Behind a newspaper article lies a complex and tedious process that is often unseen by the reader. From the initial spark of an idea to the final polished piece, writing an article is truly a never-ending process. Between scheduling interviews, the whole writing process, and doing research, all play a crucial role in making any newspaper article great.
Deadlines are a huge part of newspaper articles, because they are typically the first thing a writer becomes aware of. Some deadlines give writers a time crunch depending on the due date. Newspaper students often juggle one or two articles at a time, depending on their deadline, making time management crucial in the writing process. Virginia Walker, a four year newspaper advisor who is now an English teacher, shared how she believes students should handle quickly approaching deadlines. “My suggestion when balancing multiple deadlines is to make a list and set priorities. Tackle the trickiest time tasks first—like getting interviews, which is always hardest because you are working with other people’s time.” She explained, “The next piece of advice is to get out of your own way. Just write that draft and don’t worry about perfection. You’ll clean up your voice and grammar on the revisions.”
This includes online and print articles, which are two completely different types of publications. Online articles are written and edited by newspaper staff and distributed via the internet. Conversely, print articles are written and edited by newspaper staff, but they are distributed in the form of newspapers, giving print stories a more visual identity. Picking a topic that follows print article expectations as well as online story expectations is extremely important, as print articles tend to be more informational and typically discuss school activities, teachers, students or any information that needs coverage. Online articles, on the other hand, can be more versatile and based on something other than school. Sarah Putorti, a senior staff writer, shared how she comes up with story ideas for online and print. She said, “I pick my topics by starting to think of international issues, because that is the way I think. I start with an international issue, and then I think of how it can connect to the community. I tend to localize my ideas and ask myself what is going on in my clubs and going on around school, and then I just think of ways that I can make that into a story idea. Typically for online stories, I think more on the fun side. For print, I think of a bigger picture—like what are things people want to know more about or want covered?”
In the beginning stages of writing a newspaper article, it is important to find a topic that you are passionate about and a topic that has been pitched and approved by your editors. It is important to keep in mind that writers want to choose something that resonates with the reader and has a good plot that keeps the story flowing. Planning is equally important. You cannot have an article without a fully developed angle and a completed outline with your plan of action. In the outline, it is expected of the writer to have three to four people that you would like to interview with planned questions in advance.
Interviews add emotion and information to the article while helping the reader understand things from others perspectives, without being biased. Asking good questions and following up with your interviewee in a timely manner is a crucial skill. Putorti shared what she has learned from interviewing people and how it has made her a better writer. “For interview skills, it is important not to ask yes or no questions,” she stated. “Most of the time, people that you interview are going to be very good at answering the questions, but I have had trouble in the past with people answering with one word answers. When they give responses like that, you have to think on the spot for follow-up questions with things that you don’t necessarily anticipate, so you have to learn how to be quick witted. I think it is important to treat an interview like a conversion. I have learned how to talk to people, be professional and follow up when needed.”
Before starting to write, the writer must have a headline. The headline tells the reader what the story is about and is brief, containing a subject and a verb. Bylines follow, containing the name of the writer and sometimes the dateline and where the story was written. Starting your article with a captivating lead will hook the reader and set the tone for the entire story. It is the first sentence that gives the key facts of the story (who, what, where, when, why and how). The lead should be accurate, easy to understand and be appealing to the reader. Avoid leads that are vague and do not state the outcome. It is a short and effective way to get the flow of your story going. Putotori shared how she starts her article off with a captivating lead. She said, ¨To start my article, I start with an outline and mark off what I want in each of the paragraphs. When it comes to introductions, if it is a basic news story, I like a quick write-into-it hook. For a feature story, I go for a more dramatic hook or a statistic.¨
Body paragraphs are the next steps to success. Body paragraphs are the middle paragraphs of the story, adding more detail that has not already been covered in previous paragraphs or the lead. These paragraphs are written in “Inverted Pyramid Style.” The Inverted Pyramid puts the most important information first and includes additional details in order of importance (most to least). Depending on the length of your story, the amount of body paragraphs in your article may vary. While writing, keep in mind your word count. Try not to exceed your desired word count; this can lead to a prolonged editing process. Walker shared what students should and should not do when writing body paragraphs. ¨For writing body paragraphs, use topic sentences. Let the reader know what each paragraph will be about. Use transition phrases to logically link ideas. Don’t forget that it’s okay to have short paragraphs. Readers benefit from the pause and white space created by paragraphs; it lets their mind prepare to take in a new idea in subsequent paragraphs,” she shared.
Wrapping up a newspaper article effectively is crucial to leave a lasting impression on the reader. A strong conclusion should summarize the key points discussed, provide a final thought or call to action, and leave the reader with something to contemplate. By doing so, the article not only conveys its message clearly, but also engages the reader until the very end, ensuring that the information presented is both memorable and impactful.