Writing a news report can be a daunting task if you have no experience of how to put something together to grab an editor’s attention. Here are a few tips to get you on your way.
First, decide where you are going to send your report: radio, website, newspaper, magazine. Each will have different requirements so do your research into house styles and word lengths.
Who? Why? What? Where? When? These are essential ingredients so make sure you answer the questions.
Put the most important fact or person first. On many occasions I have been sent reports about official openings and the person officiating isn’t mentioned until the last line. Don’t do this. Mention them in the first sentence.
Avoid starting an article with a date or the weather conditions unless these are the most important things.
Research using reliable sources.
Where possible include interviews to add weight to your article but keep it balanced. Don’t embellish the text with your own opinion. Use speech marks correctly.
Write in a chronological and logical order and don’t make assumptions. If there are holes in the report fill them with facts not fiction.
Write in the third person.
Decide on the length of your report and work within this boundary.
Be succinct, it is perfectly acceptable to have paragraphs of just one sentence in length. A good newsy story will have a snappy rhythm so don’t slow it down with flowery language. Stick to the story and don’t go off at a tangent. Resist inserting your own anecdotes.
Don’t over write. For example, 200/300 words is a good length for a news report for a community magazine. Don’t be disappointed if your article is reduced in size, this will be to fit the available space.
Let the opening words of each paragraph tell a bit of the story. Many people skim read and will pick up on the first few words of each paragraph and then shut off. Get as much information into those words so if they are the only ones that are read, they give the bones of the story.
Be consistent and make sure people’s names are spelled correctly. As an editor, I find it annoying when a report is submitted where the name of a person is spelt in two different ways and believe me, it happens.
A good photograph will help an editor choose your report over others and remember to include a caption.
Add a heading, but don’t be surprised if this is altered. Editor’s rarely use the headings supplied.
Don’t be repetitive unless you are writing for a website.
Don’t switch tenses.
Don’t use fancy fonts or colours and don’t over-use capital letters. There is no need to underline anything.
If you want to include contact phone numbers or email addresses, leave them until the end.
Proofread and spellcheck your report before you submit it.
Finally, remove all those exclamation marks you’ve put in – they are rarely necessary.
When emailing reports always put an attention-grabbing few words in the status line eg HORSE FALLS DOWN CLIFF. Don’t put: article, news item, press release, report. Your email could get lost among hundreds of others if the status line is poor.
Remember to include your name and a telephone number.
Happy writing.