Great articles start with great preparation. A great article will be written by someone that really knows their subject but there is more to it than that. This blog post will give you some tips on how to write a great journalism article.
Start researching your topic by asking and answering the 5 Ws + H.
- Who - Who is involved?
- What - What happened?
- Where - Where did it happen?
- When - When did it happen?
- Why - Why did it happen?
- How - How did it happen?
Once you have answered the above questions, compile a list of the pertinent facts and information that:
- Must be included in your story
- Is interesting to the story, but not necessarily vital to the story
- Those facts that are related to the story, but not vital and not that interesting
You will want to incorporate all of the facts in the first grouping and the best of the second grouping, while eliminating those from the third grouping. It is the facts and information in the third grouping that will bog down your story.
Opinion or Fact?
After you have assembled your facts (and identified any holes in your facts) ask yourself what type of story you want to write. Is this going to be an opinion article or an unbiased reporting of facts, or something in between? Once you have done this, create a framework for your story.
Don’t Bury the Lead
The lead refers to the first sentence in your story. You can think of a lead like a thesis statement. Readers should be able learn the essence of your story in the first sentence. Many readers won’t make it to the end of your story unless you give them what they want at the start. Creating a strong lead will help commit readers to the story. You can create a strong lead by following these simple rules found in our post Don't Bury Your Lead.
Create a Hook and Revisit the 5Ws
How can your story be different than all other stories written on a similar topic? Look for something that makes your story unique. Do you have a personal connection to the subject matter? Do you know of an expert in the field? Try to interview people and include quotes. Also, try to think about what audience you are trying to reach. Once you have identified your audience, revisit the 5Ws, but this time, in relation to your audience.
Proofread and Double Check Your Facts and Tone
The most interesting and compelling stories will never make it to print if they contain spelling mistakes, typos or bad grammar. One of the best proofreading techniques is to read your story out loud. Reading the story aloud helps you to get a sense of its flow. You will immediately get a sense of whether your story flows easily or needs some work.
Also, double check your facts, names and dates. Writing accurately is one of the best ways to establish yourself as a trusted writer, which will help when you want to get another story published. At this point, double check the tone of your story. If your story is meant to be strictly factual eliminate any opinion. Try to eliminate any vocabulary that is overly positive or negative.
Follow the Citation Guide that is Used by Your Peers
Quotes, sources, and formatting you use should be those that are accepted in the community you are writing to and for.
Writing great articles becomes easier over time. Follow the guidelines given above on how to write a great article and you will get there.
