What Is News Writing?

How to Write a News Article

It depends on the publication you are writing for. If you are writing for a publication or a section of a newspaper, you can assume more knowledge. A cricket report or commentary can assume knowledge of the rules of cricket, while an article for a magazine can assume the reader knows what a car is.

Computer magazines are a good example of publications that educate, but knowledge of how to use specific pieces of software is not. If you are a writer, you should know the intentions of the publication you write for. The market sector in which the newspaper is located is relevant to how you write.

In mass-selling newspapers with large circulations, you will find shorter sentences and paragraphs in the more serious newspapers, but in the more serious newspapers, you will find longer words. The reader of the Guardian will have a larger vocabulary than the reader of the Sun. As a writer, do not show off your vocabulary.

"wordy" is always better than "prolix", and it is never better to prefer the less familiar word. In news writing, always use the active tense. The active tense uses less words and is quicker to respond to.

"Manchester United beat the team from the north" is slower than "Arsenal lost to the team from the south", and if it is a London newspaper, it is still preferable. If the quotes are from politicians, they will bring the story to a halt. Short, concise, direct quotes change the pace of a story, add colour and character, and introduce personal experience.

The Nut Graph

The fairness and balance of the information presented is a major factor. Each paper may have a different slant on commentary, but it is usually confined to a separate section. The use of sibilants, euphemisms, and idioms is dictated by the editorial policies.

Newspapers with an international audience tend to use a more formal style of writing. Writers are told not to bury the lead. To make sure that they present the most important facts first, rather than requiring the reader to go through several paragraphs to find them.

There are other types of material in newspapers and magazines. Magazine cover articles and pieces that lead the inside sections of a newspaper are known as features. Straight news and feature stories differ in several ways.

Most of the time, there is no straight-news lead. Feature writers may try to lure readers in by not giving the full essence of the story up front. Straight news stories always stay in third person point of view, but feature articles can slip into first person.

The journalist details interactions with interview subjects in the piece. The nut graph is a section that shows what a feature is about. The third or fourth paragraph from the top may be up to two paragraphs long.

The Headline of a News Article

The headline set the mood of the story. The headline should indicate that the story is serious and intended to inform. Headlines can help determine the nature of the story.

By nature, headlines are short and concise. It can be a few words. The space in newspapers is limited and letters are counted to make room for other stories.

You may like to read free writing examples. It is important to not leave too much empty space. White space is a problem in the front page of the paper and the headline must be fully incorporated in order to avoid it.

A bad break is when a headline with more than one line splits a phrase into a proper name and a non-proper one. It can lead to confusion if you break phrases apart. You can see script writing examples.

The headlines that are used are appropriate to the story. Straight news and serious stories are not suitable for humorous headlines. The tone of the headline should match the tone of the story.

How to Write a Quote

Primary sources give you information when interviewing someone related to a story. You need to know how to ask questions and what questions to ask before you start interviewing. You should plan your interview as best you can, and think about the topics you want to cover.

If you have time, it would be helpful to write your questions out. One of the most important things to do when writing from an outside source is to make sure they are credible. A group of people respected in their fields of study is a credible source.

A Harvard Law professor is more likely to be a credible source of information than a freshman at your local community college. Every single source in your piece will be called into question if one of the sources is not credible. It's not hard to get credible sources, but you have to take the extra time to make sure they are not lying.

A quote and a circle are the two ways to end a story. A circle ending means you return to a point in the lead. You can find a quote that ties your story together.

3. As you work through the writing process, remember the assignment you were given. If you include it to better the article or to better argue your opinion the topic, you should ask yourself the same question.

Feature Stories

The style of a feature story is different from a straight news story. A feature article is more in-depth than a traditional hard news article and uses the same types of stories that you might find in novels. Soft news stories do not focus on the basic facts.

Writers have more flexibility to use a wider range of formats, provide rich descriptions, and include scene-setting anecdotes. Features are often accompanied by pictures, illustrations, maps, and other visual components, as they are given more space on the page. A profile of an athlete or political figure is an example of a feature article.

The sinking of a ferry

The sinking of a ferry in the Greek islands should be reported with a hard news lead. A profile of a Canadian couple who had their vacation cut short when the Greek ferry struck a reef and sank while the crew was watching television is more appropriate when a major news event is not being reported for the first time. Some editors disagree with the emphasis on soft writing and refer to it as jell-o journalism.

The main story can be a sidebar to feature writing. A sidebar next to the main story or elsewhere in the same edition gives an audience additional information the same topic. A trend story is a look at people, things organizations that are having an impact on society.

People are excited to read about the latest fads. A lead that invites an audience into the story is what you should write. A summary may not be the best lead.

A lead block of one or two paragraphs is what begins a feature. The feature writer uses the first two or three paragraphs to set a mood and invite readers inside. The nut graph is the third or fourth paragraph where the significance of the story is provided.

The body is vital to the subject and it provides vital information while entertaining and educating. The ending will bring the story back to the lead with a quotation or a surprise climax. Background information, thread of the story, transition, dialogue, and voice are important components of a feature story.