How to Write Newsworthy Articles
News is a form of information that is published in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and online. The main purpose of News is to inform and educate your readers, listeners or viewers. News should be accurate and well written. It should avoid opinion and bias.
It is important for journalists to be open to new ideas and ways of thinking and to consider world views that are different from their own. This is part of the process that leads to informed citizens and a more informed society. This requires a level of curiosity and openness that can also be emotionally draining at times.
In order for a story to be newsworthy it must meet the following criteria: new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. An event must have some impact on the lives of your audience and it should be something that is not likely to happen again. A story can have one of these criteria or all of them, but it is the combination that makes a story newsworthy.
As a writer it is also your responsibility to be fact checked and to ensure that what you are reporting is correct. If you can find multiple sources that confirm the same facts it is a good idea to report them. This helps to build reader trust.
People are bombarded with information and news stories through 24-hour news stations, social media and websites. It can be overwhelming, so it is important to keep in mind that your audience wants to be informed, but they don’t want to be bogged down with too much information. A long story with winding sentences and tangents can be off putting and lead to readers tuning out altogether. When writing a news article it is important to include the most relevant information and place it at the top of your piece. This is called putting your best foot forward and is a good rule of thumb to follow for all writing, but especially in News.
It is also a good idea to read your article out loud as it will help you with sentence structure, phrasing and flow. This will also allow you to see if any parts of the article need to be edited for clarity. You can also get a good feel for how your audience will consume the News by asking them where and how they do it. For example, ask a teacher or friend you respect where they get their News and what news apps they use. It is also a good idea to sign up for enewsletters that provide you with a short overview of the most important news. This is a great way to consume the News without having to sift through websites and social media. A few examples of these are The Skimm, New York Times The Daily and Today Explained.