News Writing Mary Evans sayhello@maryevanswriter.com
What is News? News is… timely An event or something that has happened; a change of policy; a new product or the opinion of a relevant person.
What is News? News… reflects change News is something that makes today different from yesterday.
What is News? News… affects people The biggest news is what affects the largest number of people.
What is News? News is… • Current – this is happening now • Relevant – this affects YOU • Informative – this is what/how/why it is happening • Important – this is something you need to know But above all…
NEWS IS NEW!!
New News Brings us brand new information: OBAMA EATS GERBIL WAR DECLARED ON NORWICH CELLULITE TO BE CRIMINALISED
New News OR… puts a new spin on information we already knew: DISGRACED CABINET MINISTER ‘ALSO KICKED KITTENS’ JORDAN’S LOVE-CHILD: DNA TEST SHORTLIST REVEALED
Is it News? • The Pub Test: Would it make your friends put their pints down? • The Bong Test: Does it fit between the ‘bongs’ on News at Ten? • The Pocket Test: Will it affect the reader’s pocket? • The ‘So What’ Test: Does anybody care?
How to write News • Know your reader • Know what you want to say • Know what will grab their attention
How to write News The Intro A good intro will: • Sum up the story • Contain the most important facts • Be short and punchy • Use emotive words • Appeal to the reader
How to write News The Intro Should always answer: • Who? • What? • How? • Where? • When? • Why?
How to write News The Intro Who? David Cameron / Darth Vader / 1D What? quit / massacred / revealed How? in a wetsuit / bloodily /candidly Where?No 10 / Scunthorpe/ on their blog When?this morning / yesterday / moments ago Why? to swim with dolphins / after a disastrous Butlins holiday / they’re taking holy orders
How to write News The Intro The “six-word” rule The first six words of an intro should: • Be gripping • Grab attention • Contain the crux of the story
The First “Six” Words George Osbourne unveiled drastic tax cuts for badgers last night. Simon Cowell sensationally announced today ‘I will be Pope’.
Intro = In the know If you read nothing else, a good intro has already told you the story.
News story structure The inverted triangle NEWS GETS LESS IMPORTANT the further you go down
News Structure • Most important points first • Reverse chronology • Use relevant quotes • Predict what happens next
News structure The hard news formula: W.H.A.T • What’s the story? • How did it happen? • Amplify the main points • Tie up the loose ends
Using Quotes Quotes are ESSENTIAL to news stories. They provide: • First person (eye-witness) accounts • Expert opinion and/or analysis • Counter-argument (other side of the story) • Veracity – this really happened
Using Quotes “BU TO ACCEPT ORGANS FOR FEES” • Spokesman for BU defending option of kidneys for fee payment • Student who wants to keep their liver • Surgeon/Financier explaining pros and cons of dissecting students
Using Quotes Do: • Be accurate • Take your time taking a quote • Quote sentences out of order • Tidy sentence construction BUT never in a way that changes the sense
Using Quotes Don’t: • Quote out of context • Change sense • Make them up
Editing Quotes “It’s like, yeah, it’s not like I don’t like people from Bournemouth or anything, right, it’s just like I prefer people from Poole, d’ya know what I mean?”
Editing Quotes A Safe Edit: “It’s not that I dislike people from Bournemouth, I just prefer people from Poole.”
Editing Quotes A Potentially Libellous Edit: “I don’t like people from Bournemouth.”
News Headlines A headline should: • Sell the story • Draw the reader in • Use 3 – 5 words (if possible)
News Headlines • Don’t use articles (ie ‘the’ or ‘a’) • Use one name (often surname, tabloids love nicknames) • Use impact words (ie ‘slams’, ‘killer’, ‘shock’)
News Headlines WORLD ENDS TOMORROW iPHONE 5: ‘JUST LIKE 4’ BUDGIE KILLER GETS LIFE EASTENDERS STAR TRIES ACTING
News Writing: Golden Rules • KISS – Keep it simple, Stupid • Write it tight, write it right • Write in the past tense • Find your angle • Don’t bury the lead • Get it right
And Finally… Please bring samples of news stories to your workshops for discussion.
WDP DEADLINES Assignment 1 (Letters and Memos) FRIDAY 19TH OCTOBER @ 12noon Assignment 2 (News story/Press release) FRIDAY 16TH NOVEMBER @ 12noon Hard copies to Student Support (with a top sheet)
