Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Newspaper Article - Tips For Writing a Newspaper Article

Below are some useful and effective tips to use when writing a newspaper article:

1. Get straight to the point. There is no room for fillers or beating around the bush when writing newspaper articles. As your audience are usually pressed for time and as your publishers would want to save as much space as possible, you need to make your articles short and concise.

2. Make it informative. Missing just a single important data is unforgivable when writing articles for newspapers. As such, it's very important that you list down all the information that you have gathered and make sure that you include them in your content.

3. Keep it short. Look at the information that you have in hand. Are they all needed by your readers? If not, you don't have any reason to include them on your articles. To save space, ensure that you only deliver those data that your readers will find interesting or useful to their lives.

4. Use quotes. Quotes can make your articles not only credible but interesting as well. Interview key people that are involved in the story that you are writing about and get their views or opinions. Insert the quotes without revising them.

5. Verify your data. It's unacceptable to submit your articles to your editors without verifying the data that you have included in your content. You don't want libel suit and you don't want to ruin your credibility, right? So, make time to verify every piece of information you write about and ensure that they are all based on facts.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Newspaper Article Writing - How to Write Newspaper Articles

Writing a newspaper article can get relatively easy if you can just picture a triangle in your mind. This simply means, you need to use the inverted pyramid technique at all time.

Here's how you can easily write newspaper articles:

1. Headline. This is where you tell your target readers what your article is all about. In here, you should be able to capture the attention of your readers while you tell them what's in it for them. It must be short, punchy, and it must be very descriptive.

2. Byline. This tells the readers who wrote the story.

3. First paragraph. This is often called lead paragraph in newspaper article writing. This must contain all the why, how, where, when, who, and what elements of your story. It's important that your readers understand your article by simply reading your first paragraph. This is because research and studies show that a huge percentage of people reading newspapers do not read articles in their entirety.

4. Offer further explanations. In your succeeding paragraphs, you will need to give your readers supporting details that will help them better understand your story. You can include quotes from people who are considered authorities on your chosen story. For example, if you are writing about a murder, you would want to get statements coming from the police and witnesses. These can make your articles sound stronger and more catchy.

5. Include additional information. This is optional. If you are writing about a one-time event, you don't need to include additional information. However, if there were related stories written in the past, you will need to give your readers some background information.

News Article Writing - Get Started Easily

Do you wish to learn the approach to follow while writing a news article such that it is appreciated and is widely popular? Would you want to earn a staggering but a stable income from writing news articles in the most efficient and lucid style? This article will expose you to the block buster formula to writing great news articles that will earn massive incomes for you while you enjoy the writing part. Here are 3 simple steps to get you started.

Step 1 - Develop a lead and cover the 5 W's.
Step 2 - Be unbiased and factual in your approach.
Step 3 - Back it up with at least two other authentic links.

Here are step by step details that you can apply quickly and easily.

Step 1 - Develop a lead and cover the 5 W's -

Writing a news article is all about developing an interesting lead and building around it with the words flowing freely in an effortless manner. Remember to cover the 5 W's always - what, where, when, who and why. While writing a news article, it's all the more important to be entirely factual in your approach.

Step 2 - Be unbiased and factual in your approach -

The article that you write should be based completely on facts and figures, giving out all data correctly, completely and clearly. Never lean towards any particular side while reporting, the article should be unbiased in the eyes of the reader.

Next is the time to give out your sources.

Step 3 - Back it up with at least two other authentic links -

Including a resource section towards the end of the article where you can list out at least two other authentic links is a good idea. It not only shows the work that has gone into writing the article but also establishes its authenticity.

Journalism 100 - News Article Writing Crash Course

Writing a news article is a bit different than maybe an English essay. Whether you're a newbie to news scene, or the rusty old journalism major, here is a good crash course in news writing.

First of all, a news article always begins with a lead. A lead is the first sentence, and tells the entire story in 25 words or less. A lead answers: who, what, when, where, why and how. Not all questions are applicable to every story, so not every lead will answer all of them.

Once you have a lead, write the rest in inverted pyramid. News articles are written like an upside down triangle. The most important details are first, trickling down to the least important by the end.

Inverted pyramid serves two purposes. First, readers are pressed for time. They may have to walk away at any second. By giving the most important details first, they will still have gotten the story even if they can't finish your article. Secondly, in the land of publishing, advertising is king. If an advertiser wants more space, layout designers don't have time to rewrite your article to make the ad fit. Instead, articles are written so the last few lines can be cut and not kill your piece.

Tips:
Remember: K.I.S.S = Keep it Simple Stupid. News articles are written at an eighth grade level. Don't use a big word when a small one will do.

1. Study news articles. Websites like MSN, AOL, and Yahoo have great feature articles. Read them regularly.

2. Pay attention to the way they are structured and try mimic their rhythm and tone.

3. Write tight. This means, be concise. Feature stories allow more creativity, but mainly, journalism is about space. Say as much as possible, in as little space as possible. Don't use two words when one will do.

4. Get an AP Style Manual. News articles are written in AP Style. A style manual will answer any technical questions you may have.