Qualities of News

The reporter has to write all the

Fairness and
specific facts correctly, fairly and
accurately and objectively. He has to

Balance
put all the facts together in a manner
that his report conveys the correct and
factual impression.
 The facts you need to check:

a. Names and their spelling

b. Their school designations
c. Incident details, In case it is an accident, you must
know the exact number of people who were
injured or killed.

Accuracy
d. Statements: The quote reported in the news report
must be accurate and in context. It should not be
misinterpreted to imply another meaning.
e. Scientific names if it is a science story, you must
make sure that all scientific names are correctly
spelt and explained
f. Number of runs or goals if it is a sport story, then
you must make sure that the number of runs made
or goals scored is mentioned accurately.
 Attribution is stating who said
something. All news reports, with a few
Attribution exceptions, must be sourced. This
ensures that you are injecting both facts
and opinions, but the opinions are not
yours.
The source can be identified as follows:
Individual Organization

An individual who witnessed an Do not forget to attribute the

accident or survived an earthquake,
can be quoted by name as an
eyewitness.
statement to a spokesperson
authorized by an organization to
brief the media on its behalf. An
organization in the school may be
the Parent Teacher Association, The
Faculty Club, and others.
Brevity and Write short sentences, short paragraphs
and short articles without missing
Clarity important facts. Use simple words.
 You can entertain, inspire, educate and
sometimes earn the ire of your readers.
Look for some opportunities to instill

Style
your own writing style but always
remember to follow the guidelines in
writing news articles.
First Five Formula for an Inverted Triangle
News Story
1. Effective lead, focused, short, memorable
2. A second paragraph that amplifies the lead
3. A third paragraph that continues to build detail
4. Additional details in decreasing importance
5. Power quote: an interesting quote that propels meaning, not just a fluffy
quote that gets in the way
The Do’s of News Writing Style
1. Omit needless words
2. Be sparing with adjectives but lavish with verbs
3. Beware of your special words
4. Simplify words
5. Remember your signposts
The Dont’s of News Writing Style
 This can be described in writing the
way that one would speak.

Avoiding contractions is also included

in the ambit of colloquialism.

Colloquialism In news writing, limit the use of

subjective pronouns.

Do not use vague words.

 This means that the writer uses many
words where few would do.
Circumlocution is basically a figure of

Circumlocution
speech where the meaning of a word or
a phrase is indirectly expressed through
several or many words.
 This can be syntactical or semantical.

Ambiguity can be either intentional or

unintentional. Intentional ambiguity
may be used to mislead a reader or
might be necessary due to the context
Ambiguity or subject matter. Unintentional
ambiguity, on the other hand, should
always be avoided and can be with care
and practice.
 These are the phrases that have been
exhausted to the point where they have
Clichés completely lost originality.
 These are expressions that are too
pompous and use too colorful
Grandiloquence language.