Writing newspaper articles

Structure:

Begin with basic information and try to answer the questions.

– Who or what are you writing about?

– What happened?

– Why did this happen?

– When did it happen?

– How and where did the events take place?

Write objectively:

Write from an observer’s point of view without the personal pronouns “I” or “me”.

Facts vs. opinion:

It will be fact that an apartment building has burned down but only opinion as to how the fire started. Eyewitness reports may be used to add weight to theories. If a statement cannot be checked as fact, it may be reported in the following manner:

“According to a witness at the scene, the driver appeared to lose control of the car.”

Transition:

Every phrase, sentence or paragraph should flow from the preceding one and carry the reader smoothly from one thought or event to the next. Some useful words to aid the transition are:

also, thus, since, likewise, however, another, meanwhile, accordingly, subsequently, furthermore, etc.

And finally – remember The Kiss Principle: Keep It Short and Simple.