Reading the news: a worksheet

IMD issues red alert for 5 districts in Keralam on Oct 25, 26

6 reports from 5 outlets over 23 hours. Those outlets have 4 owners.

• The Hindu BusinessLine and The Hindu have the same owner: The Hindu Group.
• Deccan Herald and The Hindu BusinessLine used nearly the same words. Headlines this close usually come from one news agency’s copy.

1. DH Deccan Herald · 24 Oct · ≈ same wording
   IMD issues red alert for 5 districts in Keralam on Oct 25, 26
2. HB The Hindu BusinessLine · 24 Oct · ≈ same wording
   IMD issues red alert for 5 districts in Keralam on Oct 25, 26
3. TH The Hindu News · 24 Oct
   IMD issues red alert for three districts in Keralam on October 25

   Words only this outlet used: October.

4. TP The Print · 24 Oct
   IMD issues ‘red alert’ for 5 districts in Keralam for two days

   Words only this outlet used: two days.

5. NI The New Indian Express · 25 Oct
   Cyclone Arnab effect: Red alert issued in three Keralam districts on Oct 25

   Words only this outlet used: Cyclone Arnab effect.

6. TP The Print · 25 Oct
   Heavy rains continue in Keralam; IMD issues red alert in 3 districts

   Words only this outlet used: Heavy rains continue, 3.

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/7361