Vocabolario giornalismo

DYING SUE'S CANCER RAP

Loaded words: Group 4

In order to make headlines attract the attention of the reader, headline writers may select words that carry particularly strong connotations, that is, carry an emotional loading beyond their literal meaning. A good example in the data is the word butchered in headline 3. This word has the dictionary meaning of to slaughter and cut up an animal. When it is applied to a human being, it carries both the meaning of extreme and cruel violence, and also implies that the killer must have seen the victim as having the same status as an animal.

HEADLINE TECHNIQUE

Alliteration: repeating the same first letter or syllable (usually a consonant) in successive words to create a poetic or humorous effect (Sexy Suzy's sausage surprise!)

Assonance: repeating certain vowel sounds in the same phrase or sentence. (Away Day for Gay Ray)

Cliché: An over-used phrase or expression which has lost its originality

Euphemism: the use of a polite or pleasant

Exercise 1

Match the definitions in 1 – 14 with the corresponding words in the box:

1. to reprimand or tell off
2. to follow so.
3. ...

Exercise 1:

a. spiral or soar

b. vow

c. ace

d. rap

e. dog

f. lefties or reds

g. probe

h. rat

i. sleaze

Exercise 2:

1. ‘POLLS RIGGED’ CHARGES

Allegations have been made that election results were falsified.

2. TWO SOUGH AFTER BREAK-OUT DRAMA

Police raided a house today and took possession of jewellery.

3. CABINET RESHUFFLE URGED

There is a call for a reshuffling of the cabinet.

4. SERVICE CHIEFS GAGGED: TWO QUIT

Two service chiefs have resigned after being silenced.

5. GEMS HAUL SEIZED IN SWOOP

A large quantity of gems was confiscated in a surprise operation.

a. jewels - goods stolen in robbery or taken by police or customs

b. to silence, censor, censorship - to silence, censor, censorship

c. to falsify - to falsify

d. director, high-ranking officer or official jobs - director, high-ranking officer or official jobs

e. raid, to raid - raid, to raid

f. to look for, ask for, want - to look for, ask for, want

g. exciting, dramatic event - exciting, dramatic event

h. election, voting, public opinion survey - election, voting, public opinion survey

i. goods stolen in robbery or taken by police or customs - goods stolen in robbery or taken by police or customs

j. to rearrange, rearrangement (of senior jobs) - to rearrange, rearrangement (of senior jobs)

k. to resign, leave - to resign, leave

Headlines at the foot of the exercise. Then express each headline as it would appear in an ordinary news announcement.

1. MOVE CLASH WOO BID FOIL HALT
2. OUST QUIZ PLEA BAN BACK FLEE

1. to prevent
2. strong request, call for help, appeal
3. to force out of office, remove from
4. attempt, to attempt
5. stop, to stop
6. to prohibit, prohibition
7. to try to attract
8. fighting, argument, conflict, to argue, to
9. action, step, to take action
10. to question, interrogate

1. DICTATOR OUSTED: PLEA FOR CALM

2. NEW MOVES TO HALT BORDER CLASHES

3. GOVT BACKS ARMS BAN TO WOO LEFT

4. KIDNAP BID FOILED: 3 QUIZZED, 2 FLEE

Exercise 5 Headlines in the British Music Press

British newspapers very often use the attention grabbing word play device. Among other papers, the British music press use this

technique quite much. In these the headlines are usually names of some popular songs or singers, which the readers are supposed to know. That means that the target audience of the music press know quite well how to decode these headlines, while a person who is not familiar with today's music scene is strongly unlikely to grasp their meaning at once.