesn't induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article is dead. And if the second sentence doesn't induce him to continue to the third sentence, it's equally dead. Of such a progression of sentences, each tugging the reader forward until he is hooked, a writer constructs that fateful unit, the ' lead .'" (William Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction , 7th ed. HarperCollins, 2006)

Articles and Media

"More and more, article content written for printed media is also appearing on digital devices (often as an edited version of a longer article) for readers who have short attention spans due to time constraints or their device's small screen. As a result, digital publishers are seeking audio versions of content that is significantly condensed and written in conversational style. Often, content writers must now submit their articles with the understanding they will appear in several media formats." (Roger W. Nielsen, Writing Content: Mastering Magazine and Online Writing . R.W. Nielsen, 2009)

Writer's Voice in Articles and Essays

"Given the confusion of genre minglings and overlaps, what finally distinguishes an essay from an article may just be the author's gumption, the extent to which personal voice , vision, and style are the prime movers and shapers, even though the authorial 'I' may be only a remote energy, nowhere visible but everywhere present. ('We commonly do not remember,' Thoreau wrote in the opening paragraphs of Walden , 'that it is, after all, always the first person that is speaking.')" (Justin Kaplan, quoted by Robert Atwan in The Best American Essays, College Edition , 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 1998)

• How to Write a News Article That's Effective
• What Are the Different Types and Characteristics of Essays?
• What Is Expository Writing?
• Definition and Examples of Paragraphing in Essays
• What Is a Synopsis and How Do You Write One?
• How To Write an Essay
• Paragraph Length in Compositions and Reports
• Learn to Write News Stories
• Unity in Composition
• Writing a Lead or Lede to an Article
• How to Structure an Essay
• How to Write Your Graduate School Admissions Essay
• AP English Exam: 101 Key Terms
• How to Write a Great Book Report
• Writers on Writing: The Art of Paragraphing
• Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition

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Newspapers and Magazines as Primary Sources

What are newspapers and magazines, bibliography.

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Newspapers and magazines are print publications issued at regular intervals over time. Historically, newspapers were usually issued daily or weekly, but sometimes semi-weekly (twice a week), bi-weekly (every two weeks), or monthly. Magazines, in contrast, were usually issued weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly (four times a year). Both newspapers and magazines could be purchased by subscription (an arrangement whereby the reader pays in advance for a year of issues), or individually, often at news-stands, grocery stores, book stores, train stations, and other places.

There is no absolute way of distinguishing between newspapers and magazines, since they share many features. The main reason for understanding the distinctions is that in a library you will find newspapers and magazines--even digitized newspapers and magazines--in different places.

In general, the purpose of a newspaper is to convey, as efficiently as possible, current information, or "news", to a particular audience. What constitutes "news" depends in part on the intended audience. Newspapers aimed at a general audience will carry news about politics, crime, wars, economics--just about anything that could interest a general reader. A farm newspaper, on the other hand, might carry news about developments in farming techniques, information about the progress of farm-related legislation through Congress, crop prices, information about county and state fairs, and so forth.

A magazine or periodical will, in general, be written in a more elevated prose style, and will usually offer more in-depth coverage of news, if it carries news at all. If a newspaper attempts to inform, a magazine in contrast attempts to enlighten and entertain.

Magazines and periodicals usually have covers, often bearing an illustration or photograph. A newspaper, in contrast, typically does not have a cover, but a nameplate running across the top of its front page, the rest of the page being filled with news-stories. Magazines are more likely than newspapers to have detailed tables of contents, whereas newspapers, if they include any table of contents at all, will simply identify the the principal sections (ie. national news, local news, sports, society news, classifieds, business news, etc.).

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, magazines and newspapers could increasingly be distinguished by the kind of paper they were printed on. Newspapers were printed on cheap paper, "newsprint", that tended to degrade fairly quickly. Many newspapers are now so brittle that they crumble to pieces when touched. By the twentieth century, magazines were increasingly printed on clay coated paper. Clay coated paper has been treated with a chemical application that gives the paper a glossier appearance, and which also makes them slightly more durable than newspapers. Clay coated paper is preferred over newsprint for printing photographs and other types of illustrations, especially color illustrations.

Carey, Helen H., and Judith E. Greenberg. How to Read a Newspaper . New York: Franklin Watts, 1983.

Eaman, Ross. Historical Dictionary of Journalism . Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2009.

Franklin, Bob, Martin Hamer, Mark Hanna, Marie Kinsey, and John E. Richardson. Key Concepts in Journalism Studies . London: Sage, 2005.

Giles, Vic, and F.W. Hodgson. Creative Newspaper Design . 2d ed. Oxford, Eng.: Focal Press, 1996.

Hall, Linda, ed. Acronyms, Initialisms, and Abbreviations Dictionary . 40th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2008.

Harnett, Richard M. Wirespeak: Codes and Jargon of the News Business . San Mateo, Calif.: Shorebird Press, 1997.

Hutt, Allen, and Bob James. Newspaper Design Today: A Manual for Professionals . London: Lund Humphries, 1989.

Miller, Greg, Elizabeth Novickas, and Gerry Labedz. The Daily Illini Design Guide . Champaign, Ill.: Illini Publishing, 1976.

Moen, Daryl R. Newspaper Layout and Design: A Team Approach . 4th ed. Ames, Ia.: Iowa State University Press, 2000. Includes an interesting discussion of the tabloid format in chapter 15.

Salmon, Lucy Maynard. The Newspaper and the Historian . New York: Oxford University Press, 1923.

Sutton, Albert A. Design and Makeup of the Newspaper . New York: Prentice-Hall, 1948. Includes useful, if brief, essays on historical developments in newspaper design. See, for example, chapter 11 on the headline.

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TAFT COLLEGE

Evaluation of Sources - A How to Guide: Newspaper

• Trade Journals

What is a newspaper?

A newspaper is a regularly published collection of articles that intends to inform the audience of current events of interest to a broad readership. Most newspapers are published daily, although some may be published weekly.  Some newspapers are considered local papers intended to be read by people in a certain location, and some are more regional, national or international in audience.  Examples include: The Florida Times Union, The Miami Herald, The New York Times, The Times (London), and many more.  

Analyzing Newspaper Articles

News articles are typically written in the so-called inverted pyramid style, most important information at the beginning of the article and increasingly less important details toward the end of the article. If structured this way, an article can be edited from the bottom up to make room for additional news items that might have since broken. The aim of most news articles is to answer six questions about the happenings about which they report:

When to use a newspaper article

While newspaper articles are not typically the first choices for inclusion in academic research papers for their analytical content, they do provide first‐hand accounts of events that have historical significance and are excellent examples of primary sources.

Of course, articles from newspapers might also serve other purposes in academic research. One prime example would be as support for a paper analyzing editorial styles of various national newspapers or news syndicates. A researcher might also be able to assess the leaning of the newspaper by reading the editorial page. Is the paper conservative? Is the paper liberal? Or is the paper more middle‐of‐the‐road? Having a sense of the inclination of the paper's editorial staff might be useful in assessing how a particular situation is analyzed in an editorial. A researcher relying on editorial commentary on a particular situation would want to be aware of any inherent bias in the commentary as a means for gauging the accuracy of the allegations made in the editorial.

Some examples of research that might easily depend on articles from newspapers include:

• Contemporary reporting of the Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba in 1961.
• Contemporary accounts of the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor in 1898.
• The capture and killing of Libya's Gadhafi in October 2011.
• Public sentiment toward the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States.
• Conservative and liberal analyses of NATO's intervention in Bosnia in 1995.
• Changes in cigarette advertisements in national newspapers of the United States from the early 1900s up to today.
• Excerpts of Lincoln's November 19, 1863, Gettysburg address published at the time of its delivery with editorial commentary of the time.

There are many other potential topics for which newspaper articles can serve as valuable sources and certainly scientific and technological breakthroughs will be reported in newspapers. Of more importance to a researcher keeping track of advances in science and technology would be announcements of where the breakthroughs were made and by whom. Finding the scientific literature surrounding the breakthrough would be the next step for the academic researcher.

Where and How to Find Newspapwer Articles

Most Libraries now provide access to articles from newspapers via online databases. A couple of the most commonly available systems that can provide worldwide access to newspapers are ProQuest 's US Newsstream and EBSCOhost's Newspaper Source Plus. A number of databases that provide access to magazine and journal articles also include newspapers in their coverage. For example, Academic OneFile , in addition to having articles from a wide variety of magazines and journals, also provides access to the full text of numerous newspapers. Most of these online systems are limited in the dates covered, frequently providing access from the late 1990s forward.

Google is busily scanning newspapers and making them searchable and viewable over the open Internet. A researcher can go to news.google.com to access news articles available through Google. While it features currently  available content online, once a researcher does a search of the news for a historical topic, Google will provide date ranges to which the search can be limited, in many cases helping the researcher locate copies of articles as early as the 19th century. For example, a quick search on U.S. President William McKinley results in articles as far back as 1869, the year that he was elected president.

Taft College has two databases dedicated to newspaper articles:

• US Newsstream US Newsstream provides current coverage from major national newspapers including: The New York Times (1980-present), The Wall Street Journal (1984-present), Washington Post (1987-present), Los Angeles Times (1985-present), The Christian Science Monitor (1988-present), The Atlanta Journal Constitution (2001-present), The Boston Globe (1980-present) and many regional publications from across the United States.
• Newspaper Source Plus Newspaper Source Plus includes more than 860 full-text newspapers, providing more than 35 million full-text articles. In addition, the database features more than 857,000 television and radio news transcripts.

What to keep track of to adequately cite a newspaper article

• Article headline
• Article byline
• Newspaper name (and place of publication if it has a common title)
• Date of the newspaper
• Page and column of the article
• Where the article was retrieved (in print, from a database, online, etc.)
• When the article was retrieved (this is especially important if the article was found on the open Internet)

See examples of an how an article looks in a database below:

For help citing newspaper articles see the links below:

Chicago/Turabian

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How to write an analysis of a newspaper article.

Newspapers and other new sources provide valuable information and updates about current events and ongoing issues. They keep the audience updated about the latest updates and trends in the world. They benefit a variety of audiences. They are a great resource for students and researchers, helping them gain insight into various perspectives on their topics of interest and also help them analyze the topics of their interest.

Why Analyze a News Paper Article?

Analyzing a newspaper article is vital for gaining a deeper understanding of current events and issues. It allows the readers to identify the purpose of the article and also identify the intended audience of the article. Analyzing the newspaper also involves summarizing its key points and arguments, analyzing the language and style, and evaluating the credibility of the article, writer, and information written. It also involves considering its overall effectiveness and relevance. Using these steps, you can develop a well-informed and clear perspective on the topic of interest.

In order to write an excellent, well-organized and well-researched analysis of a newspaper article.  you first need to understand how the information is put forth in the article that you’ve chosen and wish to undertake the analysis of. Most newspapers, however, get their articles written in what is called in technical jargon- “The Inverted Pyramid ”. The inverted pyramid is where the meatiest part of the information or piece of news is mentioned at the commencement of the article and the news with lesser degrees of importance is mentioned gradually.

Also Learn: How To Write College Application Essay

This is done in order to assist the process where a certain new piece of information is found out or got released and you have to add it to the pre-existing structure . This is done by employing the editing style where you go from the bottom of the article to the very top.

Newspaper articles aim to bring answers to six main issues regarding any news . These are:

• The ‘who’ of the news
• The ‘what’ of the news
• The ‘when’ of the news
• The ‘where’ of the news
• The ‘why’ of the news
• The ‘how’ of the news

The “inverted pyramid” structure came about as a result of old media technology – the telegraph. When news information was telegraphed over the wires, the most crucial information was transmitted first. If the connection was lost, the story could still be printed with the essential facts.

Therefore, this method is also suitable for the editors, where they can choose to cut the bottom part to adjust the length of the news. Same way, for analysis purposes, the information structure helps you figure out important aspects of the newspaper article and overall structure.

Criticism of The Inverted Pyramid

While it is a common way to present information in a newspaper article, this method is also criticized often. Few in the media critique the inverted pyramid is not the right fit for every news story, as it may also lead to a decline in the reader’s attention. With the ending being told at the beginning of the story, most of the readers may not read it till the end.

However, this organized method of information is still beneficial in presenting you with structured information.

How to Analyze a Newspaper Article

Now that we have established the fact that newspaper articles are of utmost importance in the modern narrative of affairs , we shall now move onto explaining how one can evaluate these articles. Analyses of a newspaper articles can easily by written by making sure the following steps are well taken care of:

Finding the article that you would like to comment on is quite obviously the very first step. It should be a topic that you are interested in, well-rehearsed in, have some knowledge about and are even passionate about.

Summarizing the Article

To begin with, make a summary of the key points the article is trying to convey. Make sure they are concise and don’t stretch farther than three or five sentences.

To summarize the article, you should consider answering the following questions:

• What is the main topic the author is covering?
• What are the main arguments made by the author?
• What are the pieces of evidence used by the author to support these arguments?
• What is the conclusion?

With this, you will get a clear picture of the article’s content. This summary will also help you in the following steps when it comes to analyzing the tone and style and evaluating the credibility.

Identifying the Purpose and the Audience

Once you have the summary of key points in place, the first step in analyzing the newspaper article is to identify its purpose and the target audience for whom this article was intended. While a summary will provide you with a brief understanding of the key points, this step will help you thoroughly understand the main message and how it is conveyed.

To figure out the audience and its purpose, consider answering the following questions:

• What is the main idea that the article is about?
• What is the author’s main argument about the point or their main point of view?
• Who is this article written for i.e. who is the intended audience ?
• What is the author trying to accomplish i.e. his/her main goal ?

Figure out and denote the intention the article was written for, whether it has some purpose and make a note of that. It’s entirely possible for a newspaper article to have more than b to achieve for example a piece of news can be influencing and entertaining, both for its cause. You must make the critical choice of opting for one main objective of your chosen article and go further enough to provide valid justifications for your choice.

While you have already explained your choice of the article’s purpose initially, you must also go into further detail regarding this by having direct quotations from the article as a part of your analysis.

Moreover, by answering the question mentioned above, you will be able to gain a better understanding of the article’s context and the underlying message as well.

Analyzing Tone and Style

Once you have identified the purpose and the intended audience, you can focus on analyzing its tone and style. Both, the tone and style, can influence the impact and effectiveness of the article greatly. An article writer can use various techniques to convey their message. It can involve the use of persuasive techniques and rhetorical elements to convey the message as well as engage the reader. For analysis purposes, you will be focusing on identifying the use of these techniques and evaluating their impact on the article.

When you are trying to identify the tone, the article just might be trying to convey different tones as well as perspectives. You must make the critical choice of identifying the one major tone that can easily be seen as being the predominant tone of your article.

Again, you must then provide the reader of your newspaper article analysis with valid justifications for your choice of tone as well as provide them with the context by selecting some quotations from the article and making them a part of your analysis.

To identify tone and style, you should consider the following elements:

• Language Use: Is the author conveying his/her point clearly and concisely? Are the terms used right for the target audience? Is the writer using complex or too many technical terms? Are they difficult for the reader to understand?
• Tone: Is the author using a formal tone or being informal? Is it persuasive or informative?
• Style: Is the author’s writing descriptive or analytical? Is the writer using metaphors? How is the writer providing supporting evidence?

When you analyze these elements, you will be able to gain a better understanding of how the author is using various language and writing techniques to convey their message. You’ll also be able to understand how successfully these techniques are contributing to the author’s objective.

Analyzing the Language

After analyzing the tone and style, you should focus on analyzing the language used by the author. This will further help you gain a better understanding of how the author is trying to get their point across and how are they engaging the reader.

To analyze the language, determine the techniques and expressions used by the writer of your article and pick the major three techniques that you think have much more impact than any other. These techniques must each be explained and alluded to separately- not to forget that their objective and function must be established as well so that the use of these by the author of your newspaper article is justified.

This is a great way to make your analysis seem professional and organized. Some examples of techniques you could easily identify and use are the choice of certain words as being appropriate or not for the topic of the article, any wordplay that might cater to the entertainment of the audience, structures that the sentences are put in and whether or not they effectively convey the idea the article is trying to pertain to.

Another golden method to give your newspaper article analysis an upper hand is by picking up words or even writing techniques from the article that you have found unfamiliar to your previous knowledge. These are then to be explained and alluded to in succinct detail and must connect to the context of your article.

If such a thing cannot be identified in your chosen article, another way to ace your analysis is by pointing out certain words, sentences, or approaches that you have found particularly well employed and refined and going into detail about THEIR significance.

In general, try to focus on the following areas to help you follow a more structured approach:

• Use of Persuasive Language: Is the author using any persuasive techniques such as emotional appeals?
• Information Analysis : Is the author giving the information or also challenging any narratives?
• Use of Words: Is the author using simple language for a mass audience or using technical terms? Can the target audience understand the concept clearly?

Last but not the least, comment in detail about any particular ideas or perspectives that the article is trying to convey or perhaps the problems it has tried to address or the solutions provided .

This can be made even more sophisticated if the writer, that is, you give your personal opinion about all of the above. Stating whether you are in agreement or not or have found it helpful or perhaps disturbing can bring a refined edge to your analysis as well.

Are you beginning to get a better understanding of how to write an analysis of a newspaper article ? Let us know in the comment sections below!

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Newspaper Article

Newspaper Article Conventions : Newspaper articles are focused on sharing the essential points of a given topic with a wide readership.  Newspaper articles typically follow a standard format: they address the 5Ws (who, what, where, when, and why).  The article will then go into greater detail and provide the key ideas and information that the general readership should know.  There is often a focus on speaking to witnesses or getting an interview with people who are closely related to the subject of the article; as such, you will often find a lot of quotations being used to qualify and quantify claims and data being presented.  

Sheridan College. (2019, February 25). Sheridan grad wins Oscar for Bao . Retrieved from https://www.sheridancollege.ca/news-and-events/news/sheridan-grad-wins-oscar-for-bao

Article: Sheridan Grad Wins Oscar for Bao

Sheridan News, February 25, 2019

Sheridan alumna Domee Shi (Bachelor of Animation ’11) has been awarded the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for her directorial debut, Bao .

Winners of the 91st Academy Awards, which recognize excellence in cinematic achievements, were announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday (Feb. 24). Along with Bao , over one-dozen animation alumni were part of the team that worked on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse , which took home the award for Best Animated Feature.

Shi, a storyboard artist with Pixar, is notably the first female director of a short from the studio. Bao , which screened ahead of Incredibles 2 in theatres this past summer, tells the story of an aging Chinese-Canadian mother who receives an unexpected second chance at motherhood when a dumpling comes to life.

After developing an interest in animation in high school, Shi came to Sheridan to hone in on the aspect of the industry she wanted to pursue. She credits a second-year animation class taught by instructor Nancy Beiman with introducing her to storyboarding. She joined Pixar after graduation, and has worked on films including Inside Out , The Good Dinosaur and Incredibles 2. She is currently developing her first feature film at Pixar.

“We’re so proud of Domee” says Dr. Janet Morrison, President and Vice Chancellor of Sheridan. “It’s thrilling to have our graduates excel in their chosen professions. They’re achieving the pinnacle of success using skills they honed at Sheridan. Our alumni inspire us.”

Fellow Pixar story artist Trevor Jimenez (Bachelor of Animation ’07) received a nomination in the Best Animated Short Film category for his directorial debut, Weekends . Animal Behaviour , produced by Michael Fukushima (Animation ’85), was also nominated in the category.

Elsewhere, Emmy award-winner Craig Henighan (Media Arts ’95) was part of the team to be nominated in the Best Sound Mixing category for his work on Roma .

“Students seek out Sheridan because they know they will be trained in the skills they need to succeed,” says Ronni Rosenberg, Dean of Sheridan’s Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design. “Grads go on to contribute to the film industry in so many diverse ways. Domee, Trevor and Craig, and all the alumni who worked on this year’s Oscar-nominated films, are representative of the breadth of talent we see in our students every day. We’re incredibly proud of their accomplishments.”

Sheridan’s animation alumni are globally renowned, and their work has long been represented at the Oscars. In 1985, Jon Minnis (Animation ’83) won Best Animated Short Film for Charade , while in 2003, Eric Armstrong (Computer Animation ’88) won for his work on The Chubbchubbs! In 2015, three of the five films nominated for Oscars in the Best Animated Feature category were directed by Sheridan-trained animators, including Chris Williams, who won that year for Big Hero 6 . In 2017, Alan Barillaro (Animation ’96) took home an Academy Award for his short film, Piper.

Sheridan is currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of its animation program . Get the backstory on Sheridan’s  fifty years at the forefront of teaching art in motion here . The program includes the Bachelor of Animation and Bachelor of Game Desig n , as well as post-graduate certificates in computer animation ,  visual effects  and  digital creature animation .

© 2019 Sheridan

Newspaper Article Copyright © 2023 by Sheridan College. All Rights Reserved.

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Informative Essay — Purpose, Structure, and Examples

What is informative writing?

Informative writing educates the reader about a certain topic. An informative essay may explain new information, describe a process, or clarify a concept. The provided information is objective, meaning the writing focuses on presentation of fact and should not contain personal opinion or bias.

Informative writing includes description, process, cause and effect, comparison, and problems and possible solutions:

Describes a person, place, thing, or event using descriptive language that appeals to readers’ senses

Explains the process to do something or how something was created

Discusses the relationship between two things, determining how one ( cause ) leads to the other ( effect ); the effect needs to be based on fact and not an assumption

Identifies the similarities and differences between two things; does not indicate that one is better than the other

Details a problem and presents various possible solutions ; the writer does not suggest one solution is more effective than the others

Purpose of informative writing

The purpose of an informative essay depends upon the writer’s motivation, but may be to share new information, describe a process, clarify a concept, explain why or how, or detail a topic’s intricacies.

Informative essays may introduce readers to new information .

Summarizing a scientific/technological study

Outlining the various aspects of a religion

Providing information on a historical period

Describe a process or give step-by-step details of a procedure.

How to write an informational essay

How to construct an argument

How to apply for a job

Clarify a concept and offer details about complex ideas.

Explain why or how something works the way that it does.

Describe how the stock market impacts the economy

Illustrate why there are high and low tides

Detail how the heart functions

Offer information on the smaller aspects or intricacies of a larger topic.

Identify the importance of the individual bones in the body

Outlining the Dust Bowl in the context of the Great Depression

Explaining how bees impact the environment

How to write an informative essay

Regardless of the type of information, the informative essay structure typically consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

Background information

Explanation of evidence

Restated thesis

Review of main ideas

Closing statement

Informative essay introduction

When composing the introductory paragraph(s) of an informative paper, include a hook, introduce the topic, provide background information, and develop a good thesis statement.

If the hook or introduction creates interest in the first paragraph, it will draw the readers’ attention and make them more receptive to the essay writer's ideas. Some of the most common techniques to accomplish this include the following:

Emphasize the topic’s importance by explaining the current interest in the topic or by indicating that the subject is influential.

Use pertinent statistics to give the paper an air of authority.

A surprising statement can be shocking; sometimes it is disgusting; sometimes it is joyful; sometimes it is surprising because of who said it.

An interesting incident or anecdote can act as a teaser to lure the reader into the remainder of the essay. Be sure that the device is appropriate for the informative essay topic and focus on what is to follow.

Directly introduce the topic of the essay.

Provide the reader with the background information necessary to understand the topic. Don’t repeat this information in the body of the essay; it should help the reader understand what follows.

Identify the overall purpose of the essay with the thesis (purpose statement). Writers can also include their support directly in the thesis, which outlines the structure of the essay for the reader.

Informative essay body paragraphs

Each body paragraph should contain a topic sentence, evidence, explanation of evidence, and a transition sentence.

A good topic sentence should identify what information the reader should expect in the paragraph and how it connects to the main purpose identified in the thesis.

Provide evidence that details the main point of the paragraph. This includes paraphrasing, summarizing, and directly quoting facts, statistics, and statements.

Explain how the evidence connects to the main purpose of the essay.

Place transitions at the end of each body paragraph, except the last. There is no need to transition from the last support to the conclusion. A transition should accomplish three goals:

Tell the reader where you were (current support)

Tell the reader where you are going (next support)

Relate the paper’s purpose

Informative essay conclusion

Incorporate a rephrased thesis, summary, and closing statement into the conclusion of an informative essay.

Rephrase the purpose of the essay. Do not just repeat the purpose statement from the thesis.

Summarize the main idea found in each body paragraph by rephrasing each topic sentence.

End with a clincher or closing statement that helps readers answer the question “so what?” What should the reader take away from the information provided in the essay? Why should they care about the topic?

Informative essay example

The following example illustrates a good informative essay format:

Essay on Newspaper for Students and Children

500+ words essay on newspaper.

Newspaper is a printed media and one of the oldest forms of mass communication in the world . Newspaper publications are frequency-based like daily, weekly, fortnightly. Also, there are many newspaper bulletins which have monthly or quarterly publication. Sometimes there are multiple editions in a day. A newspaper contains news articles from around the world on different topics like politics, sports, entertainment, business, education, culture and more. The newspaper also contains opinion and editorial columns, weather forecasts , political cartoons, crosswords, daily horoscopes, public notices and more.

History of Newspapers

Newspaper’s circulation started in the 17 th century. Different countries have different timelines to start the publication of Newspapers. In 1665, the 1 st real newspaper was printed in England. The first American newspaper named “Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick” was printed in 1690. Similarly, for Britain, it all starts from 1702 and in Canada, in the year 1752 the first newspaper named Halifax Gazette started its publication.

In the late 19 th century, newspapers became very common and were cheaply available due to the abolishment of stamp duty on them. But, in the early 20 th century, computer technology started replacing the old labor method of printing.

Importance of Newspaper

Newspaper is a very powerful medium of spreading information among people.  Information is a very vital thing as we need to know what is happening around us. Also, awareness to the happenings at our surrounding helps us in better planning and decision.

Government and other official announcements are done in a newspaper. Government and private sector employment-related information like job vacancies and different competitive related information are also published in the newspaper.

Weather forecasts, business-related news, political, economic, international, sports and entertainment-related all information are published in the newspaper. Newspaper is the ideal source of increasing current affairs. In most of the household in the current society, the morning starts with a reading newspaper.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Newspaper and other Communication Channels

In this age of digitization, abundant data are available on the internet. Most of the news channel and newspaper publishing houses to cope up with the trend of digitization have opened their own website and mobile application. Information spreads instantly via social media and websites.

In this current scenario where information is almost available at real-time on the internet, the newspaper in its original form seems to face a treat of existence. However, the daily, weekly papers still hold its importance in this digital era. The newspaper is still considered as the authentic source of any information.

Most of the newspapers also have a special section for the young and school students to express and show their talent. Several articles on the quiz, essay, short story, painting are published which makes newspaper articles interesting among school students. It also helps in inculcating the habit of reading the newspaper from an early age.

Newspapers are a great source of information that can be available at home. Each and everyone must ensure to imbibe the habit of reading newspapers in their lives. In today’s digital world, online source of information is readily available but the authenticity and credibility of such information are not known. It is the newspaper which ensures to provide us accurate and verified information. Newspapers are permanent as because they have been able to earn the faith of the people with its validated information. Socially, the newspaper plays an important role in the upbringing and maintaining the morale and harmony of society to a larger extent.

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Essay on Newspaper and Its Uses in English for Children, Students and Others

Table of Contents

Newspaper Essay and Its Uses: Newspaper has been one of the first mediums of mass media. Its popularity grew over the time and even as we have plunged into the world of internet, newspaper continues to be preferred by the masses. Newspaper is a power house of information. It contains news from the world of politics, business, showbiz and more. It makes the general public aware about what’s going on around the world.

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Newspapers are a medium of information distribution, which could surprisingly cover hundreds of miles in just a matter of few hours. The only drawback of newspapers is that they need to be physically transported from printing press to the readers, before the news gets older. This however, requires an efficient distribution mechanism consisting of road transport and newspaper hawkers who begin their work in the dead of night so that we can read newspaper, sipping morning tea in our gardens.

Long and Short Essay on Newspaper and Its Uses in English

Here are Long and short essay on Newspaper and its uses in English for your information and knowledge.

These Newspaper and its uses essay have been written in simple and easy to grasp language for you to easily remember them and present it when needed.

These essays will help you with the topic in your exams and competitions.

You can select any Newspaper and Its Uses essay as per your need and impress your teachers, friends and classmates.

Essay on Importance of Newspaper – Essay 1 (200 words)

“A good newspaper is a nation talking to itself”, as quoted by Arthur Miller defines the importance of newspaper very well. Technically, a newspaper is a periodical publication which is usually issued on daily or weekly basis. It contains news, articles of opinion, features, advertisements and other information of public interests.

Newspaper has been a part of our daily life for last several decades and even today in modern bustling lives it is a necessity in spite of the dominance of internet & other more advanced mass media forms, newspapers have been succeeded on having an impact on majority of the population. It maybe because people still like it the old way and thus it is still one of the most preferred way for mass sharing of information.

It is usually divided into various sections, mainly politics, economy, sports and arts, so that the reader can choose his or her desired section. Newspaper has proved as an important tool for public awareness. It also serves as voice of the people for catering theirs needs & complaints to government authorities contributing to better governance.

Newspapers are an important prerequisite for democracy. For many it is an inseparable part of their daily lives because that’s how their day begins – with a cup of tea and a freshly delivered newspaper.

Essay on Newspaper and its Uses – Essay 2 (300 words)

Introduction

A newspaper is a form of printed media. It is a powerful mode of mass communication. It is a periodic publication, usually published on daily basis. It contains news articles on current affairs from the world of politics, education, sports, culture and more. It also contains advertisements & features.

Newspaper and Its Uses

• A newspaper has a great influence on the society. It is published all over the world in many different languages. Here is a look at the various uses of newspaper:
• Newspaper can shape public opinion and influence government and its policies
• In a democratic country, it serves as a link between government and the people.
• It serves as the voice against injustice.
• It can mould and reflect the public opinions.
• It provides valuable and essential information to the public such as the weather forecasts, criticism and reviews of literature, films, fine arts and local restaurants, obituaries and birth notices.
• It also serves as a source of entertainment with its features such as crosswords, fun facts, horoscope, comic strips, advice columns, food columns, celebrity gossip and more.
• Apart from this, newspapers have great educative value. They keep us updated about various happenings around the world and thus improve our general knowledge.
• Many newspapers also help in awakening health and environmental awareness among the people.
• A businessman can learn about the trends of the market and a job seeker can find a suitable job from job advertisements.
• At the time of crisis or emergency, printing press can serve as a reliable source of information.
• Besides all these social, political and economic aspects newspapers are also a great platform for advertisement. Newspaper advertising has been around longer than any other form of advertising we see today and it still serves the purpose of advertiser correctly and efficiently.

In this age of television, newspaper is still one of the most important parts of the media. We can conclude by saying that newspaper broadens our outlook & is an enormous source of information. Cultivating a habit reading a newspaper can be beneficial in many ways.

Essay on Newspaper and Its Uses in Student Life – Essay 3 (400 words)

The Newspaper is one of the printed medium of media available to the common man. It provides awareness about the happenings of the neighbourhood to every corner of the world. Our idea of newspaper is of folded sheets which contain information about and articles on news, features, reviews and advertisements but it is much more than that. It means the world to some. It has the power to change one’s life. Theinformation we receive from the newspaper plays a vital role in our daily life.

Uses of Newspaper in Students’ Life

Educational Benefits

One always benefits from the habit of reading newspaper. Being a student it not only improves your reading skills and efficiency but also keeps you aware of the current affairs. One can always find the part that interests him and enhances his learning. For instance, a commerce student can know the current trade policy changes and the ups and downs in the market. This makes him ready for the future.

Likewise, someone related to science background can know the new developments in the technological department. IAS, UPSC, GPSC, SSC, NDA, IBPS PO and many other aspirants also benefit from reading newspaper as it includes current affairs and needs them to be aware of the current happenings in the political, social and technological fields which are all covered in the newspaper. Students can greatly boast their general knowledge with the newspaper reading habits. School curriculums have also included reading newspaper as one of the assignments which contributes in developing numerous skills in the student.

Entertainment Purpose

Newspaper comprises of not only of news but also of the entertainment columns like crosswords, puzzles, jumbles, various interesting articles, fun facts and comic strips to keep the reader involved. Like it is said “All work and no play makes jack a dull boy”. So students can use these parts of the newspaper for recreational purpose. Other than this, newspaper also consists of a separate section dealing with fashion trends, lifestyle, and life stories etc. All this helps the reader stick to a regime of reading the newspaper daily, making it a habit without being bored at the same time. This can also serve as a break from reading the same course books.

Despite the massive development of the electronic media, newspaper still has a huge impact over majority of the society and still holds its place firmly. It connects the students of the developing world with the good old way of gathering information and being more aware of the world.

Essay on Newspaper and Its Uses in Our Life – Essay 4 (500 words)

Newspaper is a periodic publication which contains written information about current events. It covers a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports and arts, and also includes content such as opinion columns, weather forecasts, crosswords, editorial cartoons and birth notices.

Though the technology has advanced to a greater level and people can see news on televisions and their mobile phones, people still prefer to buy newspapers and read them. The feeling of reading news through a newspaper will always have more importance and impact on people’s mind compared to that gathered by some gadget. One of the reasons for this is that reading through electronic devices can strain eyes and can even cause serious health issues.

Newspapers help in building people’s thoughts, ideas and feelings towards different things. Thus, if the articles in newspapers are correct and neutral then this can lead to formation of strong, unidirectional mental state of the whole civilization leading to the progress of the country. If the news is not true and neutral then it can also lead to the destruction of the whole union. Hence, it is necessary to have newspaper publications that are fearless, intelligent, not belonging to any political party and those that think about nation and their duties towards the nation before their own personal interests. This is how newspapers hold great importance in our ever day lives.

Functions of Newspaper and Its Importance in Our Lives

The uses or importance of newspaper in everyday lives can be summarized and easily understood by knowing its functions. So the four major functions of newspapers are as followed:

• To Inform : Newspapers provide facts and information to make citizens aware about the things happening around them and stay up to date. This helps in making them build a neutral and right perspective towards the latest scenarios.
• To Interpret the News : Newspapers basically provide a better idea about a situation or event, in detail. This may also vary from writer to writer as everyone has their own perspective towards a situation. So, it is essential for a citizen to take it in a neutral way and build his opinion about it.
• To Provide Services to Different Professionals : Newspapers provide information that helps businessmen as well working professionals. New business ideas can be derived looking at how and where the market is heading. Newspaper is also a great place to advertise about ones products and services. It is a great platform for both buyers and sellers. For example, if someone needs to buy vehicle or home, then there are various advertisements which can help them assist in comparing and getting their deals. Newspapers also have a section for the job seekers where they can check for suitable job vacancies and contact their prospective employers.
• To entertain : There are some specific sections in the newspaper which are designed to amuse or give enjoyment to readers. This section may contain some puzzles, cartoon sketches, jokes, crosswords, and many such activities. This section helps readers remain engrossed in the news for a longer time. It is a good way of recreation and brings joy. Puzzles and cross words also challenge ones mind and hones problem solving skills.

There are many other benefits that one gets from reading newspapers, such as improvement in vocabulary and reading efficiency. All of these benefits help readers build their own polished personality which can help them further in their lives.

Essay on Newspaper and Its Uses in Modern Life – Essay 5 (600 words)

Newspaper is a bunch of printed pages. It is a type of printed media which consists of news, articles, features, views, advertisements, etc. It is a periodical type of publication which is usually published on daily, weekly or monthly basis. It contains various sections in it to meet with the interests of all types of people in the society. It is one of the oldest means of mass media, and even in this electronic world it is still prevalent in most parts of human civilization. It is published in numerous languages in different regions so that it can reach out to more and more people.

Newspaper and Its Significance

Newspapers have played a significant role in moulding the thought process of the readers. Even in the time of British rule newspapers were an important source of reaching the common people. Newspaper successfully influenced thousands of people during struggle for independence. It can still play an important role in influencing people for some sort of reform. People make their opinion on things based on what they have read about in the newspaper. So, it has to be printed with utmost care. Newspaper publications must ensure that only the truth is catered to common people.

Newspaper and Its Benefits

Newspapers are a treasure of knowledge, Reading newspaper is highly recommended for those preparing for any competitive exam. It helps us improve our general knowledge which is of prime importance in today’s competitive world. It can help us improve our vocabulary when referred to on daily basis. We can learn about fashion trends which are given in various articles published weekly. Newspaper also publishes recipes for variety of dishes. It has got articles for healthy living, columns solely dedicated for public awareness and it also keeps us updated about famous sports and major events related to them. People also put up advertisements for matrimony and jobs to find the right match.

Newspaper: A Reliable Source of Information

In this world of social media, printed media proves to be one of the most reliable sources of information. The information shared on social media is by some random person which cannot be always trusted. Many a times, fake news spreads on social media and it causes situation of chaos and confusion in various regions. In such situations, one looks up to a reliable source and newspapers have never failed to prove their worth. Newspaper is a publication run by trained and experienced professionals. The genuineness of the content is closely examined before it is provided to the people. Thus, in the time of emergency newspaper is one of the most trusted media.

Newspaper for Pastime Purpose

Newspaper is a tool for pastime for man; it is something with which their day begins. There are various sections in the newspaper to hook the reader up such as crosswords, puzzles, sudoku, riddles and fun-facts. Notifications for important events happening in the city can be checked out in newspaper. Movie show timings, movie reviews, book reviews, channel schedules, etc are all provided in a newspaper. Comic strips and short stories are also published in special weekly editions of newspaper. Thus, newspaper can be a perfect pastime material for all classes of people.

Since the last several decades newspaper has been an important part of the people’s life and it continues to be so even in the era of superfast electronic media. Reading newspaper is a habit of millions of people around the globe even today. It is an inseparable part of daily lives of many. Morning breakfast without a newspaper is considered a dull affair. Such is the craze and significance of newspaper.

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• Essay On Newspaper

Essay on Newspaper

500+ words essay on newspaper.

The newspaper is one of the oldest means of communication, which provides information from all around the world. It contains news, editorials, features, articles on a variety of current topics and other information of public interest. Sometimes the word NEWS is interpreted as North, East, West and South. It means that the newspapers provide information from everywhere. The newspaper covers topics related to health, war, politics, climate forecast, economy, environment, agriculture, education, business, government policies, fashion, sports entertainment, etc. It covers regional, national and international news.

Here, we have provided an essay on ‘Newspaper’, which will help students to improve their writing section. So, students must try to write a ‘Newspaper Essay’ in English after going through this sample essay . This essay on ‘Newspaper’ will give them ideas on how to organise their thoughts in a structured format to frame a good essay.

The newspaper is the most authentic and reliable source of information as it only prints the news after proper investigation. Newspapers are delivered to our doorstep early in the morning. We can read the news by having a cup of tea and get to know what is going on around the world. Newspapers are economical as we get information at a very low cost. They are easily available and are also printed in different languages. Thus, newspapers make it easier for people to read news in their native language.

Newspapers cover different columns, and each column is reserved for a particular topic. The employment column provides information related to jobs. This column is very useful for youth who are searching for suitable jobs. Similarly, there are other columns, such as the matrimonial column for finding the perfect match for marriages, a political column for news related to politics, a sports column for analysis and opinion on sports updates, etc. Other than this, there are editorials, readers, and critics’ reviews that provide a wide variety of information.

History of Newspapers in India

The first newspaper to be printed in India was called Gazette Bengal. It was published by an Englishman, James Augustus Hicky in 1780. This newspaper was followed by the publication of other newspapers like the Indian Gazette, Calcutta Gazette, Madras Gazette Courier and Bombay Herald in the coming years. After the first freedom struggle of 1857, the number of newspapers appearing in different languages of India continued to grow. At the time of this freedom struggle, media expansion in India was not large. However, after India became independent, the expansion of newspapers continued.

Importance of Newspaper

A newspaper is an important prerequisite for democracy. It helps in the proper functioning of government bodies by making citizens informed about government work. Newspapers act as powerful public opinion changes. In the absence of a newspaper, we cannot have a true picture of our surroundings. It makes us realise that we are living in a dynamic world of knowledge and learning. Daily reading of the newspaper will help improve English grammar and vocabulary, which is especially helpful for students. It also improves reading skills along with learning skills. Thus, it enhances our knowledge and broadens our vision.

Newspapers contain advertisements which are essential to run a paper. So, along with news, newspapers are also a medium of advertising. Advertisements related to goods, services and recruitment are broadcast. There are also missing, lost-found, and government-release ads. Though these advertisements are useful most of the time, sometimes they result in misleading people. Many big companies and firms also advertise through newspapers to enhance their brand value in the market.

Disadvantages of Newspaper

There are numerous advantages of the newspaper, but on the other side, there are some drawbacks too. Newspapers are a source of exchanging diverse views. So, they can mould the opinion of people in positive and negative ways. Biased articles can cause riots, hatred and disunity. Sometimes immoral advertisements and vulgar pictures printed in the newspaper can severely damage society’s moral values.

Deletion of the vulgar ads and controversial articles removes the above-mentioned demerits of the newspaper to a great extent. Thus, an active reader cannot be misled and deceived by journalism.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Newspaper Essay

Is the newspaper still in use as much as in the earlier days.

Although news feeds and news channels instantly update us on the happenings around us, daily newspapers are very much still in use. Many people still refer to and wait for the news to be updated in these newspapers, even today.

What are the 5 main sections of a newspaper?

The five main sections of a newspaper are national/international news, sports, entertainment/amusement, classified advertisements, and neighbourhood news.

Who invented the newspaper?

Johann Carolus invented the first newspaper in Strasbourg, Germany.

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Watch CBS News

Solar eclipse maps show 2024 totality path, peak times and how much of the eclipse you can see across the U.S.

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 7, 2024 / 7:29 PM EDT / CBS News

A total solar eclipse crosses North America on April 8, 2024, with parts of 15 U.S. states within the path of totality. Maps show where and when astronomy fans can see the big event . 

The total eclipse will first appear along Mexico's Pacific Coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, then travel across a swath of the U.S., from Texas to Maine, and into Canada.

About 31.6 million people live in the path of totality , the area where the moon will fully block out the sun , according to NASA. The path will range between 108 and 122 miles wide. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path of totality.

Solar eclipse path of totality map for 2024

The total solar eclipse will start over the Pacific Ocean, and the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico's Pacific Coast, around 11:07 a.m. PDT on April 8, according to NASA. From there, the path will continue into Texas, crossing more than a dozen states before the eclipse enters Canada in southern Ontario. The eclipse will exit continental North America around 5:16 p.m. NDT from Newfoundland, Canada.

The path of totality includes the following states:

• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire

Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse.

Several major cities across the U.S. are included in the eclipse's path of totality, while many others will see a partial eclipse. Here are some of the best major cities for eclipse viewing — if the weather cooperates :

• San Antonio, Texas (partially under the path)
• Austin, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Dayton, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Buffalo, New York
• Rochester, New York
• Syracuse, New York
• Burlington, Vermont

Map of when the solar eclipse will reach totality across the path

The eclipse will begin in the U.S. on the afternoon of April 8. It will first be visible as a partial eclipse beginning at 12:06 p.m. CDT near Eagle Pass, Texas, before progressing to totality by about 1:27 p.m. CDT and progressing along its path to the northeast over the next few hours.

NASA shared times for several cities in the path of totality across the U.S. You can also  check your ZIP code on NASA's map  to see when the eclipse will reach you if you're on, or near, the path of totality. 

How much of the eclipse will you see if you live outside of the totality path?

While the April 8 eclipse will cover a wide swath of the U.S., outside the path of totality observers may spot a partial eclipse, where the moon covers some, but not all, of the sun, according to NASA. The closer you are to the path of totality, the larger the portion of the sun that will be hidden.

NASA allows viewers to input a ZIP code and see how much of the sun will be covered in their location.

Could there be cloud cover be during the solar eclipse?

Some areas along the path of totality have a higher likelihood of cloud cover that could interfere with viewing the eclipse. Here is a map showing the historical trends in cloud cover this time of year. 

You can check the latest forecast for your location with our partners at The Weather Channel .

Where will the solar eclipse reach totality for the longest?

Eclipse viewers near Torreón, Mexico, will get to experience totality for the longest. Totality there will last 4 minutes, 28 seconds, according to NASA. 

Most places along the centerline of the path of totality will see a totality duration between 3.5 and 4 minutes long, according to NASA. Some places in the U.S. come close to the maximum; Kerrville, Texas, will have a totality duration of 4 minutes, 24 seconds.

What is the path of totality for the 2044 solar eclipse?

After the April 8 eclipse, the next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

Astronomy fans in the U.S. will have far fewer opportunities to see the 2044 eclipse than the upcoming one on April 8. NASA has not yet made maps available for the 2044 eclipse, but, according to The Planetary Society , the path of totality will only touch three states.

The 2024 eclipse will start in Greenland, pass over Canada and end as the sun sets in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society.

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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Trump Is Accidentally Exposing Aileen Cannon’s Shady Pro-MAGA Game

Even as the judge’s latest moves show she’s carefully disguising her advocacy for trump, he is making it clear that he expects her to save him..

When Judge Aileen Cannon handed down her latest ruling in the prosecution of Donald Trump for stealing classified documents, many legal observers immediately understood the shady gamesmanship lurking behind it. She did, technically, rule against Trump by refusing to dismiss the case—but actually made it easier for herself to kill the case later, or to steer a jury toward an acquittal.

Trump’s lawyers had argued that the Presidential Records Act, which was passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal, allowed him to reclassify national security documents as his personal property. That’s a grotesque misreading of the law’s history and intent, and Cannon appeared to agree, declaring that the PRA “does not provide a pre-trial basis to dismiss” the case. The media reported this as a partial “win” for special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution team.

But as constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe put it , this was a “pretend” ruling against Trump that ended up “reserving” Cannon’s ability to decide the case for Trump in a way that cannot be appealed. In short, Cannon seems to recognize that as she moves toward that endgame, it’s essential to maintain plausible deniability throughout.

“Judge Cannon is being canny in her Trump-protective approach,” Lee Kovarsky, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told me.

Trump doesn’t seem to have noticed the “canny” part. He doesn’t bother hiding his expectation that Cannon—who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump in 2020—will put a heavy thumb on the scale in his favor. That complicates Cannon’s efforts to maintain that objective legal aura she’s striving for.

Which points to a larger pattern: On numerous fronts, Trump’s allies—overt and tacit alike—seek to run interference for his corruption and likely criminality in ways that allow them to maintain a veneer of respect for the rule of law. But Trump keeps demanding that they openly pervert the rule of law on his behalf, not least because a central feature of the MAGA movement is explicit contempt for the very idea that the law should apply to him and his supporters at all.

After Smith requested Thursday that Cannon rule quickly on the Trump team’s claim that the PRA absolves him of wrongdoing, Trump posted this on Truth Social:

Deranged “Special” Counsel Jack Smith…should be sanctioned or censured for the way he is attacking a highly respected Judge, Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over his FAKE Documents Hoax case in Florida….He shouldn’t even be allowed to participate in this sham case, where I, unlike Crooked Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and all the rest, come under the Presidential Records Act. I DID NOTHING WRONG, BUT BIDEN DID, AND THEY LET HIM OFF SCOT-FREE. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN, JACK? A TWO TIERED SYSTEM OF JUSTICE. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!

Everything here is exactly backwards. President Biden was cleared of wrongdoing by a special counsel appointed under Biden but originally nominated as a U.S. attorney in 2017 by Trump. Whereas Robert Hur could not find evidence that would persuade a jury of criminal wrongdoing, Smith secured an indictment against Trump from a grand jury of the former president’s peers. What’s more, a judge considered reams of evidence that Trump had improperly stashed classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, concluding that probable cause existed to authorize a search of it.

Yet in Trump’s hands, none of these details matter—he steamrolls right over them—because the sum of his message is that, by definition, Biden is guilty and Trump is innocent. As with his ceaseless attacks on Smith and everyone else trying to hold him accountable to the law, any such efforts are to be presumed illegitimate by virtue of the fact that he’s their target. That’s also the message of Trump’s attacks on the family members of officials involved in cases against him: not just that he’s trying to prevent the application of the law to himself by any means necessary, but also that he’s flaunting it.

Similarly, Trump has no basis for declaring Cannon “highly respected” other than his correct perception that she’s on his side.

Having all this out in the open is the last thing Cannon wants, because by all indications, she’s striving to appear neutral in the case—while sneakily leaving the door open to help Trump later. To wit: Cannon didn’t rule on Trump’s claim that he was authorized under the PRA to take the documents. Had she done so in his favor, as many legal experts noted , it would have been subject to appeal. But by deferring that question, Cannon has given herself two options later: Instruct the jury at trial to take that argument seriously into account, making acquittal more likely, or dismiss the case herself on those grounds.

Such a move would place Trump’s acquittal beyond appeal, as it would transpire after a jury was seated. Given that this comes after a string of tortured and inexplicable rulings in Trump’s favor in the case— Jonathan V. Last describes Cannon as effectively a “MAGA judge in the tank for Trump” —it can no longer be denied: She really may be preparing to take such action, which would kill Smith’s case for good.

“By refusing to decide the PRA issue now, she avoids near-certain reversal,” said Kovarsky of the University of Texas. “By deferring it until after the jury’s sworn, she can make appellate correction impossible.”

To the degree that Trump makes it explicit that he fully expects Cannon to scuttle the case, it complicates executing this game with credibility.

We see this pattern regularly. Many Republicans have resisted holding Trump accountable for the Jan. 6 insurrection, but for them, the sweet spot is to say that of course rioters who are actually convicted of breaking laws should pay a price; it’s just that Jan. 6 was mostly a peaceful protest and Trump himself is the victim of a witch hunt!

Trump insists on an entirely different proposition: Even those convicted in a court of law for Jan. 6 are victims, martyrs, “ hostages .” When Trump suggests he will pardon them, it’s as if he’s observing something as obvious as the weather: It goes without saying that the law doesn’t apply to his supporters. That leaves no space for Republicans to allow that the workings of our legal system with regard to Jan. 6 are legitimate in any way.

Meanwhile, this week in Michigan, Trump posed with law enforcement officers while denouncing Biden’s border policies. Many noted the absurdity of this, given that Trump has vowed to pardon people who attacked cops on Jan 6th, including some who were directly involved in some of that day’s most vicious violence against them.

But Trump sees no need to account for this absurdity. He hails the heroism and bravery of cops, as long as they support him; he hails the heroism and bravery of people who viciously attack cops, as long as those people also support him.

All this is a feature of autocratic politics, which turns on the idea that the system is hopelessly corrupted and perpetually out to drag the strongman down, and the only political arrangement that’s unsullied and virtuous is the bond between him and his followers.

Just as Trump openly characterized the attorney general he appointed as his personal attorney, he sees Cannon as his judge, and cops who support him as his cops. “The reason he tells his supporters all this explicitly is he’s conditioning them to turn away from democracy,” says Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on strongman rule . “He’s conditioning them to accept authoritarian modes of governance and the idea of the leader as unbound and unaccountable.”

Cannon does not seem to relish being perceived as a servant of this twisted ethos. Trump doesn’t seem to care; he’s openly telling the world exactly what he expects her to do for him. We can only hope Trump has left her no option but to prove him wrong.

Greg Sargent is a staff writer at The New Republic .

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Mental health care is hard to find, especially for people with Medicare or Medicaid

Rhitu Chatterjee

With rates of suicide and opioid deaths rising in the past decade and children's mental health declared a national emergency , the United States faces an unprecedented mental health crisis. But access to mental health care for a significant portion of Americans — including some of the most vulnerable populations — is extremely limited, according to a new government report released Wednesday.

The report, from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, finds that Medicare and Medicaid have a dire shortage of mental health care providers.

The report looked at 20 counties with people on Medicaid, traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which together serve more than 130 million enrollees — more than 40% of the U.S. population, says Meridith Seife , the deputy regional inspector general and the lead author of the report.

Medicaid serves people on low incomes, and Medicare is mainly for people 65 years or older and those who are younger with chronic disabilities.

The report found fewer than five active mental health care providers for every 1,000 enrollees. On average, Medicare Advantage has 4.7 providers per 1,000 enrollees, whereas traditional Medicare has 2.9 providers and Medicaid has 3.1 providers for the same number of enrollees. Some counties fare even worse, with not even a single provider for every 1,000 enrollees.

"When you have so few providers available to see this many enrollees, patients start running into significant problems finding care," says Seife.

The findings are especially troubling given the level of need for mental health care in this population, she says.

"On Medicare, you have 1 in 4 Medicare enrollees who are living with a mental illness," she says. "Yet less than half of those people are receiving treatment."

Among people on Medicaid, 1 in 3 have a mental illness, and 1 in 5 have a substance use disorder. "So the need is tremendous."

The results are "scary" but "not very surprising," says Deborah Steinberg , senior health policy attorney at the nonprofit Legal Action Center. "We know that people in Medicare and Medicaid are often underserved populations, and this is especially true for mental health and substance use disorder care."

Among those individuals able to find and connect with a provider, many see their provider several times a year, according to the report. And many have to drive a long way for their appointments.

"We have roughly 1 in 4 patients that had to travel more than an hour to their appointments, and 1 in 10 had to travel more than an hour and a half each way," notes Seife. Some patients traveled two hours each way for mental health care, she says.

Mental illnesses and substance use disorders are chronic conditions that people need ongoing care for, says Steinberg. "And when they have to travel an hour, more than an hour, for an appointment throughout the year, that becomes unreasonable. It becomes untenable."

"We know that behavioral health workforce shortages are widespread," says Heather Saunders , a senior research manager on the Medicaid team at KFF, the health policy research organization. "This is across all payers, all populations, with about half of the U.S. population living in a workforce shortage."

But as the report found, that's not the whole story for Medicare and Medicaid. Only about a third of mental health care providers in the counties studied see Medicare and Medicaid patients. That means a majority of the workforce doesn't participate in these programs.

This has been well documented in Medicaid, notes Saunders. "Only a fraction" of providers in provider directories see Medicaid patients, she says. "And when they do see Medicaid patients, they often only see a few."

Lower reimbursement rates and a high administrative burden prevent more providers from participating in Medicaid and Medicare, the report notes.

"In the Medicare program, they set a physician fee rate," explains Steinberg. "Then for certain providers, which includes clinical social workers, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists, they get reimbursed at 75% of that rate."

Medicaid reimbursements for psychiatric services are even lower when compared with Medicare , says Ellen Weber , senior vice president for health initiatives at the Legal Action Center.

"They're baking in those discriminatory standards when they are setting those rates," says Steinberg.

The new report recommends that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) take steps to increase payments to providers and lower administrative requirements. In a statement, CMS said it has responded to those recommendations within the report.

According to research by Saunders and her colleagues at KFF, many states have already started to take action on these fronts to improve participation in Medicaid.

Several have upped their payments to mental health providers. "But the scale of those increases ranged widely across states," says Saunders, "with some states limiting the increase to one provider type or one type of service, but other states having rate increases that were more across the board."

Some states have also tried to simplify and streamline paperwork, she adds. "Making it less complex, making it easier to understand," says Saunders.

But it's too soon to know whether those efforts have made a significant impact on improving access to providers.

CMS has also taken steps to address provider shortages, says Steinberg.

"CMS has tried to increase some of the reimbursement rates without actually fixing that structural problem," says Steinberg. "Trying to add a little bit here and there, but it's not enough, especially when they're only adding a percent to the total rate. It's a really small increase."

The agency has also started covering treatments and providers it didn't use to cover before.

"In 2020, Medicare started covering opioid treatment programs, which is where a lot of folks can go to get medications for their substance use disorder," says Steinberg.

And starting this year, Medicare also covers "mental health counselors, which includes addiction counselors, as well as marriage and family therapists," she adds.

While noteworthy and important, a lot more needs to be done, says Steinberg. "For example, in the substance use disorder space, a lot of addiction counselors do not have a master's degree. And that's one of their requirements to be a counselor in the Medicare program right now."

Removing those stringent requirements and adding other kinds of providers, like peer support specialists, is key to improving access. And the cost of not accessing care is high, she adds.

"Over the past two decades, [in] the older adult population, the number of overdose deaths has increased fourfold — quadrupled," says Steinberg. "So this is affecting people. It is causing deaths. It is causing people to go to the hospital. It increases [health care] costs."

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Guest Essay

Is This the End of Academic Freedom?

By Paula Chakravartty and Vasuki Nesiah

Dr. Chakravartty is a professor of media, communication and culture at New York University, where Dr. Nesiah is a professor of practice in human rights and international law.

​At New York University, the spring semester began with a poetry reading. Students and faculty gathered in the atrium of Bobst Library. At that time, about 26,000 Palestinians had already been killed in Israel’s horrific war on Gaza; the reading was a collective act of bearing witness.

The last poem read aloud was titled “If I Must Die.” It was written, hauntingly, by a Palestinian poet and academic named Refaat Alareer who was killed weeks earlier by an Israeli airstrike. The poem ends: “If I must die, let it bring hope — let it be a tale.”

Soon after those lines were recited, the university administration shut the reading down . Afterward, we learned that students and faculty members were called into disciplinary meetings for participating in this apparently “disruptive” act; written warnings were issued.

We have both taught at N.Y.U. for over a decade and believe we are in a moment of unparalleled repression. Over the past six months, since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, we have seen the university administration fail to adequately protect dissent on campus, actively squelching it instead. We believe what we are witnessing in response to student, staff and faculty opposition to the war violates the very foundations of academic freedom.

While N.Y.U. says that it remains committed to free expression on campus and that its rules about and approach to protest activity haven’t changed, students and faculty members in solidarity with the Palestinian people have found the campus environment alarmingly constrained.

About a week after Hamas’s attacks in October, the Grand Staircase in the Kimmel student center, a storied site of student protests , closed indefinitely; it has yet to reopen fully. A graduate student employee was reprimanded for putting up fliers in support of Palestinians on the student’s office door and ultimately took them down; that person is not the only N.Y.U. student to face some form of disciplinary consequence for pro-Palestinian speech or action. A resolution calling for the university to reaffirm protection of pro-Palestinian speech and civic activity on campus, passed by the elected Student Government Assembly in December, has apparently been stuck in a procedural black hole since.

The New York Police Department has become a pervasive presence on campus, with over 6,000 hours of officer presence added after the war broke out. Hundreds of faculty members have signed onto an open letter condemning the university’s “culture of fear about campus speech and activism.”

Such draconian interventions are direct threats to academic freedom.

At universities across the country, any criticism of Israel’s policies, expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, organized calls for a cease-fire or even pedagogy on the recent history of the land have all emerged as perilous speech. In a letter to university presidents in November, the A.C.L.U. expressed concern about “impermissible chilling of free speech and association on campus” in relation to pro-Palestinian student groups and views; since then, the atmosphere at colleges has become downright McCarthyite .

The donors, trustees, administrators and third parties who oppose pro-Palestinian speech seem to equate any criticism of the State of Israel — an occupying power under international law and one accused of committing war crimes — with antisemitism. To them, the norms of free speech are inherently problematic, and a broad definition of antisemitism is a tool for censorship . Outside funding has poured into horrifying doxxing and harassment campaigns. Pro-Israel surveillance groups like Canary Mission and CAMERA relentlessly target individuals and groups deemed antisemitic or critical of Israel. Ominous threats follow faculty and students for just expressing their opinions or living out their values.

To be clear, we abhor all expressions of antisemitism and wholeheartedly reject any role for antisemitism on our campuses. Equally, we believe that conflating criticism of Israel or Zionism with antisemitism is dangerous. Equating the criticism of any nation with inherent racism endangers basic democratic freedoms on and off campus. As the A.C.L.U. wrote in its November statement, a university “cannot fulfill its mission as a forum for vigorous debate” if it polices the views of faculty members and students, however much any of us may disagree with them or find them offensive.

In a wave of crackdowns on pro-Palestinian speech nationwide, students have had scholarships revoked, job offers pulled and student groups suspended. At Columbia, protesters have reported being sprayed by what they said was skunk, a chemical weapon used by the Israeli military; at Northwestern, two Black students faced criminal charges , later dropped, for publishing a pro-Palestinian newspaper parody; at Cornell, students were arrested during a peaceful protest . In a shocking episode of violence last fall, three Palestinian students , two of them wearing kaffiyehs, were shot while walking near the University of Vermont.

Many more cases of student repression on campuses are unfolding.

Academic freedom, as defined by the American Association of University Professors in the mid-20th century , provides protection for the pursuit of knowledge by faculty members, whose job is to educate, learn and research both inside and outside the academy. Not only does this resonate with the Constitution’s free speech protections ; international human rights law also affirms the centrality of academic freedom to the right to education and the institutional autonomy of educational institutions.

Across the United States, attacks on free speech are on the rise . In recent years, right-wing groups opposed to the teaching of critical race theory have tried to undermine these principles through measures including restrictions on the discussion of history and structural racism in curriculums, heightened scrutiny of lectures and courses that are seen to promote dissent and disciplinary procedures against academics who work on these topics.

What people may not realize is that speech critical of Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies has long been censored, posing persistent challenges to those of us who uphold academic freedom. Well before Oct. 7, speech and action at N.Y.U. in support of Palestinians faced intense and undue scrutiny.

Our students are heeding Refaat Alareer’s call to bear witness. They are speaking out — writing statements, organizing protests and responding to a plausible threat of genocide with idealism and conviction. As faculty members, we believe that college should be a time when students are encouraged to ask big questions about justice and the future of humanity and to pursue answers however disquieting to the powerful.

Universities must be places where students have access to specialized knowledge that shapes contemporary debates, where faculty members are encouraged to be public intellectuals, even when, or perhaps especially when, they are expressing dissenting opinions speaking truth to power. Classrooms must allow for contextual learning, where rapidly mutating current events are put into a longer historical timeline.

This is a high-stakes moment. A century ago, attacks on open discussion of European antisemitism, the criminalization of dissent and the denial of Jewish histories of oppression and dispossession helped create the conditions for the Holocaust. One crucial “never again” lesson from that period is that the thought police can be dangerous. They can render vulnerable communities targets of oppression. They can convince the world that some lives are not as valuable as others, justifying mass slaughter.

It is no wonder that students across the country are protesting an unpopular and brutal war that, besides Israel, only the United States is capable of stopping. It is extraordinary that the very institutions that ought to safeguard their exercise of free speech are instead escalating surveillance and policing, working on ever more restrictive student conduct rules and essentially risking the death of academic freedom.

From the Vietnam War to apartheid South Africa, universities have been important places for open discussion and disagreement about government policies, the historical record, structural racism and settler colonialism. They have also long served as sites of protest. If the university cannot serve as an arena for such freedoms, the possibilities of democratic life inside and outside the university gates are not only impoverished but under threat of extinction.

Paula Chakravartty is a professor of media, communication and culture at New York University, where Vasuki Nesiah is a professor of practice in human rights and international law. Both are members of the executive committee of the N.Y.U. chapter of the American Association of University Professors and members of N.Y.U.’s Faculty for Justice in Palestine.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Democratic congressmen unveil bill to rename a federal prison after Trump

WASHINGTON — Three Democratic congressmen unveiled legislation Friday to rename a federal prison in Miami after former President Donald Trump.

The bill — offered by Reps. Gerry Connolly, of Virginia; Jared Moskowitz, of Florida; and John Garamendi, of California — comes in response to a measure introduced by a group of House Republicans to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump.

The Democrats' bill would rename the Miami Federal Correctional Institution in Florida the "Donald J. Trump Federal Correctional Institution."

“When our Republican colleagues introduced their bill to rename Dulles after Donald Trump, I said the more fitting option would be to rename a federal prison,” Connolly said in a statement. “I hope our Republican friends will join us in bestowing upon Donald J. Trump the only honor he truly deserves.”

Trump is facing multiple federal criminal charges  in Florida for allegedly mishandling sensitive government, including willful retention of national defense information, false statements and representations, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record and corruptly concealing a document. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a new trial date in that case.

Trump is also facing state criminal charges in New York, where he's been accused of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential election. He's pleaded not guilty in that case, which is scheduled to begin jury selection on April 15 .

The former president has been charged with illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia state court and in federal court in Washington, D.C. Trial dates have not been set in either case, and the D.C. case is on hold pending resolution of Trump's appeal that he's protected by presidential immunity. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on that appeal on April 25. Trump has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

“Everyone knows President Trump loves to write his name in gold letters on all his buildings, Moskowitz said. “But he’s never had his name on a federal building before and as a public servant I just want to help the former president. Help us make that dream a reality.”

The  bill to rename Dulles after Trump was filed last Friday. It was sponsored by Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., the chief deputy majority whip, and co-sponsored by six other Republicans: Reps. Michael Waltz, of Florida; Andrew Ogles, of Tennessee; Chuck Fleischmann, of Tennessee; Paul Gosar, of Arizona; Barry Moore, of Alabama; and Troy Nehls, of Texas.

Reschenthaler tweeted about the effort earlier this week. “Freedom. Prosperity. Strength. That’s what America stood for under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump — the best president of my lifetime,” Reschenthaler wrote in  a post on X . “And that’s why I’m introducing legislation to rename Dulles as the Donald J. Trump International Airport."

The airport, opened in 1962, is named after John Foster Dulles, who served as secretary of state under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959.

Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

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LA Times columnist apologizes for piece characterizing LSU players as ‘dirty debutantes’

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey reacts during the first quarter of an Elite Eight round college basketball game against Iowa during the NCAA Tournament, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey and the LSU bench react during the first quarter of an Elite Eight round college basketball game against Iowa during the NCAA Tournament, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Los Angeles Times columnist Ben Bolch apologized Monday for last week’s column that characterized the Sweet 16 game between UCLA and LSU in the women’s NCAA Tournament as a battle of good versus evil.

Bolch took to social media Monday to “own up to my mistake.”

LSU coach Kim Mulkey criticized the column on Saturday as sexist and hurtful to her players. In the piece, first published Friday , Bolch referred to LSU’s players as “villains” and “dirty debutantes.”

The Times removed those references late Saturday as well as one comparing UCLA’s team to “milk and cookies” and republished the column with a note that said: “A previous version of this commentary did not meet Times editorial standards. It has been updated.”

“Words matter,” Bolch said in his apology. “As a journalist, no one should know this more than me. Yet I have failed miserably in my choice of words.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness