Tips for Writing News Stories
Tips for Writing News Stories I’ve seen some terribly written news stories and when possible, I try to correct them. (Although I’m also guilty of these transgressions occasionally.) There are a few basic rules to follow for structure and then there’s the content. The Basics* Use short sentences. Use a short first paragraph (The Lead) Be eloquent and energetic Be positive not neutral or negative *These are also known as Hemingway’s rules About the lead The lead is the intro to a story. This needs to be able to stand alone and tell the reader about the most important parts of the story. If someone reads the lead and it’s peaked their interest, then they’ll continue reading the rest of the story. Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash Bones of the Story This is the main content and it’s where many writers/journalists get stuck. The easiest way that I have found to get the story down, is to break it down to the: Who, What, When, W...