Journalism - Five Easy Rules For Successful Newspaper Writing

Writing for newspapers is different than writing for magazines, blogs, and websites. Rules governing journalism writing keep the interest of the reader as they navigate through a story. The rules, however, are simple to follow.

Here are five basic rules that can lay the foundation for your journalism success:

1) Create an attention-grabbing lead. The lead helps the reader determine if he is going to stick with the article. Making it boring will have the reader searching for more somewhere else. A good way is to start with a question. The reader might want to keep reading to get to the answer.

2) Get to the point. Now that you have the reader's attention, keep it. Travelers usually take the shortest and fastest way to their destination. Newspaper readers want the same thing. Try to write sentences in the smallest amount of words possible. The longer the sentences, the more likely you will extinguish the reader's interest. Keep pounding them with hard-hitting sentences, and they will take the reader all the way to the end of the article. Leave the "colorful" writing to magazines.

3) Avoid unnecessary words. Example: If you write "the ambulance took him to a nearby hospital," cut out the word nearby. Is the ambulance going to take him to the furthest hospital? Probably not. Let's just assume the reader knows this. Remember, the less amount of words used, the better.

4) Let the newsmakers tell the story. Use quotes whenever someone says something memorable or contains technical expertise that the reader knows didn't come from your mind. It adds credibility to the story, and also saves your reputation if controversial statements are made. You didn't say it, they did!

5) End with a bang. Just like you started the story with an attention grabbing lead, you should bring the story around full circle. Doing so will make the reader feeling like they got their fill with the article. If you started the story with a question, maybe you can reveal the answer.

Even though writing for newspapers requires learning certain rules, it is easy to write interesting stories that will launch your successful newspaper writing career.

Journalism 100 - News Article Writing Crash Course

Writing a news article is a bit different than maybe an English essay. Whether you're a newbie to news scene, or the rusty old journalism major, here is a good crash course in news writing.

First of all, a news article always begins with a lead. A lead is the first sentence, and tells the entire story in 25 words or less. A lead answers: who, what, when, where, why and how. Not all questions are applicable to every story, so not every lead will answer all of them.

Once you have a lead, write the rest in inverted pyramid. News articles are written like an upside down triangle. The most important details are first, trickling down to the least important by the end.

Inverted pyramid serves two purposes. First, readers are pressed for time. They may have to walk away at any second. By giving the most important details first, they will still have gotten the story even if they can't finish your article. Secondly, in the land of publishing, advertising is king. If an advertiser wants more space, layout designers don't have time to rewrite your article to make the ad fit. Instead, articles are written so the last few lines can be cut and not kill your piece.

Tips:
Remember: K.I.S.S = Keep it Simple Stupid. News articles are written at an eighth grade level. Don't use a big word when a small one will do.

1. Study news articles. Websites like MSN, AOL, and Yahoo have great feature articles. Read them regularly.

2. Pay attention to the way they are structured and try mimic their rhythm and tone.

3. Write tight. This means, be concise. Feature stories allow more creativity, but mainly, journalism is about space. Say as much as possible, in as little space as possible. Don't use two words when one will do.

4. Get an AP Style Manual. News articles are written in AP Style. A style manual will answer any technical questions you may have.