Download Writing a Newspaper Article

Writing a
Newspaper Article
English III
Dream of being a
writer?
In any language, newspapers
employ the greatest number of
writers
Medium through which a single
person can reach millions of
readers
What’s the trick?
The key to writing a successful
article is simplicity
Get to the point and be clear and
quick
General Structure
 Headline
 Byline (by Joe Smith)
 Lead (lede or lead paragraph)
 overview of story (who, where, what, why,
when, how)
 Explanation and amplification
 Additional information
Headline
 The phrase that grabs one’s attention
 Often a noun phrase (no verb)
 Unexpected visit
 Overwhelming response of voters
 Sometimes the confusing noun string
 String of 3 or 4 nouns
 Ford Complaint Customers (helps to read backwards)
 Simple tenses are used instead of continuous
 To + infinitive
 Mayor to visit quake site
 Auxiliary verbs are dropped from the passive
 Dog awarded medal
 Articles (A, an, the) are dropped
 President backs cabinet
The body
 Upside down pyramid
 Facts in order of descending importance
 Unbiased
 Use quotes to demonstrate opposing
opinions or bring in the human element
 No more than three sentences per
paragraph
 Writer must assume reader has no prior
knowledge of the story
Layout
Columns
Newspaper pages (broadsheets
and tabloids) are very wide
Lines span entire width - difficult to
read
Optimize use of available space
Style
 Short sentences
 Facts told in active voice
 Police searched the premises
 Reported speech in passive voice
 It was later revealed that there was evidence of
arson
 Mainly the present tense is used
 Third person point of view (he, she, it,
they)
The Wright Brothers
 Write a short newspaper article using:
 Flying facts
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Orville and Wilbur Wright
17th December 1903
First engine powered controlled flight
Biplane glider made of wood
Weight 274 kg, wingspan 12.3m
Orville piloted first successful flight
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina USA
Chosen for its strong winds, sandy ground and
remote location
 Were inspired by watching birds in flight, felt they
could control a glider the way a bird controls its wings