Techniques of News Writing

News is an account of current event, idea, or problem that interests people. Any object, event orphenomenon, relationship, behaviour, etc. in the universe may come under the purview of the news. What matters most is the skill of the journalist to extract news from the field and present them to the audience in an interesting manner.

Parameters for effective writing

1. Accuracy : The information should be strictly based on facts.

2. Brevity : The short words and brief sentences are preferred.

3. Clarity : The news should be presented in simple terms using illustrations and attractive style.

4. Credibility : The correspondents should have faith and confidence.

5. Content : The content should be relevant with the realities of the environment.

6. Information : The information should be need based with full detail.

7. Continuity : Care should be taken to provide the information timely and regularly.

8. Compatibility : The news should require least effort on the part of the receiver.

9. Cost : The whole exercise should be economical.

10. Illustrations : Due and proper illustrations should be incorporated to elucidate new things.

News writing techniques

After collecting and selecting the information gathered through different means and from different sources, the news is composed. This process is called news writing. The news writing process can well be divided in to three parts.

1. News heading : A small sentence expressing the context or the fact of the news written on the upper side of the news is called the title or heading of the news. The titles are also called display window of the newspapers. The work of writing heading is very challenging.

Characteristics of heading

a) The heading should be closely related to news so that it can be understood easily.

b) It should capture the interest of the readers.

c) It contains the soul of the news, which obviates the need of reading entire news.

d) It should be brief and expressive.

Guidelines for writing heading

a) Sensationalism should be avoided.

b) It should not be in an interrogative or commanding manner.

c) Present tense is preferably used to describe events that have already happened.

d) It should not be ambiguous.

e) Passive voice is avoided.

f) Auxiliary verbs are generally avoided.

g) There should not be any redundancy of the words.

h) Independent clause is not connected with any conjuction, in stead of semicolan (;) is used.

i) Avoid using adjectives

Writing styles for heading

The heading of the news is written in the following way :

a) Cross line : The small heading of one line written in the full one column of the newspaper is called

‘Cross Line’ or ‘Key Line’

____________________ BAU students on tour

b) Drop line : It is a type of display heading in which there are two or sometimes three lines. These

lines are placed separately from left to right side, one by one, in order. In every line, there is equal

space. Every line has the same length. The Drop line heading is also called “Step Head” or “Staggered

head”.

_________________________ BAU student scores

____________________________ Highest percentile in

____________________________ IIM test, VC congratulates

c) Full line : In this type of heading, all the lines are of equal length. Generally, it is used in newspapers.

It may consist of two or three lines.

_________________________ BAU Scientist gets

_________________________ International award

d) Flush left : Under this style of heading, all the lines from left side are at identical sequence, but on

the right side they end in different order.

_________________________ Officials of District Administration

______________ Opposed bandh,

_________________________ Lathicharged, curfew clammed

e) Inverted Pyramid : Here the top line covers the full length of the column and remaining lines are

successively diminished. In this style, there are three lines and sometimes four lines.

________________________ Government announces

___________________ welfare Schemes

_______________ for the minors

f) Hanging indention : In this type of heading, the first line is equal to the full lenth of the column and

below this there are equal lines but smaller than the first line and aligned right. There are three or

four lines in this heading style.

________________________ On Uttarakhand Movement no

_______________________ decision has been taken in

_____________________ the first stage of conversation

g) Square Indention : This type of heading has four equal lines equal to the length of the column.

h) Others

i) Top Head : The heading of one column on the top of the page

ii) Deck : In the heading which has more than one part, the highest part is called the top deck.

iii) Banner : The main heading covering all the eight columns of the newspaper. It is generally of

one line. It is also called streamer, line or Ribbon.

iv) Spread Head : These headings are presented with special decoration and cover the area of

many columns, but do not take the space of eight columns.

2. Introduction or Intro : The opening paragraph of each news report is called introduction or in brief

it may be called as ‘intro’. In American journalism it is called ‘Lead’. The persons may be having

different writing style. But there is a rule that the entire summary of the news must lie in the opening

paragraph. The journalists, all over the country agree that the ‘intro’ should necessarily be based on

‘5-W’ principles.

What - What happened?

Where - Where the event took place?

When - When did the event took place?

Who - With whom the event took place?

Why - Why the event took place?

i) Single sentence lead : The lead comprises only one sentence.

ii) Multiple sentence lead : In this type, the lead may be composed of several sentences.

iii) Quotation lead : The lead contains direct speech of the person with whom the story is related.

The objective of this type of lead is to draw interest of the readers by quoting important

personalities.

iv) Question Lead : In some situation, the lead is composed by putting some question in order to

highlight the problem situation, and also to draw the attention of the readers.

v) Descriptive lead : The news story is presented in such a manner that readers may imagine in

their mind the place, time view of the fact while going through the news. The excitement,

emotions happiness, sorrow etc –are all intermingled to touch the heart of the readers.

vi) Delayed lead In stead of presenting the news story, the first paragraph is preserved by

suspense and excitement which is conducive to enhance the readers attention and interest.

vii) Dialogue lead : This type of led is written with exact conversation between two persons.

Sometimes it may be between reporter and eminent person with whom the news story is

related or between two eminent personalities.

viii) Staccato lead : Sentences are sequentially arranged in a rhythm which cherish the main fact.

It is just like a collage i.e. a picture made from scraps of paper. This type of lead is applicable

in tragedy which was unpredictable and unbelievable.

ix) Bullet lead : It is constructed with a short sentence that will pierce into the minds of the

readers like a bullet. Generally, radio and television use such type of lead.

3. The remainder or body of the news : Generally the how part is described in the remainder. It

should be presented in a lucid style so that it is understable to the readers. Lengthy sentences and

jargons should be avoided. The write-up should be organised starting from most important and

ending with the least important, in a from of ‘inverted pyramid’.

Most important

Inverted pyramid from

Least important

4. Concluding : The concluding paragraph of a write-up should be such that it leaves an impression

in the minds of the readers.

What makes effective writing?

1. Plan before writing

2. Live writing

3. Write simple and clear

4. Be brief

5. Be specific

6. Illustrate

7. Accuracy

8. Do not preach

9. Practicability

10. Address the reader

11. Quote sources

12. Avoid exaggeration

13. Humane element

14. Checking the draft

15. Good writing style