How to Write News for Your Company
When most people think of News, they think of black-and-white journalism in a major newspaper or the nightly newscast on television. But News can also be an update from a company, whether that company is a multinational corporation or a small business. In either case, creating and sharing company News can serve several purposes: from a marketing perspective, from a team-building standpoint, and from an informational viewpoint.
The first step in writing a news article is to research the topic. The more you know about the subject, the better writer you will be. When researching, be sure to note important dates and times as well as any significant facts that may affect the storyline. In addition, a news article must always be objective and refrain from expressing opinion.
Once you have your research completed, put together an outline that clearly shows the flow of your story. It should include a lead, which is the most important paragraph in the article, followed by supporting paragraphs arranged in an inverted pyramid. Essentially, the more important the information, the closer to the top of the pyramid it should be. This allows readers who are not interested in reading the entire piece to receive the most important facts of your story.
When you begin to write your news article, it is important to keep in mind that the purpose of most news articles is to inform and educate your audience, not entertain them. This does not mean that your article can’t have a certain level of entertainment; however, this type of entertainment typically comes from other areas such as music and drama on radio or television, or crosswords and cartoons in newspapers.
After you’ve written the body of your news article, you should create a catchy headline that grabs the attention of your reader. In addition, use AP style guidelines when creating the headline to ensure that it meets publication standards. Although other members of your publication staff often write headlines, if you’re the author of your News article, try to write the headline yourself – it can help to focus your thoughts and may save those other employees time.
In addition, it’s good to read other news articles for ideas about how to conclude yours. Generally, a news article will end with a summary of the key points in the story and any potential future developments that might occur as a result. It is also helpful to watch the way your favorite news stations or shows wrap up their stories so that you can mimic their style.
In the past, a news event could only be reported as it happened by sending a reporter to the scene of the event and reporting it by telephone or telegraph. Today, however, a wide range of communication technology allows news to be broadcast instantly around the world, making it possible for even the most remote events to become news. The Internet is particularly useful in this regard because it can bypass censorship and government crackdowns that might prevent the distribution of a traditional newspaper, radio or television report.