Compare the following extracts from press releases with what journalists have actually made of them in the media. Comment on the transformations that have taken place.
Question 1
1
The Flemish government has decided today to recognise the Academic Corporate Centre of Antwerp as an Incubation and Innovation Centre.
2
The Flemish government decided on Wednesday to recognise the Academic Corporate Centre of Antwerp as an Incubation and Innovation Centre.
faithful reproduction, apart from some 'technical' editing: has decided today vs. decided on Wednesday
Question 2
1
The Camille Huysmans Foundation is pleased to announce to you that the three-yearly Social Economic Prize will be awarded for the fourteenth time.
2
The Camille Huysmans Foundation will award its three-yearly Social Economic Prize for the fourteenth time.
inadequate preformulation; passive replaced by active: is pleased to announce to you ... will be awarded vs. will award
Question 3
1
WESTERLUND CONFIRMS INVESTMENTS IN ULTRA MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE AFTER ANNOUNCEMENT POSITIVE RESULTS Last year Westerlund Corporation processed 3.6 million tonnes of goods at its 3 Antwerp terminals. This is an increase by 15% compared with the previous year and confirms 10 years of uninterrupted growth. Approximately 80% of the volume consisted of forest products, especially paper for printers, offices and packaging. Additional products were kaolin and aluminium.
2
WESTERLUND MORE ACTIVEThe port company Westerlund processed 3.6 million tonnes of goods at its 3 Antwerp terminals last year. This is 15% more than the previous year. Almost 80% of the volume consisted of forest products, especially paper for printers, offices and packaging.
long headline made radically shorter (but also vaguer); long words, nominalization and superlative 'ultra modern' all dropped
'last year' from front to end position: stress on Westerlund.
Westerlund Corporation vs. the port company Westerlund : essential background information added for general readership
an increase by 15% compared vs. 15% more than; approximately ' almost: shorter and more simple
promotional language ("confirms 10 years of uninterrupted growth") and unimportant details ("additional products were kaolin and aluminium.") left out
approximately vs. almost
Question 4
1
ALTERNATIVE FOR PROCESSING CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON OF TESSENDERLO CHEMIE
2
TESSENDERLO MOVES TO CALAIS
shorter and more simple; more specific; implicit focus on bad news for employment in the Tessenderlo region
Question 5
1
"Both the production sites and the administrative centres of the company will in that way be associated with the name of the car in which millions of drivers and potential customers have confidence", said chairman Louis Hughes of GM Europe.
2
"Both the production sites and the administrative centres will in that way be associated with the brand name of the car that we produce", said chairman Louis Hughes of GM Europe.
the car in which millions of drivers and potential customers have confidence vs. the car that we produce: promotional language dropped.
Note that, strictly speaking, by reformulating the words between quotation marks, the journalist has broken the rules of journalistic reporting.
