09/16/2024

News Writing
Presented by: nicole heart c. yabut
Introduction Introduction to Journalism | NMU Writing Center, n.d.

What is News Writing?

Journalism or news writing is a prose style
used for reporting in newspapers, radio, and
television. When writing journalistically,
one has to take into account not only one’s
audience, but also the tone in which the
piece is delivered, as well as the ABCs of news
writing: Accuracy, Brevity, and Clarity.
Introduction Chat GPT

What is News Writing?

News writing is a style of writing that
delivers factual information in a concise,
clear, and unbiased manner, typically for
newspapers, magazines, television, radio, or
online platforms. The primary goal is to
inform the audience about current events,
issues, or developments.
News Writing Zamith, n.d.

Sources of News
The term ‘news source ’ refers to any person,
organization, document, or object that
provides information to journalists. This may
include the spokesperson for an international
aid group, an academic, or a regular citizen who
witnessed an event. It may also include press
releases, court filings, or reports published by
interest groups.
News Writing Chat GPT

Sources of news refer to the origins of the

information used in news articles. These can
include:

● Primary sources : Eyewitnesses, direct

participants, official documents, interviews,
press releases.
● Secondary sources : Reports from other
media, research articles, expert analysis.
● Online databases : Public records,
government databases, news archives.
News Writing Dunham, 2021 and Chat GPT

Essentials of News
● Timeliness : Is the event recent or ● Novelty : Is the event unusual or
happening now? out of the ordinary?
● Proximity : Is it happening close to ● Human interest : Is there an
the audience? emotional or relatable aspect?
● Impact : How many people are ● Truth : Journalism must be
affected by the news? grounded in truth
● Conflict : Does the event involve ● Clarity : Writing should be clear
a disagreement or controversy? and specific
News Writing Dunham, 2021 and Chat GPT

Essentials of News
● Completeness : Include all
relevant details and context ● Fairness , Balance , and
● Compelling Storytelling : Responsibility : Report ethically
Engage readers quickly with by considering multiple
strong details and fresh perspectives
information ● Transparency and Honesty : Be
● Tight Writing : Be concise open with the audience
● Precision : Use the most specific ● Real Reporting : Engage in first
and accurate words to convey hand reporting
meaning
News Writing Chat GPT

Elements of News
Who? What? When?
Identifies the people Describes what Specifies the timing
or entities involved happened, giving the of the event, crucial
in the story. It core details of the for determining the
answers who the event or situation. news's relevance and
main characters are timeliness.
and who is affected.
News Writing Chat GPT

Elements of News
Where? Why? How?
Identifies the Describes the
Explains the reasons
location of the process or method by
behind the event,
event, helping the which something
providing
audience understand happened, detailing
background and
the proximity and the sequence of
insight into causes
context. events or actions
or motivations.
taken.
Introduction Introduction to Journalism | NMU Writing Center, n.d.

Principles of Journalism applicable to News

● Accuracy: Ensure that all facts are correct.
● Objectivity: Present information without bias.
● Fairness: Give all sides of a story a voice.
● Transparency: Be clear about sources and methods.
● Accountability: Admit and correct errors when they occur.
News Writing Zamith, n.d. And Chat GPT

Inverted Pyramid Structure in News

In journalism, the inverted pyramid refers to a story structure where the most
important information (or what might even be considered the conclusion) is
presented first. The who, what, when, where and why appear at the start of a story,
followed by supporting details and background information.

The inverted pyramid structure is a common method for organizing news stories,
where the most important information comes first, followed by less critical
details.
News Writing Roberts (n.d.)
News Writing Zamith, n.d. And Chat GPT

Types of News
HARD NEWS (urgency and importance)
● Straight News : Straight news presents timely, fact-based stories on current
events, focusing on relevance, magnitude, and conflict.
● Breaking News: Immediate, unfolding events such as accidents, crises, or
significant announcements.
● Investigative Journalism : In-depth reporting on serious issues like
corruption, crime, or public scandals.
News Writing Zamith, n.d. And Chat GPT

Types of News
SOFT NEWS (entertainment or lifestyle)
● Entertainment Journalism: Covers pop culture topics such as music, films,
fashion, and lifestyle trends.
● Human Interest Stories: Stories that focus on people and their emotions or
experiences, often lighter in tone.
News Writing Zamith, n.d. And Chat GPT

Types of News

FEATURE STORIES (detailed and narrative-driven reports)

● Feature Stories: Use creative storytelling techniques, focusing on in-depth,
often human-interest topics, and written with less emphasis on timeliness.
● Long-form Investigative Stories: These can also fit under feature stories
when they delve deep into a topic, often structured narratively.
News Writing Writing Leads | NMU Writing Center, n.d.

The Lead
A lead is an opening paragraph that gives the audience the most
important information of the news story in a concise and clear manner,
while still maintaining the readers' interest. If a reader does not read
beyond your first paragraph, they should still have an idea of what your
article is about and the most important information from that article.
There are many different strategies for writing a good lead as well as
many differing opinions, but the strongest opinion is that they are hard
and take time. Don't plan on rushing a good lead.
 Library Guides: Citing Sources: What Are Citations and Why
News Writing Should I Use Them?, n.d.

Why Citation is Important?

Citations are a way of giving credit when certain material in your work
came from another source. It also gives your readers the information
necessary to find that source again-- it provides an important roadmap
to your research process .
News Writing Chat GPT

Writing the News Article

1. Choose a Headline: Start with a concise, attention-grabbing headline
that summarizes the main point of the story in a few words.
2. Write the Lead: The lead is the first sentence or paragraph, where you
provide the most critical information by answering the "5Ws and 1H"
(Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How).
3. Develop the Body: Expand on the story by providing more detailed
facts, background information, and context. This section often
includes quotes, statistics, and further explanation to give the reader
a fuller understanding.
News Writing Chat GPT

Writing the News Article

4. Conclude with the Tail: Include less essential details or additional
information that can support the main story but isn’t crucial for
understanding it.

In writing a news article, always aim for clarity, brevity, and

objectivity. Avoid editorializing, which means refraining from
inserting personal opinions or bias into the story.
Thank you NEWS WRITING

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