Writing news articles
A news piece doesn't begin with the first interview or opening paragraph. It starts with background research.
So before making that first phone call, run through the following checklist. If you can’t get the answers to these questions yourself, talk to the news editor(s) or a more experienced reporter.
Has the paper run stories on the topic before? Dig them up.
Who are the major players you should interview? Get their names, titles, phone numbers. Your editor(s) usually know all the local power figures, so they’re a good source to talk to. But be imaginative, too: Who else can you think of that might be affected by or have an opinion on the subject? Call them up. You should always be expanding your contact base.
Have you searched through directories—university staff lists, city hall manuals or the phone book—for additional contact information? You will be amazed at how much you can learn from public documents. A good starting point is Sources, a vital manual for any aspiring reporter. This reference book, available in most newsrooms, has a large contact list divided by subject matter.
What's your editor's home phone number and e-mail address? Keep him or her up to date on who you've talked to, what you've been told and any new twists to the story.
Last, but not least, what is the deadline and the assigned word count?
Before you start writing
Before you sit down and bang out your story, sit back and do the following:
• Read over your notes and see if there are any holes that need to be filled. Mark out the most important information and quotes.
• Talk to your editor about what you've found. He or she may see a hole in your story that has to be filled before you start writing.
• Think about the angle you're going to focus on.
• Organize the story on paper. Come up with a rough outline.
Banging it out
The key to a good news story, always remind yourself, is to present complicated information in a concise, easy-to-read manner.
Inverted Pyramid
One common approach taken by most newspapers is the "inverted pyramid" style. In other words, the most important information is at the top of the story, trickling down to the least important material in the last paragraph. The point is to give the reader as much information as you can before they run out of time, get bored, or get distracted by another story, the TV or the baby crying.
It also gives the production people something they can easily slice off the bottom if they don't have room for the whole thing. This does happen, and sticking to pyramid style is your best defence against losing the best part of your story to the editing knife.
There are pros and cons to the inverted pyramid and the debate still rages about its merit. It's simple and quick, but the format can be very restrictive and boring. Once you've adapted to thinking in a news-writing way, and have written lots of stories, you can experiment and not feel bound by standard style.
Things to keep in mind
A news story is not an essay. Don't try to impress people with flowery vocabulary or your proficiency at stretching a point. By all means, make it lively and use quirky turns of phrase. But don't overwrite.
As well, don't waste words or use big terms where small ones will do. Some examples: give consideration to (consider); in many cases (often); suffered injuries (was hurt); utilize (use); was suffering from (had). This will help to keep your sentences short, snappy and concise. And remember, limit your sentences to one thought or idea. If you have a lot of stuff you want to use, break it up into two related stories.
Many journalists speak a different language from their readers—the lingo of administrators, activists, and politicians. Don't pass this virus along. Instead, try to decode it into plainer, simpler words everyone can understand. Avoid buzzwords like “proactive,” “accessibility,” and “empowerment.” Think about what a speaker is trying to say and ask what they mean. Often, this will get you a much better quote.
Assume average students don’t know the full name of their student organization, or any other group for that matter, even if the paper publishes it six times a week. On first reference, spell out a name. Use acronyms later on in the article. And don’t be afraid to explain what a chair in chemistry is, either. A university is a complex place and few people will understand how it works before they leave. Reporters using terms or job titles should always ask themselves if a new arrival would know what they mean.
Use quotes for opinions and feelings only. Paraphrase your source when it comes to facts and figures. Don't forget to attribute any information that isn't common knowledge.
Avoid choppy sentences by using transitions—e.g. “but” and “however”—to link your story together.
Use the active voice, not the passive. So use: “The college refuses to release information on recent sexual assaults,” not, “Information on sexual assaults is being withheld by the college.”
Don't tell your readers what happened, show them. If possible, use colour to illuminate details in your story. If you say a student councillor was visibly upset, how upset was he? Was he crying, sulking or screaming? Be specific. Stimulate the reader's imagination with significant details. How does this look? Sound? Feel? Taste? Smell?
When you’re not sure about something, review your facts—no matter what, never guess about anything. Always double-check if you're not sure about a name, title, fact, figure, phone number or address. Your credibility and the paper’s reputation are on the line.
There’s no such thing as objectivity. There’s no getting around it: our biases find their way into our stories. But we must remain balanced, fair and accurate. Your readers have brains; they can make up their own minds. Don’t slant your information, leave information out or misrepresent the facts to serve causes. Show both sides of the story.
Editing yourself
Always re-read your story before you hand it in. Imagine you're an average reader by asking the following questions:
Have you addressed the following points: What does it all mean? Why is this story important? Who’s responsible? Is there a remedy? What can be done and by whom? Has this happened before? Who’s paying? How much does it cost?
Have you left out key information because you assume your readers already have it? Don't assume your readers have read previous stories on the subject. Give sufficient background.
Is it concise? If you have unnecessary words, get rid of them.
Is the math correct? How about the names, titles, dates and attributions?
Once you’re satisfied with your work, let another reporter or two read it over. You can return the favour in the future. After you have received feedback, why not take a break by going for a walk, a glass of juice or a cup of coffee. The trick is to clear your head, come back and read your piece with a fresh perspective.
After you have given the story to your editor, don’t leave. Stick around and watch the editing process. Chances are the editor will have questions for you. And be prepared to have your story rewritten. This happens to everyone, no matter how long they've been on staff, so don’t be defensive. The only way you’re going to improve your writing is by watching someone else’s reaction to it. It’s also a good way to learn your paper’s style.
Some final points
Constantly build up a contact list in a fresh notebook or index box. You never know when you’re going to need to talk to someone again. As well, get into the habit of keeping information you have gathered by creating files.
Get to know your school's bureaucracy. Who’s on Senate? Who are the council executives? Are these positions hired or elected? And what do they do, anyway?
And finally, adhering to deadlines is essential. A newspaper runs on deadlines: copy deadline, editing deadline and printer deadline. Your tardiness will slow everybody else down, even prevent the paper from coming out—or at least from coming out with your story in it. Remember, you can always do an update later.
Is there a follow-up to be done on your first story? Talk to your sources again once the story runs to find out if anything has changed or if there’s another interesting angle.
Content provided by the Martlet Publishing Society, with files from CUP.
