Reported Speech in the News
We are a starting a great week and we will be focusing on Reported Speech. What is it and how can you use it in context? On Friday, you will be able to use your newly-acquired knowledge to put yourself in the shoes of a seasoned reporter.
Let’s start with a few definitions:
Report: Give an account of, tell or relate something to someone
Speech: Exchange of spoken words, utterance, conversation, remark, formal address
Reported Speech or Indirect Speech: We use it to communicate to another person or group what somebody has said. No wonder you often see this in the news!
Politician: ” I have decided to run for president in next year’s elections.
In the News: The beleagured politician said he would run for presidential office the following year.
Reporter: A person whose job is to look for news and give an account of it in oral or written form. He or she can work for a newspaper, a radio station, a TV station or online.
Journalists often conduct interviews to obtain information directly from a source or a key player in an event. This shows that they have done their research well. By doing so, they want their articles or news broadcast to become more believable.
The way a reporter uses a reporting verb will reveal his position as regards the information he or she is presenting to us.
Neutral
This is when the verb is impartial and does not show any bias towards any position. The reporter is just relating exactly what was said without any judgement.
Examples in context
- The government spokesman said that the Minister of Health’s plane would arrive later in the day.
- He declared that teachers would get their salary the following week.
- The manager has announced that the company is planning to expand its business nation-wide and abroad.
- She told me that she was going to implement the measures.
- He stated that this was the truth.
- He mentioned that the Prime Minister was in a meeting and that he would call us later for a special interview.
Explanatory
This is when the verb introduces extra information. Thus, the reader, listener or viewer learns more about the issue at hand.
Examples in context
- The firefighter explained how they had managed to stop the fire using local resources.
- The manager clarified his position, stating that he had been forced to take such drastic measures because of inflation.
- She defined the results as satisfactory since they had allowed the country to attract foreign investors from across the globe.
- He expounded his theory in simple and clear terms so that everybody was able to understand what it was all about.
- She describes her job as difficult and challenging: “It is one of the toughest things I’ve ever done.”
Revelatory
This is when an element of truth is introduced. Previously unknown information or a secret is finally known and this can be a big and well-paying scoop for the the journalist or media outlet.
Examples in Context
- He revealed that he was going to quit his ministerial job.
- She confessed that she had embezzled the company’s funds.
- He admits that his job is extremely difficult and that his employers do not have the interests of their employees at heart.
- She accepted that she had erred and explained that she was looking for solutions to solve the problem.
- He swore that he would never do it again and that his alcohol rehabilitation days were over.
Cautious
A reporter will use such verbs when the information is not hundred percent certain. This can be in the context of relating a piece of news provided by an untrustworthy source. These verbs can also be used when dealing with sensitive stories to avoid libel cases.
- She thought that the company’s funds had been mismanaged by the outgoing director.
- He claims that the elections are being rigged right now.
- She alleged that he had behaved in an inappropriate manner then.
- He argues that the situation is about to change for the worse.
- They assume that the company is taking them for granted.
Judgemental
You will certainly find such types of verbs in controversial news. The reporter will often show some bias and emotion and his or her position on the subject can be easily guessed or known.
- She argued that the statement was untrue and threatened to sue us if we published this in our newspaper.
- He boasted that he had made a lot of money while working for the government but he did not explain how he had done it.
- They contested the fact that they had contributed to the downfall of the company.
- They denied that they had plunged the country into darkness.
- She refuted the news, saying that her words had been taken out of context.
Your Turn: What do you think of Reporting Verbs? Are they useful? How can you use them in context? Can you think of any other words or sentences?
Good luck!
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