SCIENCE NEWS

WRITING
DISCUSSION
 SCIENCE NEWS WRITING AS FACTUAL AND OBJECTIVE
 PROVIDE ANWERS TO THE 5 W’S (WHO, WHAT, WHEN,
WHERE AND WHY)
 BASIC NEWS LEADS
 THE ANGLE, THE HOOK, THE NUT GRAPH, ALL THE
DETAILS AND THE ENDING/CONCLUSION
 THE INVERTED PYRAMID
 THE IMPORTANCE OF REWRITING
 HEADLINE WRITING
 TIPS FOR SCIENCE WRITING
SCIENCE NEWS WRITING AS FACTUAL AND
OBJECTIVE
Science Journalism conveys reporting about
science to the public.
Science news writing is writing about a
scientific matter, often in a non-technical
manner for an audience of non-scientist.
The goal of science writing is to communicate
science for the people and to bring impact in
the lives of the citizen through science.
SCIENCE NEWS WRITING AS FACTUAL AND
OBJECTIVE
 CREDIBILITY IS EVERYRTHING WHEN YOU
ARE A NEWS WRITER – ACCURATE,
TRUTHFUL, FAIR AND CRITICAL
 BASIC NEWSWRITING MEANS YOU HAVE TO
KEEP YOUR OWN OPINION TO YOURSELF.
THAT IS TO KEEP YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT
 LACK OF ATTENTION TO ACCURACY
THE 5 W’S
 WHO SAID WHAT TO WHOM?
 WHAT HAPPENED?
 WHEN DID IT HAPPEN?
 WHERE DID IT HAPPEN?
 WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO THE READER?
THE 5 W’S
 WHO SAYS WHAT IN WHICH CHANNEL TO
WHOM AND WITH WHAT EFFECT?
 ALWAYS BE ACCURATE
 CITE YOUR SOURCES (RELIABLE)
THE LEAD
 THE
LEAD IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN
GOOD NEWS WRITING
 FIRSTSENTENCE IN YOUR STORY. TYPICALLY
LESS THAN 25 WORDS LONG. IT IDENTIFIES THE
KEY FACTS AND EXPRESSES THEM CONCISELY
 SIMPLE SENTENCE
 SUMMING UP THE STORY
 LEAVES THE READERS WANTING FOR MORE
THE LEAD
 WHEN YOU TRY TO FIND THE LEAD OF THE
STORY, TRY TO COLLECT ALL YOUR FACTS,
SUM THEM UP AND PULL THEM DOWN
 THE LEAD SHOUD BE COMPELLING, CLEAR,
ACTIVE AND HAVE A RING TO IT.
THE ANGLE
 ASPECT OF THE STORY THAT A JOURNALIST
CONSIDERS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND
DECIDES TO HIGHLIGHT OR DEVELOP
 A NEW TREATMENT AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S
DISEASE/CANCER
THE ANGLE
 WHAT—WHAT IS IT?
WHAT DOES THE TREATMENT DO?
WHAT DOES IT COST?
 WHO – WHO INVENTED IT?
WHO IS HE OR SHE?
OVERALL STATISTICS OF THE NUMBER OF
LIVES SAVED ANNUALLY BECAUSE OF THE
BREAKTHROUGH
PORTRAY A SINGLE PATIENT ABOUT HIS/HER
FIGHT AGAINST THE DISEASE
THE HOOK
 OFTEN PART OF THE LEAD BUT DIFFERENT
FROM THE LEAD IN THE SENSE THAT IT
PROVIDES THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE
STORY TO BE WRITTEN
 IT MAKES THE STORY APPROPRIATE AND
TIMELY
THE NUT GRAPH
 IS A SHORT HAND FOR THE NUT SHELL
PARAGRAPH.
 NORMALLY, IT IS YOUR SECOND PARAGRAPH
IN YOUR NEWS STORY RIGHT BEHIND THE
LEAD
 IT CONDENSES THE WHO, THE WHAT AND
THE WHEN INTO A NUT SHELL.
THE NUT GRAPH
 NUTGRAPHS ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT
TO HAVE WHEN YOU WRITE LEADS TO
CREATE INTEREST RATHER THAN TO
SUMMARIZE.
Example:
THE NUT GRAPH
 THESENUTSHELL PARAGRAPHS ARE VITAL,
YOU NEED TO GET THEM RIGHT WITH ALL
THE ACCURATE NAMES AND TITLES, PLACES
AND WHEN AND WHERES.
THE DETAILS
 ARE IN THE MAIN BOLT OF YOUR TEXT
 THE MEAT OF THE STORY
 THINK OF GOOD ARGUMENTS,
CONTROVERSIES, EVIDENCES, QUOTES,
SUPPORTS, CLAIMS, LOGICS AND POSSIBLE
CONSEQUENCES OF THE FINDINGS.
THE ENDING/CONCLUSION
 ENDINGS ARE ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS THE
LEAD
 CAN BE A GOOD QUOTE OR CATCHY PHRASE
THE WILL LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION TO
THE READERS
THE INVERTED PYRAMID
 STANDARD TEMPLATE IN WRITING A NEWS
STORY.
 THE MOST COMMON WAY BY WHICH
JOURNALISTS PUT TOGETHER ALL THESE
ELEMENTS OF A NEWS STORY.
 IT HELPS YOU TO ARRANGE THE FACTS
QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
THE INVERTED PYRAMID
 ITILLUSTRATES THE ORDER OF IMPORTANCE
 THE WIDEST PART AT THE TOP REPRESENTS
THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL, INTERESTING AND
IMPORTANT INFORMATION THE WRITER
MEANS TO CONVEY TO THE READERS.
 THE LOWER PORTION ILLUSTRATES THAT
OTHER MATERIALS SHOULD FOLLOW IN THE
ORDER OF DIMINISHING IMPORTANCE
THE LEAD
THE BODY
THE TAIL
REWRITING
 REREAD. REWRITE. REVISE. REWRITE. REVISE.
EDIT.
 REREADINGAND REWRITING YOUR ARCTICLE WILL
HELP YOU BECOME MORE CONSCIOUS WITH YOUR
OWN WRITING STYLE.
CITE SOURCES
 CITING
SOURCES IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BECOME
A GOOD SCIENCE NEWS WRITER
 IT
GIVES PROPER ATTIBUTION TO THE SOURCE OF
INFORMATION
 TIPS IN WRITING YOUR SCIENCE
ARTICLE
 Have a clear background story. Make sure ideas
are clearly presented. As early as this part, make
connections to the target audience.
 Follow
the rule “one sentence, one paragraph”
and “one sentence, one idea.” Keep your
sentences simple and short.
 Self-check your sentences one at a time while
writing.
 TIPS IN WRITING YOUR SCIENCE
ARTICLE

 Don’tbe overwhelmed with your own ideas and

with the provided information (fact sheet). Look
for the angle, organize your thoughts and ideas
about the topic supported by the provided
information.
 TIPS IN WRITING YOUR SCIENCE
ARTICLE
 Understand your source. (Fact sheet, interview,
informative videos, etc.) Source attribution is
very important.
 Check and check the facts.
 Be careful with your spelling.
 Avoid
giving opinions. Always be objective or you
may sound like you are editorializing.
 TIPS IN WRITING YOUR SCIENCE
ARTICLE

 Usetransition words effectively and

appropriately.
 Writequotations to break the monotony of
sentences. This will also allow your article to be
more conversational rather than stiff.
 Don’t forget to cite your sources
THANK YOU!