In all likelihood, you might be familiar with news articles. A news article is different than other informative articles because it presents information in a particular way and follows a certain structure as well. If you are interested in setting up your news blog, you must know how to go about writing engaging news articles. We have put together a list of handy tips that will help you to accomplish this goal.
• Select Your Topic
The first step is to decide what topic you want to write about. You may be assigned assignments by an instructor or editor, but, in most cases, you will be responsible for choosing the topic.
We recommend you opt for a topic that interests you on a personal level. It will give you a solid framework and some perspective. However, you must avoid being biased. You have to paint a neutral view. The reason behind this is that the internet is peppered with fake news articles, which are written to support or demean a certain cause or personality for that matter. If you take sides in your news article, people are more likely to reject your news blog thinking you are throwing your weight behind certain propaganda.
• Conduct Comprehensive Research
Before you start writing a news story, you should thoroughly research the topic. To write a credible, well-written, and well-structured news article, it is important to understand the topic as much as possible.
If you’ve ever written a research paper, you may be well-versed with the hard work that goes into learning about your topic.
Start by asking yourself the following questions:
What happened?
Where did the event take place?
Why did it possibly happen?
When did it occur?
Answering all these Ws will waive off a lot of ambiguity and subsequently lead to clarity.
• Get In Touch With Your Sources
It is important to contact the appropriate sources early in order to avoid any hassles. Set up appointments and schedule meetings at least one week in advance. This will make it easier to arrange interviews. You should have at least two primary sources to get reliable information. Make it a point to see the problem from all angles. This will give your article a more balanced perspective.
At the end of the day, your news article heavily hinges upon the credibility and expertise of the source. Therefore, you must be very savvy as far as the selection of sources is concerned.
• Use A Compelling Headline
Writing news articles requires the ability to keep a reader’s interest throughout the entire piece. However, one of the hardest parts is to get them to actually read the story. Your headline is what readers see first and make their mind to skip or stick to it. So the headline should be punchy or answer the question of readers.
• Make A Lead Or Opening Paragraph
The article’s opening paragraph is known as Lead. News articles can often be dull and boring, with many sources and details. Even if you manage to hook up the reader with a compelling headline, you can run him/her away with a boring first paragraph. It speaks volumes about the importance of the opening paragraph. Since the lead sets the tone for the rest of the news article, it has to be an arresting one.
A great lead is something that explains important information to readers in a clear, concise, and understandable manner
• Insert Quotations
Some writers infuse quotations upfront, while others add quotations in the middle of the news article. Regardless of the method, you should place your quotations and identify the key characters in the story using their full names, occupations, and ages.
