Reading the news: a worksheet

Dhananjaya de Silva steps down as Sri Lanka Test captain

5 reports from 4 outlets over 3 hours.

• Cricinfo, NDTV, Times of India and Deccan Herald used nearly the same words. Headlines this close usually come from one news agency’s copy.

1. Cr Cricinfo · 14 h · ≈ same wording
   Dhananjaya de Silva steps down as Sri Lanka Test captain
2. ND NDTV · 13 h · ≈ same wording
   Dhananjaya De Silva Steps Down As Sri Lanka Test Captain
3. TI Times of India · 12 h · ≈ same wording
   Dhananjaya de Silva steps down as Sri Lanka Test captain
4. DH Deccan Herald · 12 h · ≈ same wording
   Dhananjaya de Silva steps down as Sri Lanka Test captain
5. Cr Cricinfo · 11 h
   Kusal Mendis appointed Sri Lanka Test captain after Dhananjaya de Silva steps down

   Words only this outlet used: Kusal Mendis appointed.

Questions

1. Which words do most headlines share? Which words does only one outlet use, and what do they stress?

2. Who reported it first, and how long did the others take? Does “first seen by Huduku” mean they broke the story?

3. How many different owners carried it? Do any outlets share an owner, or nearly the same words?

4. Which outlets you know did not carry it? What might explain that?

5. What is the original source (a judgment, notice, speech or set of figures)? Find it. Does any headline say more than the source does?

6. If you shared one of these headlines, which would it be, and why?

Each headline links to the outlet’s own report. Huduku shows headlines only. https://huduku.org/story/3299