First,
read through your handouts, and make sure you cut out all the baloney. Look for multiple news possibilities and select the one that has more interest for your readers. A bit of planning before you begin writing always pays off. Rarely does the enrollment or other extraneous information fit into the news story, feature or editorial.
Second,
underline or somehow determine what information is most important. Usually, you will find this categorized into answering Who, What, When, Where and Why. Decide on who to quote, depending on their authority and credibility. Often, a student with an opinion may be considered, make sure the student has credibility and authority. Look for the "players" in the story line. Scratch out stupid quotes. Pay attention to the "Additional Information.
Third,
prepare your copy as neatly as possible. Write your lead -- making sure you have the news peg. Use the Transition/Quote approach to develop the story -- this may mean to break long quotes into a paraphrase and a direct quote. Although the judges are instructed to not judge on spelling, grammar, etc., it certainly makes an impression on the judge to see a carefully prepared story. And it helps if the judge can decipher what you have written. Skip lines.
News
• Zero in on the main news idea. Cut out all extraneous material and build story on the main idea. • Usually, advance information is more important than past. Be sure to make your most salient point the lead.
• Click here for help with spelling, punctuation and grammar
• Select sources to quote on the main idea. These should be authorities and leaders, not just somebody off the street.
• Look for conflicting ideas. This may be your story. But don't get led in the wrong direction. Avoid wordiness.
• The lead paragraph or two should grab the reader. Don't back in. Questions or direct quotes in the lead usually are not the best approach.
• The bridge or nut graph should get into the meat of the story; the news peg.
• Use summary-quote approach in the body of your article.This usually means you might introduce a source with a paraphrase, then follow with a dirrect quote by the same person. It makes sense to introduce the source before you let the source speak, doesn't it?
• Be sure to use attribution ("said" is best in news) and accurately identify the person in first reference.
• This means that you should introduce the "speaker" before having the quoted information. In subsequent references, use last name only without courtesy title. Summaries should draw things together. Often these can be observations by the writer, but not judgments.
• "According to" should be used only for references to printed material. Avoid "feel" and use "believe" or "think" or "said." Avoid overly dramatic synonyms for "said." Make sure the speaker really "shouted" or "whispered" or "cooed." Get the idea? Save these for feature writing, if at all.
• Quotes should be relevant, provocative, colorful or answering questions "why" or "how". Be sure not to use quoted material that you have used in a summary statement. This is needless repetition. Also try to weave biographical information into the story without quotes. The University of Texas graduate said instead of "I attended the University of Texas at Austin."
PITFALLS -- Avoid editorializing. Keep yourself out of the story (our school, for example). Watch your handwriting; make sure it's legible. Avoid long paragraphs -- one idea per paragraph works. Watch misspelling of names. Don't try to use ALL the information
News Values
Writing Leads
Reporter Checklist
Features
• Zero in on the feature. What is odd or unusual, what is ironic, what is human interest? This is the nut graph or salient point of the story. This is why this is being printed or uploaded. For example, a student is being honored by City Council as a "hero." That fact should be high in the story; then, tell about his heroics. Use the summary-quote approach. No one likes to see a bunch of quotes stuck together.
• Paraphrase some that can handle it.
• Spell names correctly, and get titles and other explanatory information correct.
• Use a tie-back ending. This means tie back to the beginning. This takes the story full circle, and your reader should have experienced a "visual journey." If you can't figure out how to tie it back, use a good quote that leaves the reader "satisfied." But avoid editorial comment or congratulatory type information.
• Avoid personal references: "our own Jones" or "Leaguetown's finest."
Editorials
• The opening should state the issue and your newspaper's opinion.
• Give opposing views and then select one to support.
• Quotes add little to your argument, usually. Paraphrase what the person says and use it as an argument either for or against. Instead of "junior John Jones thinks the plan is silly," use "some students questioned the workability of the plan."
• Take a strong stand on the issue. Don't weasel out.
• Urge action by your readers, if possible. "Attend the board meeting and urge defeat of this plan." Or, simply state: "This plan should not be enacted."
• Check your facts before you hand in paper, spelling of names, especially. Cut out extraneous, unneeded words, especially adjectives and adverbs. Keep it simple; express, not impress. You may have a strong vocabulary, built on years of learning big words, but this is no place for pomposity (affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important : a pompous ass who pretends he knows everything.)
Headlines
• Work to get strong active voice verbs into the headline. Instead of "Rule to be enacted by board" use "Board will enact rule to ..."
• Don't use articles: the, a, an . . .
• Headlines need to say something.
• They should be clever while not being silly, and they should be as near count as possible. That means in a three-line head, each line should the same length, if possible.
• You need to use attribution when the reader may be confused about where the information comes from.
• Use present tense unless the event is in the future. Past tense usually isn't used except in historical-type articles.
• Then, use either the infinitive or the verb "will."
• Avoid questions.
• Avoid punctuation unless it is needed (comma, semicolon or colon). Comma is needed for attribution, colon may be used if appropriate and semi-colon, if appropriate.
• No need for exclamations since people rarely exclaim in real life. Acceptable after the word "Fire!"