NEWS

WRITING AND
REPORTING
Let’s talk about …

News Writing
NEWS WRITING…
gives the reader information that
will impact them in some way. It
usually flows from most important
to least important.
“What is news? It is information only.” - Walter
Cronkite, former CBS News anchor
ELEMENTS
OF NEWS
 TIMELINESS
The news happened recently
It’s new, otherwise, we’d call
it “old”
EXAMPLE:
A newspaper that makes a
story about football in
September rather than in
June.
 CONFLICT
War, elections, sports
Anytime that there is
struggle
EXAMPLE:
Former husbands and
wives fighting over who
will win custody of their
children.
 CONSEQUENCE
The subject of a story has
an impact on how people
live their lives.
OIL PRICE HIKE LIKE THIS WEEK
MANILA, Philippines- It looks like happy
days are over for motorists and other
consumer of petroleum.
An oil executive contacted by the Manila
Bulletin revealed that local oil companies
are moving their product prices up this
week.
 PROMINENCE
When it comes to news, people are
not created equal. True, names
make news, but some names make
more news than other because of
their prominence.
EXAMPLE:
New Bruno Mars single “It Will
Rain” from the Twilight Saga:
Breaking Dawn – Part 1
Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack
 PROXIMITY
Closeness, either
because of geographical
proximity or because of
relationship.
A minor dropout problem in
our school is more
important than a major
problem in a school 500
miles away.
 HUMAN INTEREST
“Warm and fuzzy” feeling
These cause the reader to
laugh or cry, to feel
emotion.
•Corazon Aquino, Ex-
Leader of Philippines,
Is Dead
ODDITY
-Weird stuff