HOW TO WRITE A NEWS ARTICLE?

Is important:

A. Research your topic.

Begin by asking yourself the “5W’s” (sometimes “6W’s”):

Who - who was involved?
What - what happened?
Where - where did it happen?
Why - why did it happen?
When - when did it happen?
How - how did it happen?

B. Compile all your facts.

Jot down a list of all the pertinent facts and information that needs to be included in the article.

Organize your facts into three groups:

1) Those that need to be included in the article.
2) Those that are interesting but not vital.
3) Those that are related but not important to the purpose of the article.

C.Create an article outline.

Our outline, and subsequently your article, should be structured for like an inverted triangle. The inverted triangle allows you to build your story so that the most important information is at the top.

D. Know your audience

In order to rite a great news article you need to know exactly who you are writing for. Your audience will dictate the voice and tone of your article and help you to know what you should include.

E. Find an angle.

Why is this article unique to you? What is your voice? These questions will help you to make your news article unique and something that only you could write.

F.Interview people

When writing a news article, interviewing people and getting a first hand source on your topic can be invaluable.

- People usually like to talk about personal experiences,

- When you do interview people you need to follow a few rules-

1. Identify yourself as a reporter.
2. Keep an open mind.
3. Stay objective.

- Record and write down important information from the interview, and be transparent.

Is essential:

A. Check facts before publishing.

Whether you’re writing a news article professionally or for a school assignment, your article isn’t complete until you’ve checked all your facts.

B. Ensure you have followed your outline and have been consistent with style.

-If your news article is meant to convey direct facts, not the opinions of its writer.
-If your article is meant to be more in the style of interpretive Journalists,hen check to make sure that you have given deep enough explanations of the larger story.

C. Follow the AP Style for formatting and citing sources.

Journalists, and therefore news articles follow AP Style for sources and citations in most cases.

D. Have your editor read your article

-You shouldn’t submit any news article for publication without first letting someone take a look at it..
-If you are writing a news article for school or your own personal website, then have a friend take a look at it and give you notes.

Is necessary:

A. Start with the lead.

Begin with a strong leading sentence. News articles begin with a leading sentence that is meant to grab a reader's attention and interest them.

B. Give all the important details.

The next important step to writing news articles is including all the relevant facts and details that relate to your lead statement.

Include:

- The basics of what happened.
- Where and when it took place.
- Who is involved.
- Why it's newsworthy.

C. Follow up main facts with additional information.

After you've listed all the primary facts in your news article, include:

Any additional information that might help the reader learn more, such as:
-Contact information.
-Additional facts about the topic or people involved.
-Quotes from interviews.

E. Conclude your article.

Congratulate your readers for sticking with you to the end by giving the reader something to take away, like:
- Potential solutions to the problem or;
- Challenges expressed in your article.

Make sure

- Make sure your news article is complete and finished by giving it a good concluding sentence.
- Read other news articles for ideas on how to best accomplish this.