NEWS REPORT
214 candidates
114 passed

The first archaeological dig in 100 years at an ancient stone circle formed the basis for the March 2009 news report. Candidates were given briefing notes setting the scene – a mysterious stone circle in the middle of uninhabited moorland which had been described as a British wonder of the world.

They were called to a press conference at which Professor Angus (Jacqui if a woman) Monroe, the senior archaeological officer for English Heritage (in Scotland the National Trust for Scotland) gave details of a six-week dig which began in mid-January at Bleak Scar Stone Circle.

S/he described how, on the final day, the archaeologists had found a tiny carbonised grain, thrown into a fire thousands of years ago, which had been carbon-dated to show the Bluestones section of the circle had been built in 2300 BC, 300 years later than originally thought.

Testing of organic matter found during the dig showed that the moorland had been inhabited by Stone Age hunter-gatherers in 7000 BC, thousands of years before the stone circle had been created.

Teeth from Bronze Age skeletons found on the moor during the previous 50 years were subjected to modern testing. The skeletons themselves were examined again and all were found to have had fragments of the Bluestones buried with them near their hands.

The professor said the evidence uncovered by the six-week dig proved that the circle had been the Accident and Emergency department of early mankind and had drawn people from Britain and Eastern Europe seeking a cure for their injuries and illnesses, or attracting people who wanted to help others get well.

Approximately a third of the candidates tackled the story well, painting a clear picture of the results of the archaeological dig and its findings and presenting the information in a professional newsy way for their newspaper’s website.

The markers were disappointed to encounter inexcusable mistakes in copying information from the briefing notes. Silly mistakes included changing the name of Prof Monroe to Munroe or Moore, calling Bleak Scar Black Scar, and incorrectly adding up how many years ago 7000 BC was.

Many candidates found their shorthand was not up to the required speed and made errors in transcribing back their notes. One of the most common mistakes was to say that the 14 Bronze Age skeletons had been found during the dig.

Many of these errors should have been spotted by candidates, had they allowed sufficient time during the exam to carefully read their finished story, checking the facts and information they were presenting.

Candidates who passed the news report section should be congratulated. They showed the ability to understand the subject and present the key facts in clear well-structured stories, enhanced with well-chosen and accurate direct quotes. These candidates are a credit to their newspapers and media groups.

Those who did not achieve a pass this time have a number of areas to concentrate on. Shorthand can often be a problem for trainees who gained 100wpm during their pre-entry courses, but have done little or no speed training since.

Listening to the content of the speech, as well as taking down selective notes, would help during transcription as candidates would have a feel for the story they are trying to write.

Finally, it is essential to allow the time to read through the finished story to ensure it makes sense. Figures should be double-checked, particularly where they have been worked out from information given in the brief and speech.