News Writing

MA. AIZA S.P. SANTOS

SHS Teacher III
Salapungan National High School
 ●
gives the reader factual
information that will affect
them or interests them in
News some way.
Writing Informative
Interesting
Factual
NEWS WRITING

• News provides readers with all of the

five W’s and H, usually in the lead or
near the top of the story.
NEWS WRITING
• Leads should begin most often with the what, why,
or who (if interesting or well-known), NOT with
when or where, which are usually the least
interesting elements.
• But where do you go from there?
NEWS WRITING
• Leads should begin most often with the what, why,
or who (if interesting or well-known), NOT with
when or where, which are usually the least
interesting elements.
• But where do you go from there?
Let’s talk about news
writing structure.
 Advantage: Disadvantages: It
It condenses can get repetitive.
information It might discourage
efficiently, you from a more
letting readers creative lead.
understand the It can get bogged
basics of what down with facts and
happened details.
quickly and
easily.
 ●
The next structure is a
modification of the inverted
News pyramid that allows for
more flexibility and is easy
Writing for beginning journalists to
use.
 ●
Use the Lead-Quote-
Transition - Quote
News (L-Q-T-Q) model for most of
Writing your work in journalism.
 ●
Quotes should be linked to
the paragraph before them.
Direct The quote should elaborate
Quote on the previous paragraph.
 ●
A transition
Transition paragraph,
adding details.
 ●
elaborates on previous
Another transition
Direct
Quote
 More (Each quote is linked
with a transition
Transitions
above and below it.)
and Quote
 ●
Should not repeat the
transition before them.
For example:
Direct
●

●
Supt. Castro said most of the victims
Quotes ●
were senior citizens.
“Most of victims were senior
citizens,” Supt. Castro said.
 ●
Quotes can be longer than
one sentence.
Put the attribution after the
Direct
●

first sentence of the quote.

Quotes (In other words, break the
quote in half with the
attribution in the middle.)
 ●
Quotes can be longer than
one sentence.
Put the attribution after the
Direct
●

first sentence of the quote.

Quotes (In other words, break the
quote in half with the
attribution in the middle.)
 ●
Attribution should be: Noun
then verb.
For example:
Direct
●

●
Correct – Col. Rodriguez said.
Quotes ●
Incorrect - said Col. Bob
Rodriguez.
 ●
Do not place two people’s
direct quotes next to each
other without a transition.
Direct ●
Do put two consecutive
Quotes direct quotes from the same
person.
 ●
ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
●
Hold the story together.
●
Link the paragraphs,
Transitions building bridges of
understanding for your
readers.
●
Provide organization and
flow.
SOME TIPS ON NEWS WRITING
1. One idea per sentence.
2. Limit sentence length to not more than 25 words.
3. Follow the subject-verb-object format.
4. Use strong verbs and an active voice.
5. Reduce difficult words to their simplest terms.
SOME TIPS ON NEWS WRITING
6. Choose the precise word.
7. Keep it simple.
8. Give your source when necessary.
9. Identify all persons.
10. Keep it objective
SOME TIPS ON NEWS WRITING
11. Have an angle.
12. Quote people.
13. Avoid preaching at the end of the story.
14. Be very careful.
15. Read various types of news stories everyday.
THANK YOU!