News article writing can be tricky at the best of times. There are myriad parameters to consider, and all of them can be subject to change within the next few hours. Couple that with the fast-paced journalism style of today, and you’ve got yourself a full gauntlet of obstacles for writers to hurdle. Luckily, keeping up is a cinch, if you follow these news article writing tips.
Keep It Relevant
Relevance has always been a critical ingredient in writing a news article. However, in this age of fast internet speeds and short attention spans, more emphasis is given on relevance than ever. In news article writing, knowing exactly what to write about is half the battle.
Aside from the obvious candidates — the biggest news stories that have already been covered to death by other journalists – choose to cover stories that you think readers would care the most about. You can also write a side-story to an already big headline, capitalizing on its trendiness while maintaining originality.
Keeping a close eye on trends and any shifts in the current social paradigm are critical in news article writing. Once you know the mood of the public towards certain subjects, you will know exactly what to write about, and what not to.
Keep It Concise
Whatever your news article writing style may be, your content must be completely concise and clear, so as to be easily scannable. Don’t make your readers sit through innumerable lines of text just to get to the good bits. In journalism, this is called “burying the lead”. Do away with the shovel and find yourself a pen.
Many of your readers may be scrolling through your article while on the ride to work or waiting in line at lunchtime. They’re reading your article as a secondary activity, easily dismissed and forgotten. Daunt your reader with huge blocks of text and roundabout descriptions, and they will most certainly do those things. You need to make it your job to prevent that.
Keeping fluff to a minimum is a necessity in concise news article writing. Multiple instances of subheadings, sets of bullets points, and lists would present information in an easily digestible format.
Keep It Interesting
We’ve now arrived at the news article writing technique that sits above all else: maintaining interest in your readers. Depending on your writing skill, this can be quite tricky.
In news article writing, however relevant the topic or comprehensible the writing of your work is, if it lacks the ability to ensnare your readers’ interest, it wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it could be. In order to do this, you must be able to present your news to your readers in a manner that is not only concise and pertinent but also relatable.
To do this, humanize the subject of your story, as much as possible. If, for example, you are writing about the victims of a natural calamity, make sure to document every detail of their account of the events that transpired. When covering a story about a labor strike, try your best to obtain both the side of the protesting employees and the employers.
A big part of news article writing is painting your subjects in such a light that makes them as human and relatable as possible. Readers become more engaged in the story the more it touches upon personal aspects. People want to hear more about how current events affect the lives of the subject individuals. Presenting a bit of that information at the forefront of your article in a somewhat intriguing tone is a surefire way to immediately capture the attention of your readers and draw them in.
Such is the art of news article writing. These modern revisions to classic journalism techniques can be found being utilized by quality content providers from all corners of the internet, including sites such as iPresence Business Solutions and the like. Once you have these tips down, you don’t need to fear falling out of favor with your audience ever again.
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