For the uninitiated, writing a news article can be a daunting task. While creative fiction allows you some liberties, crafting a high-quality news article demands a high level of attention to detail and a commitment to showcasing all the facts.
If you’ve secured your first news article writing assignment, congratulations! Here are five tips to quickly and easily pass yourself off as a seasoned news columnist.
1) Use The Style Guide
When you accept a writing assignment, ask your editor for a copy of the style guide. Style guides vary among publications and countries. For example, some publications prefer bullet point paragraphs like this, while others eschew them. Some newspapers like listicles, others loathe them. That’s why it’s imperative to familiarise yourself with the expectations before you begin.
If no guide is given, use the renowned AP style for reference.
2) Do Your Research
As the adage goes, write what you know. Focusing on a field in which you’ve got strong technical knowledge is an easy way to produce an article that will meet quality guidelines. However, if you do have to branch out into unchartered territory, research is vital. One way to tell if you’ve really grasped the idea you’re trying to convey is to explain the concept to someone else – test out your subject mastery by pitching your article to a trusted friend or editor.
3) Use Reputable Sources
It doesn’t matter how many hours you dedicate to research if your source materials are not reputable. If you’re writing an article on climate change and your main source is Wikipedia, understand that your story wouldn’t even make it past a competent high school newspaper editor, let alone into a trusted publication.
Analyse your sources for quality and bias. For a well-rounded news piece, you typically need both primary and secondary sources. Varying your sources will both strengthen your article’s credibility and generate interest. Set yourself apart from your competitors by including quotes, video interviews, original photographs or even audio recordings. Variety is key.
4) Find Your Hook
Topical articles, such as pieces on the election, award ceremonies or climate change, have been written a hundred times before. To write a news article that will capture publisher and reader attention, you need a unique hook.
Start by establishing your general topic, e.g. COVID-19. Then, use a search engine to see what kind of pieces your competitors are writing and establish a different frame. If everyone else is writing about how COVID-19 has negatively impacted the nation, challenge yourself to write a feel-good piece highlighting the ways communities have pitched in. Create contrast. Give your audience something new to engage with.
5) Write a Captivating Headline
You could write the most comprehensive article on the recent election the world has ever seen, but it won’t matter if nobody reads it. Crafting a compelling headline is tantamount to capturing your audience’s attention and coaxing them into reading more. The best headlines are concise and contain a rationale (x tricks, facts, reasons) and an emotional adjective (easy, amazing, horrifying).
For example, consider the two headlines below:
- Amber Heard Attends Court Dressed in All Chanel
- Why Amber Heard Painstakingly Curates Her Designer Outfits for Court
Headline 2 arguably packs more of a punch. Instead of giving away the content in the headline, it titillates the reader into reading the article to find out why Ms. Heard is behaving this way.
Using the 5 tips above, you can learn to construct high-quality news articles that will quickly establish you as a reputable news commentator in your field.
