Thematic Construction in the News Coverage of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Pattern and Its Implication in Teaching English News-Item Text

Abstract

This present study attempts to see the pattern of thematic construction in the selected newspaper on the topic of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia and how it is used in teaching news item text in tertiary level. This study was conducted by using a qualitative approach through the content analysis method. The source of the data was 20 news item text from 2 popular newspapers in Indonesia. From the analysis, it was found that there are some variations in the thematic construction found in the selected newspaper on COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia. From its simplexity, simple and multiple Themes construction were found. Simple Theme is represented by the use of one single Topical Theme in the clauses, Meanwhile, Multiple Theme was constructed by the variation of Textual, Interpersonal, and Topical Theme. In addition, in teaching news item text, lecturers can suggest students to maintain thematic continuity within paragraphs and across the entire article since it can enhance the flow and clarity of their own writing. Then, understanding thematic patterns can guide students in producing well-structured news item text.