Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Prepared by
JERRY M. NOVENO
School Paper Adviser
PSHS Bicol Region Campus
What is News?
News is any event, idea
or opinion that is
timely, that interests
WORLD EXCLUSIVES
News consists of
actual persons and
events with nothing
invented.
Balance
It gives proper
emphasis on each
fact in relation to
another fact.
Concise
It is short
enough to
contain the most
important facts.
Timely
It is relevant,
considering
immediacy
or the
newest angle
Attribution
It pertains to proper
acknowledgment by the news
reporter of his/her sources.
Elements of News
STORY
Steps to Writing a News Story
List all your facts.
• Arrange your facts in a descending order,
or from the most important (or most
interesting) to the least important (or least
interesting).
• During the writing process, Always put the
news at the beginning (lead). Write the
lead making sure to play up the most
interesting or important points.
Steps to Writing a News Story
Less
Important
Facts
Least Important
Information
Components of the
inverted pyramid format
Primary or main lead – usually a
single paragraph, it contains the
four “Ws” (what, who, where,
when)
Secondary or support lead – this
portion explains or complements
the main lead.
Components of the
inverted pyramid format
Details or particulars – to give flesh to the
story, all available facts are included here
especially those that would answer “W”
(why) and one “H” (how).
Background – Relevant past events are
recounted and incorporated in this portion
of the story. This portion may be deleted, if
space in the newspaper will not allow, but
still the story can stand.
Things to Remember
• One idea per sentence; if it cannot be done,
it should not exceed three sentences.
• Limiting sentence to not more than 25
words
• Arrange paragraphs in the descending order
of importance.
• Use strong verbs in active voice.
• Reduce difficult words to their simplest
terms.
• Choose precise words.
• Keep it simple.
• Give your source when necessary.
• Show, don’t tell.
• Identify all persons.
• Keep it objective; avoid editorializing.
• Have an angle; play up the dominant
points.
• Quote people.
• Avoid preaching at the end of the story.
• Be accurate and truthful.
• Watch out for errors of fact and grammar.
SAMPLE NEWS ITEM
Considerations in
Writing the Lead
The lead, or opening paragraph, is the most
important part of a news story. With so many
sources of information audiences simply are
not willing to read beyond the first
paragraph (and even sentence) of a story
unless it grabs their interest. A good lead
does just that. It gives readers the most
important information in a clear, concise
and interesting manner. It also establishes
the voice and direction of an article.
Tips in Writing the Lead