current events paper summary

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How to Write a Current Events Summary

Last Updated: February 12, 2023 References Approved

Choosing a News Article

Preparing to write, summary section, reflection section, final touches.

This article was co-authored by Richard Perkins . Richard Perkins is a Writing Coach, Academic English Coordinator, and the Founder of PLC Learning Center. With over 24 years of education experience, he gives teachers tools to teach writing to students and works with elementary to university level students to become proficient, confident writers. Richard is a fellow at the National Writing Project. As a teacher leader and consultant at California State University Long Beach's Global Education Project, Mr. Perkins creates and presents teacher workshops that integrate the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the K-12 curriculum. He holds a BA in Communications and TV from The University of Southern California and an MEd from California State University Dominguez Hills. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 246,616 times.

A current events summary is a short description of an event that has recently happened or is going to happen. Current events summaries are often assigned by junior and senior high school educators for the purpose of teaching research, writing, and editing skills. The following steps will help you create a current events summary that is accurate, informative, and readable.

• Some possible news sources might include your local newspaper or larger newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and others.
• Check with your teacher for suggestions. He may have specific news sources to use.

• Most major newspapers have sections on their websites dedicated to certain topics. For example, the Washington Post has a section dedicated to “Tech.”
• Search online for an article on one of these topics. For example, try searching “healthcare news” to find new information.

• An article that is one to two paragraphs long is probably not going to be lengthy enough.

• Look up any words you don’t know.
• Take notes on the article or highlight passages that you think are important.

• The headline typically indicates the article’s main idea, but the article will likely include more information that is relevant to your summary.
• Choose five main points from the article that you think are important.
• Find some keywords to get the main idea across to the people. [1] X Research source

• Who: This is the person or group involved in the story. For a story on a recent arson case, you might say, “The people involved are four teenage boys who were charged with arson, a police investigation team, and the community that lost its historic baseball stadium.”
• What: This is the event or the action discussed in the story. In an arson case, it might be: “The oldest wooden baseball stadium in the country burned to the ground.”
• When: This is the date and time when the event took place: “The stadium burned down at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 29.”
• Where: This is where the event took place: “The baseball stadium was in the middle of the city, surrounded by residences.”
• Why: This is the cause or reason for the event: “The summer has been unusually dry and hot. The stadium had been sitting empty for five years and was not patrolled by security.”
• How: This point explains the ways in which the events took place and the connections between them: “The teenagers walked into the stadium and began playing with lighters and loose debris. Once the fire was set, they ran off.”

• Think about the story’s connection to your community, the nation, or the world, for example.

• When you recounted the article to someone else, you highlighted the most important parts of the article. These things will go in your outline. Now your job is to put them in an order that makes sense.

• Depending on your assignment, this might be three or four sentences, or it might be seven to nine sentences. Check your assignment for your length requirement.

• Even though the reflection is short (usually just a paragraph), you should still aim to make an argument , at least to some degree. Determine the main point that you want to make and think about how you will support that main point.

• Some teachers don’t allow the use of “I” (first person) in these reflections. Check with your teacher to determine if you can write in first person or not.

• Don’t just string together random thoughts about why the news story is important.

• Take a look at your verbs. If you use boring or the same verbs, your audience will get bored. See if you can make efficient choices of great action verbs.
• If you are handwriting your summary, you may need to write it out again as a clean copy after you’ve corrected any errors. For this reason, it may be preferable to type out the summary. Some teachers may require a typed paper.

• If you have a grading rubric for the assignment, review this before turning in the assignment. Make sure you have met all the requirements to ensure a good grade.

• Lee, Morgan. “California Regulators Approve Higher Electricity Rates for Most Residents.” The Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2015. Web. 4 July 2015.

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• Every teacher’s assignment is going to be a little bit different. Make sure you follow your assignment exactly. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-summary-example
• ↑ https://k12.thoughtfullearning.com/minilesson/asking-and-answering-5-ws-and-h-questions
• ↑ http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/5w1h.html
• ↑ www.acisd.org/getFile.cfm?serverFileName=3D7039FC7A-D973-59AD-3C95BCBCFDC1039D.pdf
• ↑ http://alt-resource.teams.leedsmet.ac.uk/how-to-write-a-reflection
• ↑ https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Summary

About This Article

A current events summary is a short review of a recent news story. To write your own, start by finding an interesting story from a reputable source, like a popular newspaper or news website. Read the full article and look up any words or phrases you don’t understand. Then, read the article again and take note of the most important facts, like who was involved, where and when the story took place, why it happened, and how it happened. Use these notes to write your summary. In your first sentence or 2, give a brief summary of what happened. Then, write a few more sentences to give your readers the extra details they need to know. For more tips from our Education co-author, including how to write a reflection on your current events summary, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Tips for writing an Excellent Current Events Essay or Research Paper

Let’s face it, writing a current events essay can be challenging if you are not adequately prepared. It is a laborious process, especially if you are to select a current event issue, formulate a topic, plan, write, and polish your essay within a tight deadline.

The bitter truth is that no professor will teach you how to write one. Well, at least not as deep as our detailed guide here will do in the next less than a quarter an hour of your time. Yet it is an assignment assigned at grades 6-8, high school, college, university, and sometimes even at Ph.D. levels.

In most cases, your role is to present points or concrete arguments about the event in question. In essence, you need to plan, research, and engage your best writing, critical thinking, and creativity skills. Good analysis, organization, and presentation are necessary more like when writing a synthesis essay or expository essay .

With all that in mind, let’s find the way out. You can read this article and scoop some ideas on the elements that make a good current events paper, even if you are writing it for the first time.

What is a current events essay?

A current events essay describes a recent issue, situation, phenomenon, or happening that is interesting, drawing the attention of many people, shocking, or fascinating. In some cases, current event essays describe an event that is yet to happen. It helps relate what you have learned in class to the real-world situations that occur around you. Most current event essays are five-paragraph essays.

In a current events essay, you are to address the historical context, current state, and the potential short- and long-term effects of a given aspect of a current issue or phenomenon that has a global impact. In most cases, the topics will relate to concepts from the law, politics, international relations, technology, science, sociology, medicine and health, and other controversial societal issues. You will take a current event or issue and present it in its context.

It is a common assignment for students taking English writing classes, which is meant to assess writing, editing, and research skills. It also informs students about important occurrences across the world.

When writing one, you are to reflect on and form opinions about social justice and also learn how to spot publication bias. And as you write it, you get to hone your reading comprehension, summary, creativity, and critical thinking skills.

As well, writing an essay on current events helps you to develop your argumentative and persuasive skills.

Now that we know what a current events essay or the paper is let’s explore the various steps you should take to write one successfully.

Steps to Write a Current Events Essay

Before everything else, let us show you the steps you need to follow when writing a current events essay. Although there is no one single proven way to approach such an essay better, these steps can help you avoid writer's block and write a current events essay that becomes your teacher's favorite. To write a current events essay, follow these steps:

1. Select a topic you find interesting

Although some professors or educators provide specific instructions about what topic to choose or write about, others leave it up to you (the student) to choose one. When allowed the flexibility of selecting a current events essay topic, you need to be very careful.

Check whether the instructions have specific time constraints on the topic you are to select. For instance, the instructions could stress that you focus on current events within the last year, one month, or five years.

You must also check whether your topic relates to a specific area, field, or industry. For example, understand whether it relates to education, banking, investments, technology, sports, business, religion, discrimination, gender, or politics.

Finally, check whether you need to choose a topic with some analytical aspects. This step should help you choose a topic that will not end up with a descriptive tone.

To choose a fit essay topic , you can focus on your notes, ask for insights from classmates and peers, or consult with your teacher. And as you select a topic, remember to choose one that is interesting, easy to find information about, and one you can write a complete 5-10 page essay on.

Suppose you are unsure and cannot get enough help from your teacher. In that case, you can engage an essay writing service for topic selection and further guidance.

Related Reading:

• Informative Speech topics to consider.
• Writing a descriptive essay the right way.
• Good topics and ideas for persuasive essays.
• Current and interesting argumentative essay topics.

2. Choose a reputable news source and select an article

Some of the good places to find topics and articles for a current events essay include New ELA, NY Times , National News, Local news websites, Sports News, The Atlantic , BBC News , Daily Mail, The Economist, The Guardian, Investopedia, Forbes, TIME Magazine, The Harvard Business Review, National Public Radio (NPR), CNN News , USA Today, The Wall Street Journal , The Washington Post , and other credible news outlets.

The source you select should be reliable, reputable, and credible. It should write well-researched, verified, and trustworthy news. After finding the source, research a fresh article as you write about a current event. Besides, choose an article on the correct topic and ensure it has the right information for your current events paper.

If you are writing a current events paper for a politics class, use the section of the major newspapers that deals with political matters. In the same way, if you are writing on science topics, target the science and technology section of the newspaper for appropriate articles.

Consider choosing from scholarly sources such as empirical journal articles, scholarly books, government documents, or peer-reviewed articles.

3. Read the selected article and take notes

After you have selected the article, read through it severally. In the first few instances, skim through the article to have a rough idea of its contents, then subsequently read as you take notes.

When reading, highlight the critical points within the article. If you are unsure of some vocabulary in the article, use a dictionary and note the contextual meaning of the words.

 You should then use the highlighted notes to identify the 5 Ws: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Answer briefly the questions below:

• What happened?
• Where did it happen?
• When did it happen?
• Who was involved?
• Why did it happen?
• How did it happen?

Determining these aspects helps you develop an angle of analysis, develop lead sentences, craft a strong thesis statement , and develop claims and arguments necessary for your current events paper. You can also document your thoughts about the article and its content.

4. Develop a thesis statement and hook for your essay

With the notes, you can develop a thesis statement and choose a good hook for your essay . A current events essay needs to be captivating, which means supporting the main arguments with credible evidence. Therefore, develop a strong thesis that each body paragraph will support using evidence.

If you are writing a current events essay on human trafficking during COVID-19, you can use the hook and thesis below:

Hook: In a study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) , it emerged that the COVID-19 pandemic had had a devastating impact on the victims and survivors of human trafficking, with an increased targeting and exploitation of children and women.

Thesis Statement: It is time for world leaders, investigative agencies, and law enforcement agencies to come together and develop a platform that would curb human trafficking, especially during challenging times such as pandemics and natural disasters.

5. Select the sources you are going to use to support the thesis

Research is the most critical yet intimidating part of writing any paper. However, to set yourself up in the right direction, consider doing this:

• Understand the number of sources you are to use to determine the scope of your research
• Choose credible sources. This primarily depends on the instructions. Some professors and teachers will allow you to use media and business articles. At the same time, some will only accept essays written with scholarly sources.
• Know the scope of your research or paper before commencing research. Try to write down the main points that you will use to support the thesis then research.

These are blueprints for your research as you seek to expound on the 5Ws and H of your current events essay paper.

The sources should help you fortify your position. Find and quote from experts, public figures, and scholars in the field.

When researching, look for relevant passages. Then, skim and read the documents with the 5Ws and H in your mind. If a section has ideas, consider them and highlight the significant points. You can also use the organizing tools to organize ideas from the sources.

6. Create an outline

A current events essay follows the five-paragraph essay format:

Introduction

• Body paragraphs

The body section is where the rubber meets the road as you provide evidence to support the thesis. For example, you can use subheadings in the body corresponding to the 5Ws and H.

Below is a breakdown of what should go where:

• What is the event?
• What happened or is yet to happen?
• What are the consequences?
• Which media has covered the event, and when did it do so?

The answers to these questions should be brief. Your current events essay introduction aims to give the reader insight into the event. Brevity helps you to sound reliable, knowledgeable, and engaging. The introduction should not exceed five to six sentences in most cases unless it is a very long essay.

Body Paragraph 1

• Give a history of the event
• What factors led to the event, and who was involved

Body Paragraph 2

• Explain the two sides people can take regarding the event (one side agrees, the other disagrees)- give adequate reasons.

Body Paragraph 3

• Explain the significance of the event
• As yourself, “who will the event impact?”
• What will happen?
• What roles do the people involve play?
• What can be done to change things, and by who?
• Summarize the crucial details of your essay
• Discuss the possibility of bias in the article
• Reflect on how bias informs you of the way the article was created
• Tell your readers why the event is significant enough to cover in an essay.

Works Cited Page

• List of the sources used in the essay

7. Write the first draft

It is now time to make the outline count with the outline completely. Then, you can start organizing your research and developing ideas in your essay. We advise that you begin by writing the body paragraphs, then the introduction, finally winds up with the conclusion. We are of the opinion that writing the introduction last ensures that it is excellent, composed, and consistent.

Regardless of the process, even if you begin writing chronologically (from introduction to conclusion), only focus on writing and not perfection when developing the first draft.

Select from the important passages you read evidence that support your thesis. Paraphrase, quote, and summarize from the sources, then provide an appropriate citation. Write the respective headings, subheadings, and paragraphs and use transitions to maintain a good flow.

Your first draft should be rough, which means writing and not editing. Then, when writing the conclusion , it should be a recap of your essay. It should have a rephrased thesis and some important points of your research.

To avoid writer’s block, ensure you systematically complete the paper when you have the will and zeal to write. Do not wait until later. Instead, plan your essay and complete it in phases before the deadline.

8. Proofread and edit the essay

With everything completed, it is time to refine the first draft and turn it into a final draft. First, edit your essay for the flow of ideas and sentence structure. Check whether there are ambiguous sentences, run-on sentences, or sentences that don’t make sense and are correct. If essay phrases have been misplaced, ensure that you replace them with the best ones.

Proceed to proofread your essay for spelling and grammar errors. To conclude the polishing process, countercheck the sources cited in your essay. Check if the citations are done per the preferred format and that sources used in the in-text citations appear in your list of references in the right format.

If possible, have another person read your essay. Trust our online proofreaders to read your essay, highlight mistakes, and make necessary corrections. You will get a smart paper that explains the significance of these changes. Your essay sells ideas to your professor or markers and anticipates the best Grade.

Tips when writing a current events paper

Use the following tips to perfect your current events essay.

1. Always read, understand, and analyze the essay question or the essay prompt

Check the limiting terms that define the scope of the topic, the content terms specific to the task, and the directive terms that define what your essay will be about. Directive terms include discussing, evaluating, comparing, illustrating, or exploring.

2. Define your arguments as you plan to write the essay

Ensure you have claim statements , thesis statements, and good hooks related to the main topic. Make an informed opinion, position, or point of view on the topic.

3. Use evidence, reasoning, and scholarship.

Evidence should offer data and facts to support your claim. It could be statistics, examples, quotations, and facts. Reasoning helps connect the evidence to your main argument. You will have to use reason when evaluating the evidence to show how it fits in the context of your paper. The scholarship aspect helps show how your arguments relate to what you have cited.

4. Ensure that your essay has an excellent organization

Use good essay hooks and thesis statements, and write befitting background information in your introduction. Next, organize the body paragraphs using different paragraphing techniques for a good flow. Finally, let your conclusion leave the readers yearning for more from you. It should show how the topic fits a broader context of your discipline, the significance of your findings, and factors you have covered that might interest your readers.

5. Have an essay plan

An essay plan will help you avoid writer’s block. It will also help break down the writing process's parts, making it easier to concentrate, focus, and achieve more.

6. Have an essay checklist to help you refine and polish the paper

Develop the checklist from the rubric or marking scheme if one is provided. If not provided, consider some factors for a successful essay and mark your paper against the checklist.

7. Cite sources and evidence in your essay

Check whether each of the in-text citations is done as per the requirements. Equally, ensure that your list of references is up-to-date and formatted correctly in MLA, APA , Chicago, or Harvard formats.

8. Do not plagiarize

Ensure that every piece of information you use is well-cited. Acknowledge others for their credible information as you use their evidence, findings, and data to write your essay. This also means referring to verified sources such as authoritative newspapers, government journals, company data, images, and scholarly articles.

9. Be impartial

When writing, describe an event objectively without taking a subjective position. Look at the causes, factors, and other background details of the event that are not accessible. Choose not to guess or misrepresent ideas. Instead, analyze the chosen issue or event critically. And if you are writing about an event yet to occur, write what is expected based on evidence. Make good predictions and offer rationale or justifications to support your arguments. Your current event essay must be objective, convincing, informative, and educative.

These current essay tips can be the only determinant for getting the best Grade off your current events essay. Perfect and polish your writing, reading and comprehension, analytical, and organization skills because that is what is being tested. Avoid using complicated vocabulary. Instead, focus on the simplicity required in scholarly writing.

Current Event Topics

We have brainstormed, researched, and developed various current event essay topics you can choose and write about. Alternatively, these topics can be a great starting point for you to brainstorm and develop an appropriate topic.

• How Twitter is a significant political tool
• The USA uses drone strikes to attack terrorists; how accurate is the move?
• Causes of the high cost of healthcare in the USA
• Shortage of nurses and healthcare workers in the USA
• Wildfires in Australia
• Is the WHO trustworthy?
• Is Big Pharma taking us around with COVID-19 vaccines?
• Controversies about green energy
• Ballooning student loans in the USA
• Is social media to blame for rising teenage suicides?
• Is TikTok better than Google?
• Trump's presidency and international relations
• Afghan women's rights under Taliban 2.0
• The Black Lives Matter Movement in America
• How COVID-19 changed the global politics
• Are mandatory vaccination laws legal?
• Should the USA reduce its strictness to illegal immigrants considering its built on the same workforce?
• Should children above 15 years be allowed to vote?
• Should the government be representative?
• Should developed nations stop funding corrupt developing countries?
• Should rich people be exposed?
• Do rich people control the world
• Are wars a tool to thwart developing nations?
• The war in Syria is a creation of selfish leaders
• Why America and Russia are not on good terms
• Should North Korea stop nuclear weapons manufacturing?
• Relationship between North Korea and the USA
• The impacts of COVID-19 on the Tokyo Olympic
• Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59 marathon Record
• Should NFTs be banned?
• Is Blockchain the next big thing for the world?
• Nations should negotiate with North Korea
• Causes of global hunger and poverty
• Is NATO an effective organization
• Did COVID-19 change the global healthcare system?
• Is it possible that we are headed for a third world war?
• Is China an observer of human rights?
• Is China the new world’s superpower?
• China is the world’s kitchen, a chief polluter
• Is the Indian Judicial system better?
• Foreign aid has hurt Africa for ages
• African leaders are mainly corrupt, and dictators
• Should Africa be recolonized
• Is China using loans and foreign aid to recolonize Africa?
• Is cycling better than football?
• Covid-19 and the Olympic games
• How covid-19 has affected sports
• Should euthanasia be legalized
• The endless destruction of Amazon and what governments are doing
• Sex work should be legalized
• Women's rights in Afghanistan
• Mental healthcare for the LGBTQ people
• How COVID-19 Exposed the Flaws of America’s Private Health Insurance System
• Why should Korea not forgive Japan for its past war crimes?
• Did History Repeat Itself in Afghanistan?
• The Afghanistan-Taliban scandal
• Is Dubai a hub for international organized financial crimes?
• Social isolation of prisoners during covid-19?
• Was the media skewed in telling lies during the pandemic?
• The no-mask mandate in England
• Why is it time to lift COVID-19 restrictions?
• Mandatory vaccinations and global travel
• Was the alarm around COVID-19 necessary?
• Housing shortage in China
• Gender reveal parties are a waste of time
• Is democracy doing any good?
• Social distancing distanced people all over the world
• Vaccine equality
• Science and lies during the covid-19
• Politics behind climate change
• Fascism in the contemporary society
• Can Trump make it back in 2024?
• Covid-19 and property pricing in New York
• Media censorship and oppression
• The media only sings the tunes of the rich
• Effects of covid-19 on financial stabilities of families
• Being a Muslim in China
• Are electronics the ultimate weapons?
• Are the media houses making us more divisive through the news?
• The third hand in Myanmar chaos
• Africa and its ballooning foreign debts
• Why do African countries store their money abroad?
• Immigration and covid-19
• Access to food and water during the pandemic
• Should TikTok be banned?
• Is TikTok a tool that has enabled LGBTQ people to come out?
• Is universal basic income attainable?
• Are trade unions any better in contemporary society?
• Who runs the world?
• Role of the New Silk Road from China to Pakistan
• Justice in a divided country
• Is Kim Jong-Un displaying his insecurity by flexing his nuclear muscles?
• Is Trump among the best Presidents the USA has ever had?
• Is Medical marijuana a promise for terminally ill patients?
• Can medical marijuana be used to manage COVID-19 symptoms?
• Deepwater Horizon Explosion and the environment
• Walmart and gun ordinances
• Consumer behavior in the age of social media
• Nissan’s CEO a wanted man
• The latest breakthroughs in Fusion power
• Elizabeth Holmes and her Theranos ideas
• Is Next-Gen Graphics the next big thing?
• Using CRISPR to reverse blindness
• Silicon valley’s greatest disaster
• Thorium as the future of energy
• Apple’s M1 Chip as a game-changer
• Rise of bank fraud
• Ponzi schemes in the 21 st Century
• The rise and fall of HTC
• Humanoid robots and the future

List of Current Events to Write About

We have listed elsewhere social issues that you can also look into as possible topics and titles for your current event essay. Apart from those, here are suggestions of recent events that you can check and pick an appropriate topic. First, focus on what is in the news pertaining to these areas, then choose your angle of analysis.

• Airline travel
• Artificial intelligence
• Assisted suicide
• Bilingual education
• Black lives matter
• Blockchain technology
• Border Security
• Capital punishment
• Charter schools
• Childhood obesity
• Citizen scientists
• Civil rights
• The civil war in Ethiopia
• Climate change
• Concussions and injuries in football
• Cyberbullying
• Cyber security
• Cybersecurity
• Digital divide
• Drug trafficking
• Early childhood development
• Early voting
• Electric vehicles
• Electronic voting
• Environmental laws
• Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam
• Executive order
• Factory farming
• Food security
• Fast food advertisements
• Flint water issues
• Foreign aid
• Freedom of speech
• Genetic engineering
• Gerrymandering
• Green energy
• Green New Deal
• Global Recession
• Hate crimes
• Hate speech
• Health insurance
• Healthcare access
• Heart diseases among footballers
• Human trafficking
• Immigration
• Investigative journalism
• Israel-Palestinian relations
• Land ownership
• Land use and management
• Lead and copper rule
• Lead toxicity
• Machine learning
• Me Too movement
• Minimum wage
• Misinformation
• Money laundering
• National elections
• Natural disasters (Tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, snowing, storms, etc.)
• Net neutrality
• Nuclear energy
• Offshore drilling
• Online anonymity
• Organic food
• Organized crimes
• Outsourcing
• Police reforms
• Police shootings
• Poor governance
• Racial profiling by law enforcement
• Russian hacking
• Scientific Research
• Self-driving cars
• Sex education
• Shale gas exploration
• Slacktivism
• Smart devices
• Social security
• Space exploration
• Stimulus packages
• Supreme Court
• Taliban and Afghanistan
• Trade tariffs
• Transgender rights
• Transnational crimes
• Ukraine and Russia
• Voter fraud
• Voting laws
• Water resources
• Water rights
• Water supply regulation
• White nationalism
• White privilege
• Women’s rights
• World cycling tours
• Zero tolerance policies

Final Remarks

Now you understand how to write and what to include in a current events paper. We hope you are inspired to write one on your own following the steps, structure, and examples outlined above.

Although using this guide is the surest way to write a quality paper, you can always look at samples of current event papers written in the past. You can also consult with peers and professors for the best ideas. Finally, you can choose from our list of topics and develop further ideas from our list of current events.

If you are not satisfied or confident with your research and writing skills, you are welcome to seek the help of our essay writing experts . We offer 24/7 professional support that can help you when stuck. Do not hesitate to contact us and ask us to write your current events paper.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

How to Write a Current Event Essay

Current Event Essay - main idea

The main idea of writing a current event essay is to describe an actual and interesting situation, in most cases, important for the audience. In our era of globalization access to information is very easy, so one can be familiar with plenty of articles or analyses. The same is with the authors; they write on current essays for two main reasons: to gain more popularity (most often in internet blogs), and to launch a discussion on a topic. In brief, one is able to search for information, or can rely on the “new media” (internet media). However, an essay can influence the way in which a reader perceives the event in question. For that reason it is very important to follow moral principles of journalism and try to be as impartial as possible. Describe the events and analyze them without unnecessary rhetoric.

How to write a current event essay

Describe the current event  .

Introduce the event in brief. Answer the following questions:

• what happened?
• when did it happen?
• where did it happen?
• who was involved?
• why did it happen? (if you know or can form a hypothesis)
• what are the consequences?
• which media has covered the event and when?

The reader probably knows about this event, but it is always better to say a little bit more. Thus, you will sound more reliable and attractive. This passage should not exceed five or six sentences, unless you plan to write a long essay (five pages or more).

In the current event essay describe: What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who was involved? Why did it happen? What are the consequences? Which media has covered the event and when? Tweet This

Refer to verified sources

This is required in order to prove that the event in question has really happened in the way described by you. Refer to articles, chronicles, authoritative newspapers, photos, etc. In some cases you will need to translate a given article or a passage, or to rephrase a piece of text written in another language (don’t use Google Translate for this purpose).

Don’t plagiarize

Many blog users merely copy and paste articles from other sources. If you just want to do it in the same way, why do you bother at all? It’s just a waste of time. Write your essay only if you have something new or important to tell.

Impartiality

Of course, there is no way to describe an event in a completely objective way. There are always causes, factors and details from the background which we do not know or we do not have access to. Notwithstanding, try to represent different views on the subject. Analyze the issue critically; are all details available, or is there any secret or anything hidden? Is it possible that the information is distorted? The best way here is to visit the place personally where the event has taken place; if it’s not possible, you should at least speak with someone who knows the situation in the region or the people living there. We cannot judge only from what we have seen on TV.

If the event has not taken place yet, you can write what you expect. A good journalist should be able to make good predictions. Conclude your article with such a prediction and justify it with appropriate argument/s. Thus, your current event essay will seem more convincing and informative.

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How To Write A Current Event Paper

• Views 72237
• Author Sandra W.

Guidelines On How To Write A Current Events Essay

A current events paper is a short description of an event that has recently happened or is going to happen. Junior and senior high school educators for the purpose of teaching research, writing, and editing skills often assign current events summaries.

Below are steps to help you create a current events essay:

• Choose a reputable news source. Look for a source that offers well-written and well-researched news. Choose an article that is fresh since the assignment is to write about a current event. In addition, choose an article on the correct topic and make sure that the article gives enough information.
• Prepare to write the summary by reading the entire article. Make sure that you understand what the article says since you need to write a summary of the news story. Try to recount the article after reading it in order to figure out the main idea of the article. Read the article again to ensure that you did not miss any important point. In addition, create a list of the five W’s and H which include, who, what, when, where, why and how.
• Write a summary. Set aside your article and work with your list of the five W’s and H instead. Then outline the news article by writing an outline of the article focusing on the five W’s and H. Write your topic sentence that is the main idea of the article. The topic sentence gives your reader an overview of what your summary will be about. After, build upon your introduction with information about what happened. Write a closing sentence. The last sentence of your paragraph should reiterate the main idea of the news article.
• Outline your thoughts about the article. This is your opportunity to create connections between this article and the community at large.
• Finalize your summary. Proofread your article and make sure that your reader will focus on the content of your paper, rather than superficial elements like grammar and spelling. Include a citation for the article. If your assignment requires it, include where you got your paper. 

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How to Write a Current Event Summary

To write a current event summary, you should first understand what a current event summary is. A current event summary is an overview or brief statement that presents the most important developments or newest information about a current topic. With this in mind, it is easy to understand why you should not just summarize events in your own words.

The Preparation Process for Writing a Current Event Summary

Identify a news article.

Remember, it does not have to be an event that recently happened, but it should be a current topic. However, an event that occurred less than a week ago is more suitable for a news article than one that happened months ago.

When choosing a news article, you should pick one that is relatively short. A short article is easy to grasp, but it’s still okay if you need to read it more than once.

Read the news article

Start by reading through the entire article once or twice to get a general idea of what the essay addresses. After reading as many times as necessary, go back and highlight the critical parts of the article. This step will be easier if you have written a list of questions to answer beforehand.

Make a list of questions

For this step, you should ask yourself questions about the article. Remember that the question format is not important. However, make sure that you are prepared to answer the specific question.

A good current events summary should answer the questions who, what, where, when, why, and how. For example, if the article is about climate change, you can ask yourself these questions:

• Who are the stakeholders in climate change?
• What are some specific issues that are caused by climate change?
• Where is this happening the most?
• When did this start happening?
• Why is it important that we are concerned about climate change?
• How can we solve some of these issues that are caused by climate change?

Choose a perfect topic

Choosing the correct topic is the first step to writing an essay, including a current events essay. The topic should be of interest to you but should also be significant enough for people to want to read through.

Gather information about the event topic

The information included in a current event essay should be factual news and not your thoughts or opinions. Gathering information allows you to present a clear, well-understood argument.

As you research, remember to use a reputable news source. Try to avoid personal websites since most of them present biased personal views. Also, note the important details first since they validate your whole article.

Organize your research and writing

After carefully researching the event topic, organize the information to keep it clear and sensible.

The format for writing a current event summary varies according to the type of assignment that is given. But generally, a current event summary is one paragraph long and includes the thesis statement.

Thesis statements for current event essays

A thesis statement in a current event essay may be written in the following ways:

One sentence – A thesis statement can be one simple, concise sentence. For example, “The Cold War ended in 1989 after the Berlin Wall fell.”

Two sentences – A thesis statement that is two sentences long includes a topic sentence, followed by a second sentence that clarifies the topic sentence. For example, “The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolized the end of the Cold War. It also marked the end of communism in Eastern Europe.”

Sentence fragment – A thesis statement that is one sentence may be made up of multiple clauses. For example, “The Berlin Wall fell. As a result, the Cold War ended.”

Multiple sentences – A thesis statement made up of multiple sentences comes after a topic sentence and a transition. For example, “The Berlin Wall had been a symbol of the Cold War for more than 20 years. The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 was significant. The conflict between the two superpowers ended after the wall fell.”

Concluding sentence – A thesis statement can be the last sentence in a current events summary. This type of thesis statement is used to wrap up the information but needs to be more specific than other types. For example, “The Cold War was a conflict between two nations with different political and economic systems, causing a tension between East and West.”

Write the summary

Writing the actual current event summary is the last step in the process of writing one. Current events summaries should create an appetite for the reader and satisfy the appetite adequately. Follow the steps below to create a top-notch current events paper summary.

Characteristics of a Quality Current Events Summary

A great current events essay summary should:

• Be interesting and relevant to readers of all ages.
• Have no grammatical or spelling errors. Apply your editing skills exhaustively.
• Be concise and without unnecessary details that would bore readers or confuse them.
• Include a thesis statement that clearly presents the main idea of the summary.
• Provide a brief conclusion that wraps up the information presented in the paper.

Examples of a Current Event Essay

Here are examples of a current events essay written with all the steps outlined above:

“The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was a serious nuclear accident that occurred on March 11, 2011, in the Tohoku region of Japan. It is the largest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

The accident occurred following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. Then there was an equally devastating tsunami. These events caused the failure of three nuclear reactors on the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant.

After being struck by these disasters, the power plant began to lose the ability to control the internal temperatures of the reactors. This led to a meltdown in three of the plant’s six nuclear reactors, causing the release of radioactive materials to the surrounding area. Radiation was released into the air and water, putting people along the coast in danger.

This disaster caused the Japanese government to rethink its plans for the future of its energy sources. Japan has currently halted all nuclear power plants that were up and running before the disaster.”

“The fall of the Berlin Wall was a momentous event that marked the end of communism in Eastern Europe. It also contributed to the eventual demise of the Soviet Union.

For decades, the border between East and West Berlin was a symbol of the Cold War. On November 9, 1989, that symbol came down. A growing number of East Germans were fleeing to West Berlin and trying to cross the border wall that separated them from their western counterparts. Under orders from their superiors not to let anyone leave the eastern side, East German guards found themselves unable to stop the wave of refugees.

The guards, and other East German authorities caught at the wall, were hesitant to use lethal force against unarmed civilians. They opened the gates and allowed thousands of people into West Berlin. The people, celebrating their newfound freedom, dismantled the wall entirely only a few weeks later.”

“The missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 has garnered much attention from the international community. The plane was a Boeing 777-200ER with 239 passengers on board when it went missing in March 2014.

This plane was last seen on radar traveling west over the South China Sea. The search has now focused on the Indian Ocean. There are still no clues as to what happened to the plane or where it might be. Investigating the passengers and crew found no evidence of a terrorist attack or foul play. This left the experts stumped on what could have caused the plane to disappear.

Experts continue their search in hopes of finding some insight into the fate of this seemingly unsinkable aircraft.”

A high-quality current event summary is focused and relevant. This assignment requires well-researched news so that you can write a summary that represents the actual news story.

To write an informative summary, gather enough information from legit sources. Also, follow the correct format for writing an article summary. After getting all your facts right, Introduce the topic, and provide details about it using descriptive language. Finally, conclude with your thesis statement.

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