What Is News Writing? Retrieved at: https://www.tckpublishing.

com/news-writing/ (05/11/23)

News writing is a type of journalistic writing that describes events by answering basic questions such

as who, what, where, when, and why.

News writing often requires some investigation on the part of the writer, which can include obtaining quotes or data to

make the article as accurate and thorough as possible. This type of writing is usually objective and expository, reporting

and explaining the facts of an event rather than providing an opinion or analysis.

Follow the inverted pyramid.

News stories are typically written using a structure known as the “inverted pyramid.” In this format, the most

newsworthy or important information is placed at the beginning of the article, and the supporting details, or less

critical information, is placed toward the end.

Below are the 3 key elements of the inverted pyramid structure:

 Lead: Start with the most important facts. In journalism, this usually includes the 5 W’s and 1 H, meaning you
should answer the questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how.
 Body: The “body” is what follows the lead. It contains the crucial info, including the “meat” or controversy of your
story, evidence, background, quotes, and other details that support, dispute, or expand the topic.
 Tail: The “tail” contains extra info that might be interesting or related to the main topic. It can also be a concluding
paragraph that contains an assessment by the journalist.

The following is an example of a straight news lede: (lead)

A fire broke out around 3:50 a.m. on Sycamore Avenue Wednesday morning, destroying 12 properties and leaving
20 people without homes. Police are investigating the possibility of arson.

Let’s see how this lead addresses the 5 W’s and 1 H:

What: a fire that destroyed 12 homes

Who: 20 residents who were impacted
Where: Sycamore Avenue
When: Wednesday morning at 3:50 a.m.
Why: The motive is unknown, but police are considering arson.
How: Also not clear, but arson is a strong possibility.

HOW:
I. Lead sentence
Grab and hook your reader right away.
II. Introduction
Which facts and figures will ground your story? You have to tell your readers where and when this story is happening.
III. Opening quotation 
What will give the reader a sense of the people involved and what they are thinking?
IV. Main body
What is at the heart of your story?
V. Closing quotation
Find something that sums the article up in a few words.
VI. Conclusion (optional—the closing quote may do the job)
  Begin by asking yourself the “5 W’s” (sometimes “6 W’s”). [1]
 Who - who was involved?
 What - what happened?
 Where - where did it happen?
 Why - why did it happen?
 When - when did it happen?
 How - how did it happen?

Start with the lead. Begin with a strong leading sentence. News articles begin with a leading sentence that is
meant to grab a reader's attention and interest them. This is one of the most important parts of the piece, so
start with the good stuff when writing a news article. Remember the inverted triangle.

Give all the important details. The next important step to writing news articles is including all the relevant
facts and details that relate to your lead statement. Include the basics of what happened, where and when it
took place, who is involved and why it's newsworthy.

Follow up main facts with additional information. After you've listed all the primary facts in your news
article, include any additional information that might help the reader learn more, such as contact information,
additional facts about the topic or people involved, or quotes from interviews.

 Make sure your news article is complete and finished by giving it a good concluding sentence. This is
often a restatement of the leading statement (thesis) or a statement indicating potential future
developments relating to the article topic.
FEATURE WRITING TIPS AND IDEAS
RETRIEVED AT: https://newsmoor.com/how-to-write-make-a-feature-article-for-students-in-journalism-
pdf/

A feature article refers to a human-interest story in mass media, including newspapers, magazines, blogs, and
websites. It is a journalistic report but not opinion or editorial writing. The fundamental objective of the feature
articles is to educate and entertain people, concentrating on certain people, locations, events, and expertise.
For example, a travel feature article focuses on a particular location and describes why tourists should visit the
place. Additionally, the profile feature article represents a person’s lifestyle, hobby, profession, recognition, and
goal. There are many types of feature articles. The seven most common feature articles in journalism are
profile, travel, round-up, how-to, personal experience, review, and obituary.

Decide on the type of feature you want to write. There are a number of ways to write a feature, depending
on what you want to focus on. Some of these include:
 Human Interest: Many feature stories focus on an issue as it impacts people. They often focus on one person or a
group of people.
 Profile: This feature type focuses on a specific individual’s character or lifestyle. This type is intended to help the
reader feel like they’ve gotten a window into someone’s life. Often, these features are written about celebrities or
other public figures.
 Instructional: How-to feature articles teach readers how to do something. Oftentimes, the writer will write about
their own journey to learn a task, such as how to make a wedding cake.
 Historical: Features that honor historical events or developments are quite common. They are also useful in
juxtaposing the past and the present, helping to root the reader in a shared history.
 Seasonal: Some features are perfect for writing about in certain times of year, such as the beginning of summer
vacation or at the winter holidays.
 Behind the Scenes: These features give readers insight into an unusual process, issue or event. It can introduce
them to something that is typically not open to the public or publicized.

Choose a format for your article. Feature articles do not have a particular formula the way hard
news articles do. You don’t need to follow the “inverted pyramid” style of writing that conveys the
“who, what, where, when and why” of a news story. Instead, choose a more inventive way to write a
story. Some possible formats may include:
 Start by describing a dramatic moment and then uncover the history that led up to that moment.
 Use a story-within-a-story format, which relies on a narrator to tell the story of someone else.
 Start the story with an ordinary moment and trace how the story became unusual.
Outline your article. Start piecing together your article by reviewing your notes, selecting quotes, and drafting
a structure for the article. Start with your introduction and decide how you want to build the article. What
information do you want to reveal first? As you get to the conclusion, think of the overall theme or lasting
impression you want to leave with the reader.

Write a hook to open your story. Your first paragraph is your chance to hook your reader and draw
them into your story. If the opening paragraph is dry or difficult to follow, you will lose your reader and
they won’t continue on to the rest of your story.
 Start with an interesting fact, a quote, or an anecdote for a good hook.
 Your opening paragraph should only be about 2-3 sentences.

Expand on your lead in the second paragraph. While your lead might draw people in, your second
paragraph (and subsequent paragraphs) need to start explaining the reason for the story. Why are we reading
this story? What is important about it?
Show, don’t tell. By writing a feature article, you have the chance to describe people and scenes to the
reader.[3] Describe a setting or person so that the reader can clearly envision it in their mind.