Writing newspaper articles
1. The headline – accurate and in the present tense, first sentence 5w’s
2. First paragraph – make the reader interested and include a hook
3. Make it accurate – make sure info is correct
4. Search for the special ingredient which makes your story stand out
5. Paragraphs throughout should consist of only 2 or 3 sentences - no more than 22 words for 1st sentence as a grab line
6. Use quotes (expert opinion) or direct witness
7. Keep language simple
9 golden rules
1. Kiss – keep it short and simple- local papers normally have shorter sentences between 16 – 20 words- keep to simple vocabulary which the broadest audience can access
2. Read for speed – sentences and headlines are short – cross heads break the story down into bite size pieces – columns are narrow and easy to read
3. Never use 3 words where 1 will do – you will rarely see the following phrases in newspapers – “in the near future” – “ in the first instance” – “ on the subject of” – “in the consequence of”
4. Don’t repeat yourself – don’t use 2 words which mean the same thing e.g. uniquely special – final outcome – important essentials
5. Use active verbs – e.g. burglars took the corgi, rather the corgi was taken by the burglars
6. Play with language – use puns e.g. chippy gets a battering, Steve Davis arrives on que
7. Make the story personal – particularly in local papers, people sell papers
8. Categorise people in the news – e.g. grey haired pensioner, secret lover, mother of two, retired teacher
9. Things to avoid – clichés, euphemisms, being to chatty, unnecessary use of foreign or American phrases
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