Key Idea: Media texts speak to the public: articles, columns, reviews, interviews, speeches, brochures, news reports, exposés, tracts and leaflets. Each one has its own parts and tone.
Article
- Parts: catchy headline → hook → body with 2–3 points → rounded conclusion.
- Lively, third person, for a general reader. No greeting and no sign-off.
- Phrases: «De nos jours, de plus en plus de…», «En somme,…».
Opinion column
- Parts: headline (often a question) → your stance from line one → arguments → an objection you answer → a forceful ending.
- First person and persuasive: never neutral.
- Answer the other side: «Certes…, cependant…».
Review
- Describe → judge → recommend, in a semi-formal first-person voice.
- A short summary with no spoilers, then a strength and a weakness, each with a reason.
- «Le meilleur, c'est… ; le seul défaut, c'est…»
Interview
- Introduce the guest first, then question and answer pairs, with a dash (—) for each turn.
- Semi-formal «vous» and open questions: «Quel conseil donneriez-vous… ?»
- Close with thanks: «Pour terminer, merci de votre temps.»
Speech
- Greet the audience → hook with a rhetorical question → signposted arguments → call to action and thanks.
- Formal but rousing «vous». Use an inclusive «nous», a tricolon or repetition.
- Open with «Mesdames et messieurs, chers camarades…».
Brochure
- For a wide audience: persuasive and practical.
- Parts: catchy title or slogan → inviting intro → sections with headings and bullet points → practical details → a clear appeal to act.
- «Découvrez… !», «N'attends plus, inscris-toi dès aujourd'hui !»
News report
- Objective headline → lead with the five W's → facts with a source and a quote → neutral close.
- Third person, past tense, no «je». Facts, not opinions.
- «Selon l'association,…», «“…”, a déclaré le maire.»
Exposé
- It informs and explains. It does not try to persuade.
- Announce a plan, develop 2–3 points with examples, then sum up and thank.
- «Premièrement… deuxièmement… enfin…»
Tract & dépliant
- A tract campaigns: a strong slogan, one cause, a direct appeal, a militant tone.
- A dépliant informs: a folded sheet with panels and headings, practical facts, a neutral tone.
- «Mobilisons-nous !» (tract) · «Horaires : 10 h–18 h.» (dépliant)
Before you write, ask: does this text inform, or does it persuade? The answer sets your tone.
Which media text does start with a greeting? The speech. It greets its audience first.
Which text gives a strength and a weakness? The review.
A tract or a dépliant: which one informs? The dépliant. The tract campaigns for a cause.
What does «Certes…, cependant…» do in a column? It admits the other side, then answers it.
Which tense does a news report use? The past, in the third person.