Cablevision chief: Deal will 'bolster' Newsday

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

"The great thing about television is that if something important happens anywhere in the world, day or night, you can always change the channel." --from the TV show "Taxi"

Expository Writing--ELA Standards 1, 3 and 4 Media in all its modern forms act as a window to the world. Our knowledge and opinions about life is greatly influenced by what we read, watch, hear, experience and discuss with others. Today's lesson looks at the purchase of Newsday by Cablevision, centralizing much of Long Island's news media into one giant "picture window" for millions of readers, viewers and web users to see through.

Television Component The CW 11 News at Ten had a story about the purchase of Newsday by the Dolan family, owners of Cablevision. View the video twice and then answer the Multiple Choice questions.

Newspaper Component Today's Newsday contains the article "Cablevision chief: Deal will 'bolster' Newsday." Using the facts and details it contains, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component

Critical lens

"It's amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper." --Jerry Seinfeld

There is great value in information and Cablevision has built an empire by delivering media to its subscribers in all its electronic and print forms. With the addition of Newsday to the Dolan Empire, they are providing millions with the only major media "window" by which Long Islanders may access the world. Some worry about corporate media monopolies. Some see promise in consolidation, growth and innovative services a media giant can provide its customers.

Situation Based upon the details in the article and the video clip, write an EXPOSITORY ESSAY about the significance of Cablevision's purchase of Newsday.

The Nature and Structure of an EXPOSITORY ESSAY An EXPOSITORY ESSAY is a form of writing in which things are explained and described. The goal of this style is to inform the reader of some event, issue or discovery. Typical of all formal styles of writing, this essay will follow a set pattern of 3 paragraphs.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH Expository essays begin with the TOPIC, where in short, direct sentences the issue or event is explained. Details about the SETTING and CAST are presented next. These sentences tell WHO the major players are and WHERE the story is being played out. The final sentence of this section is where the writer presents his/her OPINION on the issue. This is a "grabber" that makes the reader want to read the rest of the essay.

BODY PARAGRAPH This section concerns the details of the issue. Using the information from the article and video clip, the writer should present the facts in a strong, direct manner. It is best to arrange details in an ORDER OF IMPORTANCE. Place the more significant details at the start of the essay and the lesser ones later in the paragraph. The aim of an expository essay is to inform the reader, but the writer should also try to bring the reader to their opinion by using logic and the evidence.

This section may be longer than just one paragraph, depending on how many facts and details are gathered from the article and television news story. Use the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle and the answers to the Multiple-Choice Quiz as a resource so you can make sure all the important facts have been included.

CONCLUSION The final section of an expository essay should drive home the opinion of the writer. Repeat the TOPIC in a short, clear phrase and then answer a few questions expressing your own thoughts on the situation. Will Cablevision rejuvenate Newsday? Is media consolidation good for democracy and citizenship? Is a media monopoly good for Long Island? Always end an essay with a look towards the future. What will the media landscape look like in five? Ten? Twenty years? Will newspapers even been around?