How to Write Newsworthy Articles
News is a report of current events compiled and presented by broadcasting organisations. It can teach, it can enlighten and it can inspire but, above all, it should be impartial. If it’s not, it loses credibility and the public’s trust.
To be newsworthy, an event needs to be: new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. A story that is all of these things can have a strong impact and can influence people’s opinions on an issue or event.
A lot of people think that only ‘big’ events are newsworthy but, in fact, small events can be equally important. For example, the death of a celebrity might have little effect on most people but the deaths of hundreds of soldiers in a war can have a much bigger impact on everyone’s lives.
When writing a news article you must always remember that it is your job to inform. You should never include your opinion in a news report unless it is clearly stated at the beginning of the article. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot provide your readers with some entertainment as well. There are many different ways to do this – music and drama programmes on radio; cartoons in newspapers and magazines, etc.
Before writing a news article, ask yourself questions about your audience. This will help you decide how to structure your article and which facts are most important to include. You should also consider what is unique about your story and what your voice is as a writer.
It’s also good to read as many sources as possible to get an idea of what is going on in the world. If you’re interested in a particular subject, you can even set up Google alerts for that subject and receive emails every time something new appears on the internet about it.
Once you’ve decided what the important facts of your news article are, it is a good idea to write them in chronological order. This will make it easier for your reader to follow the story and keep up with any developments. It’s also a good idea to add some supporting information to your main points, for example, additional facts about the people or subjects mentioned, quotes from interviews and pictures to help keep your article interesting and informative. Lastly, try to avoid using too many adjectives in your news article. For example, “This equipment is being used to study malaria” is better than “This equipment is brilliant”. This will just confuse your reader and may make them stop reading your article altogether. By following these simple tips, you can create a well written and effective piece of news that your readers will want to read. Good luck!