1. It’s Not Like Any Other Writing You’ve Done!
News Writing Style
It’s Not Like Any Other Writing You’ve Done!

2. Preparing to Write
The 1st step in writing a news story is getting all the facts.
Most news stories involve both research and interviewing.
A reporter must be fair and cover both sides of controversial issues.
Always have more than one source to help ensure that your information is accurate.

3. Interviewing Tips
Research the topic so you can prepare good questions.
Consider what the readers want to know as you prepare for an interview.
Take good notes, but make sure you pay attention to the interviewee as you do.
Double check all of the information before you end the interview.
Be polite and professional at all times.

4. Organizing the Story
Every story needs a good lead, the opening paragraph that captures the reader’s attention.
Some stories are written in narrative style, telling a story.
Some stories are written in chronological format, in order of time.
Many stories are written in inverted pyramid style, starting with the most important idea and ending with the least important idea.

5. High School Newspapers
Most of the news coverage is dated, meaning it’s already known by the time the paper appears.
Instead of focusing on WHAT happened, reporters should focus on WHY something happened and HOW students reacted to it.
Example: Instead of giving a play by play coverage of the first football game, write a story about how the defense prepares for the game each week and include statistics from that game as examples in your article.

6. Putting Words on the Page
Journalists use clear, simple sentences with direct phrasing.
Most sentences begin with the subject.
A paragraph should only have ONE idea.
A paragraph should only have 1 to 3 sentences.
A quote is almost always a separate paragraph.
Use transitions to help the paragraphs flow from one to another.
Write a rough draft of your story immediately after an interview so the ideas are fresh in your mind.

7. Just the Facts! News stories must be based on facts.
The reporter can NOT include his/her opinion, even in small ways (luckily, sadly, etc.).
Include the 5 W’s and 1 H whenever possible.
STOP once you have covered all of the pertinent information. Do NOT give a conclusion or overview in a news story.

8. Here’s an example:
A 26-year-old woman from Sweden was medically evacuated by the crew of Coast Guard Station Key West on Wednesday night after being stung by a jellyfish. The woman, whose full name was not released, was reportedly experiencing nausea and paralysis. She suffered the sting while swimming south of Key West while with the chartered vessel Sebago Cubed, according to the Coast Guard. The woman was brought to shore, where awaiting emergency medical services took her to the Lower Keys Medical Center. Her condition was not immediately known. A woman reached at the office of Sebago Cubed said the company would not comment.