How to Write a News Article
News is information about current events that affect a wide range of people. It is usually published in newspapers, magazines and on the internet, but can also be broadcast by television or radio. News can be about anything that is happening in the world, from wars and riots to weather updates and celebrity gossip. News is designed to inform and entertain its readers, and should not contain any personal bias.
When writing a news article it is important to research the topic thoroughly. This will ensure that you have all the facts necessary to write a well structured, factual piece of work. It is also a good idea to proofread your work for consistency of tone and style, as well as to make sure that all the relevant details are included.
The first step in writing a news article is to decide which aspects of the subject are most likely to be interesting or significant to your readership. This will often be determined by the timing of the event or development. For example, a news story about the death of a politician will almost certainly be of more interest to your readers than a similar report about a sporting event.
Once you have decided which elements of the news are most interesting, it is time to start writing. In the case of a newspaper, it is advisable to write an outline of your article before you begin writing, as this will help you to keep track of all the facts and information that you are including. It is also a good idea to interview any key sources, as this will help you to get the facts straight from the source and give your article a more human touch.
Some of the main criteria that are used to judge the strength of a news story include: timeliness, exclusivity, magnitude, relevance and human interest. A story that meets all of these criteria will be a strong one. For example, a coup d’etat in your own country will be a much stronger news item than the same coup in a neighbouring country, as it will be directly affecting the people of your own nation.
Another criterion that is sometimes used to assess the strength of a news story is its level of surprise. This can be achieved by introducing an element of shock factor into the story, such as by using dramatic images or by quoting the victims of the disaster.
It is a good idea to use as many different types of quotes as possible in your article. This will give your article a more personal feel, and can also add some interest to a drab piece of news. Some writers prefer to insert their quotations as they are writing, while others choose to wait until the article is fully written to add them in.
It is also a good idea to avoid overusing adjectives in your articles, as this can make your writing seem unprofessional. Instead, try to create a more descriptive image in the minds of your reader, by using active rather than passive voice – for example, ‘Dr Jones used this equipment to study malaria’ rather than ‘Malaria was studied with this equipment by Dr Jones’.