Writing News Articles

Before trying to write news articles, I recommend you go and read a ton of reports from a wire agency like Reuters or AP. Wire agencies are the professionals who write up reports immediately and disseminate them to many newspapers for publication.

Newsworthiness

Perhaps you’ve heard of “MAN BITES DOG” before? What makes it different from “DOG BITES MAN?”

Consider the audience you’re writing for. How does the story impact our readers?

File stories in a timely manner. News is no longer new if too much time has passed since the story broke. Never compromise accuracy to rush publication.

Gathering Information

Pick reliable sources and cross-reference all facts. It’s our job to check that everything we publish is accurate.

The manual’s directory of sources has some good places to start. Keep biases in mind. Contact an editor if you need help finding information.

Interviews are essential. Think about the kinds of people affected by an event (stakeholders, if you will) and try to get their statements. If you need help thinking of or finding people, contact an editor.

Consider that article I wrote in January 2022 on the return to school after winter break during the largest COVID-19 surge of the pandemic. Some people important to interview include:

  • Students

  • Parents

  • Teachers

  • Principal/School Administrators

  • Superintendent/Board of Education

  • School Nurse

  • Custodial Staff

Structuring the Article

The inverted pyramid writing style is popular among journalists. You start with the most important information at the top and the least important information at the bottom.

The first sentence should be able to summarise the entire article. For example, for the aforementioned COVID-19 return to school article, I wrote:

In a move inconsistent with school districts across New Jersey, Edison Township Public Schools has continued in-person instruction following winter break.

Reading a lot of professional wire agency reports will help you get a good feel for a first sentence.

The next few sentences should include the most crucial information. The lead two or three paragraphs should cover the who, what, where, when, why, how, and so what of the story. These intro paragraphs are crucial: if the reader’s not interested by then, they won’t read any further.

Be concise and clear. Avoid redundant words. Active voice is good.

Use the quotes that you diligently collected during interviews!!! They’re good stuff. Give a general idea of what people are saying (“Some students say…,” “Multiple residents expressed…,” “Several attendees said…”), then provide quotes to support your assertion.

Don’t include opinions. That’s called editorialising, and it’s prohibited. Use neutral language and avoid connotations that could introduce bias. Opinions stay in the Opinion Department. Last thing we need is a government officer ripping us apart for bias (feel free to enquire with EIC Wu about the COVID-19 return to school article incident). Read the section on Editorialising for more information.

A news report is NOT like an essay in school. You don’t need to end with something profound. News reports can be left open in case more information is added later.

Ask an editor if you have any questions!!!

Headlining

Headlines are your first chance to grab the reader’s attention. Be extremely concise but also attention-grabbing. Boring headlines are not fun.

“Headlines must be sharp and informative. Use short words and an active verb and avoid unfamiliar abbreviations. Make sure it makes clear where the news is happening,” says the Reuters Handbook.

Proofreading

Verify that:

  • Date is correct

  • All names are spelled correctly and consistently (never assume the spelling of someone’s name! ask interviewees for their names!)

  • The sources of all information are clear

  • The story is fair (could you defend your article against any challenges?)

  • The editor is notified of any potential issues (legal, reputational, or whatnot)

Bylines and Attribution

The byline lists the primary author of the article first and then any other significant contributors.

Additional contributors are listed at the end in the signoff with “Additional reporting by…”. The article’s editor is listed at the end with “Edited by…”.

Datelines

Datelines indicate where the story was written (ex. “NEW YORK CITY, Jul 21 (ZFJ) - [ARTICLE]”).

The format should be CITY, COUNTRY, DATE (ZFJ). Include COUNTRY if the city isn’t that well known.

Only include the location if our journalist was present there. Otherwise, the signoff at the end should indicate where the story was written.