The Basics of Written Newa: The 5 W’s + 1 H
How do you write a news story? News writing follows a basic formula; there
are key elements every news story follows. While styles can diverge more
dramatically depending on the kind of story -– a feature story may look and
sound very different than a hard news one -- all news stories are cut from the
same mold. The first element of news writing is, of course, to deliver the
news.
Most people have heard of the 5 W’s, even if they’ve never taken a
journalism class. The W’s in question, as you probably know, refer to the Who,
What, When, Where and Why that every story should address. Depending on what
the story is, how and when you answer those W’s may change. If, for example,
you’re reporting on a drive-by shooting in a city, you’ll likely start with
where the crime happened (what street or area of town for the local paper) and
who was involved (if you don’t have names, or the people are regular citizens,
you might refer to notable affiliations if, say, the victim and presumed
perpetrator were gang members).
Figuring out what details to give a reader, and when, is key in constructing
a story. The answer, of course, depends on the facts. If you’re working on the
above story, and the murder happens to be one of a string of similar crimes,
that may be the point you open the story with. If, however, the above story
revolved around someone of note being shot, that might be what you start your
piece with. (A story about a notable name being shot is a very different story
than one about a private. The latter might speak more to ongoing local violence
while the former is a story in and of itself -- X person has been killed and
here’s what X person was known for.)
Tips on Writing a News Report
Readers need to know the facts and who or what may be affected by them. Related
stories and background information make up the context and the emotional parts
of the story show the human side of it.
Following are tips on writing a compelling and gripping news report.
- Facts: The
facts will answer the: who, what, when, where, why, and how of the news
event. A writer has a responsibility to make sure his facts are accurate.
If you have to write a report before you get all the facts, then say that
in the report.
- Style:
When writing a news report, use the active voice. The active voice is more
understandable and has more impact. Make short, concise sentences with action verbs. Your language needs to
be simple and not have extra words that don’t really contribute to the
focus of the story. For example, the weather or how someone is dressed
doesn’t need to be included unless it has a bearing on the overall story.
While you are writing, try to anticipate any questions a reader might have
while reading your story.
Writing a Good Lead
The lead is the first few sentences of the story. It needs to be strong so
it will grab the readers and make them want to read more.
- If it is a
hard news story, which is the breaking news or up-to-the-minute news, then
you include as many facts as you can in the summary of the story.
- If it is a
soft news story, which is a human interest story or background information,
then you put the facts in the body of the story.
Leads need to tell the reader what the story is about and why it is
important. The lead tells the reader why he should read the story. It needs to
sound like you are having a conversation; that you are telling a friend about
the latest news.
Some errors that are found in leads include the lead having more than one
main idea. When this happens, the reader is unclear as to what the story is
about.
- Some leads
are lifeless, and need some tension or something that pushes the reader to
read on, like dangling a carrot in front of a hungry rabbit.
- Leads are
sometimes dull and predictable. It’s good to make the reader smile or be
surprised sometimes.
Lastly, leads can exclude certain readers if they are full of jargon.
Make sure the news report is suitable for everyone to read.
