Into the World of News Writing
Writing news need not be difficult if your students have the formula down pat.
First, there is the lead or the first one to two sentences that summarize the most important point of the article. Usually they are brief and catchy, enticing the reader to read more.
Second, news articles always contain the essentials -- the five Ws and 1H (who, what, where, when and why, and how???). These pertain to who the people involved were, what the nature of the event or story was, where and when the story take place, and why and how significant it is.
With news writing, all these facts should be written for the common man on the street, so minimize the technical terms and write for a reader who’s intelligent but unfamiliar with the topic.
The fourth thing to bear in mind is that news stories are usually in the “inverted pyramid” structure, where the most important information is placed on top, while the least important can be found in the last few paragraphs. News article is arranged as such to aid the readers who do not necessarily read the entire article and would need the summary with one glance at the lead.
Fifth, keep in mind that the line between opinion and news is crossed when the writer fails to remain objective about the subject he or she is covering. In news writing, it is of utmost importance to be objective. Do not express opinions or make claims because a news article is, essentially, a reporting of events and facts. It should be factual and written in the third person point of view, with quotes from credible and reliable sources.
And given that the news article should be factual, it is very important to check your facts.
Lastly, remember to keep it clear and simple, with short sentences, concise words, and sentences in the active voice.
For more information on news writing, here are some very useful links to check out:
How to Write a News Story - talks about angles in news
http://www.mediacollege.com/journalism/news/write-stories.html
The Art Of Writing News - tackles the news writing structure
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-art-of-writing-news/
How to Write News Articles - is a good summary of the basics in news writing
http://www.explorewriting.co.uk/HowToWriteNewsArticles.html
News Writing - has a comprehensive explanation of news writing, with sample news articles
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/news/index.htm
Writing a News Story - about different beats and tips for interviewing
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/toolkit_resources/tipsheets/writing_news_story.cfm
How to Write a News Article - offers different kinds of leads with examples
http://www.ypp.net/wg_newsarticle.asp
Sources:
n.a. (n.d.) The Art Of Writing News. Retrieved January 28, 2008 from
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-art-of-writing-news/
n.a. (n.d.) Writing news: a quick primer. Retrieved January 28, 2008 from
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/write-news.html
(Published 04 February 2008, Smart Schools Program)
