Inglés de noticias: vocabulario esencial

"inverted pyramid"

A news writing structure where the most important information comes first, followed by supporting details in decreasing importance.

"The inverted pyramid structure means busy readers get the key facts from the very first paragraph."

"headline verb omission"

A stylistic feature of headlines where auxiliary verbs like "is" or "are" are dropped to save space and create impact.

"The headline "President Signs Bill" uses headline verb omission by dropping the word "has"."

"lede"

The opening sentence or paragraph of a news article that summarises the most essential facts of the story.

"A strong lede answers the five Ws — who, what, when, where, and why — in a single compelling sentence."

"kicker"

A short, punchy secondary headline placed above or below the main headline to add context or attract attention.

"The kicker "Exclusive" above the main headline signalled to readers that this was a story they would not find elsewhere."

"standfirst"

A short introductory paragraph, usually in bold, that summarises the article and appears between the headline and the body text.

"The standfirst gave enough information for readers to decide whether to continue reading the full article."

"dateline"

A line at the beginning of a news article that states the location and sometimes the date from which the story was reported.

"The dateline "BEIJING, Monday" told readers that the correspondent was reporting directly from China."

"byline"

The author's name and role, typically printed at the top of a news article to identify who wrote the piece.

"Her byline appeared on the front page for the first time after she broke the exclusive story."

"news peg"

A timely event or development that justifies publishing a story now rather than at any other point.

"The anniversary of the disaster provided a strong news peg for the in-depth feature article."

"on the record"

Information given by a source that can be published and directly attributed to them by name.

"The minister agreed to speak on the record, which meant the reporter could quote her directly in the article."

"off the record"

Information shared by a source in confidence, which cannot be published or attributed to them.

"The official spoke off the record, giving the journalist background context without allowing direct quotation."

"background briefing"

Information given to journalists that can be used in reporting but must not be directly attributed to the source.

"A background briefing from the government press office helped reporters understand the policy before the official announcement."

"unnamed source"

A person who provides information to a journalist but whose identity is kept secret in the published report.

"The story relied on an unnamed source described only as "a senior official familiar with the negotiations"."

"corroboration"

The process of confirming a piece of information with at least one additional independent source before publishing it.

"Standard journalism practice requires corroboration — a single source is rarely sufficient to publish a serious allegation."

"embargo"

An agreement not to publish a piece of information before a specified date or time set by the source.

"The press release was sent to journalists under embargo until midnight on Sunday, ensuring coordinated global coverage."

"press release"

An official written statement issued by an organisation to announce news to journalists and media outlets.

"The company's press release announcing record profits was picked up by every major financial news outlet."

"wire service"

A news agency that collects and distributes news stories to subscribing media organisations worldwide.

"The breaking earthquake story was distributed within minutes by the wire service to thousands of publications globally."

"breaking news"

A newly developing, significant story that interrupts regular programming or regular news flow due to its urgency.

"Broadcasters interrupted the scheduled programme with a breaking news alert about the earthquake."

"developing story"

A news story that is still unfolding, with new facts and updates expected to emerge over time.

"We are following a developing story out of the capital — details are still emerging and we will update you as we learn more."

"unconfirmed reports"

Information circulating in media or on social media that has not yet been independently verified by the news organisation.

"There are unconfirmed reports of a second explosion — we are working to verify this information before broadcasting it."

"eyewitness account"

A first-hand description of events given by someone who personally witnessed them.

"Eyewitness accounts described scenes of chaos as the building collapsed during the morning rush hour."

"death toll"

The total number of people who have died as a result of a particular event, such as a disaster or conflict.

"The death toll from the flooding rose to 47 as rescue teams continued to search the submerged villages."

"at the scene"

Used to describe a reporter or witness who is physically present at the location where an event occurred.

"Our correspondent at the scene reports that emergency services have now secured the area."

"breaking: we can confirm"

A formula used by news organisations to signal that previously unconfirmed information has now been officially verified.

"Breaking: we can confirm that the prime minister has resigned, according to a statement from Downing Street."

"more follows"

A wire service notation indicating that additional information on the story will be transmitted shortly.

"The brief flash — "Explosion in city centre. More follows." — sent newsrooms scrambling to gather details."

"coalition government"

A government formed by two or more political parties working together, usually when no single party has an outright majority.

"The election produced no clear winner, forcing the largest party to negotiate a coalition government with two smaller parties."

"bipartisan"

Involving cooperation and agreement between two opposing political parties or factions.

"The infrastructure bill passed with bipartisan support, a rare occurrence in the deeply divided legislature."

"sanctions"

Economic or diplomatic penalties imposed by one country or group of countries on another to compel a change in behaviour.

"The new sanctions targeted the country's energy exports and froze the assets of senior government officials abroad."

"veto"

The power of one branch of government, or a member of an international body, to block a decision unilaterally.

"Russia used its veto at the UN Security Council to block the resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire."

"lame duck"

A politician or government still in office but with reduced power because they have been replaced or their term is ending.

"As a lame duck president with only weeks left in office, he struggled to push new legislation through Congress."

"summit"

A high-level meeting between heads of state or government to discuss major issues and negotiate agreements.

"World leaders gathered at the G7 summit to coordinate a response to rising food and energy prices."

"filibuster"

A tactic used by a minority in a legislature to delay or block a vote by prolonging debate indefinitely.

"Senators threatened a filibuster to prevent the bill from coming to a vote before the recess."

"incumbent"

The current holder of an elected office who is seeking re-election in an upcoming vote.

"Polls showed the incumbent trailing the challenger by six points just two weeks before the election."

"recession"

A period of significant economic decline, formally defined as two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.

"Economists warned that the combination of rising rates and falling consumer confidence could tip the economy into recession."

"layoffs"

A reduction in a company's workforce, where employees are let go due to economic conditions or restructuring rather than individual performance.

"The tech giant announced layoffs of 12,000 employees as part of a cost-cutting drive following a sharp fall in advertising revenue."

"profit warning"

A company's announcement to investors that its upcoming financial results will fall short of previously stated expectations.

"Shares fell 15% after the retailer issued a profit warning, citing lower-than-expected Christmas sales."

"trade deficit"

When the value of a country's imports exceeds the value of its exports over a given period.

"The widening trade deficit put pressure on the currency as demand for foreign goods outpaced export earnings."

"stimulus package"

A set of economic measures, typically including government spending or tax cuts, designed to boost a struggling economy.

"The government unveiled a $300 billion stimulus package to support businesses and households through the energy crisis."

"merger"

The combination of two separate companies into a single new entity, typically agreed upon mutually by both firms.

"The merger of the two airlines created the largest carrier in the region, controlling more than 40% of domestic routes."

"market volatility"

Rapid and unpredictable fluctuations in the price of stocks, currencies, or commodities over a short period.

"Market volatility spiked as investors reacted to the surprise interest rate decision with heavy selling across tech stocks."

"IPO"

Initial Public Offering — the first time a private company sells shares to the public on a stock exchange to raise capital.

"The ride-sharing company's IPO was one of the most anticipated market events of the year, valuing the firm at $80 billion."

"misinformation"

False or inaccurate information that is spread without necessarily intending to deceive — a mistake or error shared as fact.

"Misinformation about the vaccine's side effects spread rapidly on social media before health authorities issued corrections."

"disinformation"

Deliberately false or misleading information created and spread with the intent to deceive or manipulate audiences.

"Intelligence agencies concluded that the disinformation campaign was orchestrated by foreign actors to influence the election."

"confirmation bias"

The tendency to seek out, interpret, and remember information that confirms one's pre-existing beliefs.

"Social media algorithms exploit confirmation bias by showing users content that reinforces what they already believe."

"deepfake"

Synthetic media — usually a video or audio clip — in which a person's likeness or voice is convincingly replaced using artificial intelligence.

"The deepfake video of the politician appeared so realistic that millions of people shared it before fact-checkers debunked it."

"echo chamber"

A media or social environment where people are only exposed to opinions and information that reinforce their existing views.

"Critics warned that social media platforms were creating echo chambers that deepened political polarisation."

"retraction"

A formal withdrawal and correction of a previously published story or claim found to be inaccurate or false.

"The newspaper published a front-page retraction after discovering that a key source in the story had fabricated the information."

"editorial independence"

The freedom of journalists and editors to make news decisions without interference from owners, advertisers, or governments.

"The new owner's attempts to influence coverage raised serious questions about the broadcaster's editorial independence."

"source verification"

The process of checking the credibility, accuracy, and identity of a person or document before using their information in a news report.

"Rigorous source verification is the cornerstone of trustworthy journalism — one unchecked claim can destroy a publication's reputation."