Writing a News Article:

1. Together, you must decide what to write about. You might want to choose to write about
something that has happened or is happening at the moment. This gives you
somewhere to start even if you change some of the facts.
2. Before you write your first draft, you should be aware of the parts that make up a news
report.
Headline or Title: The title of your news article should be catchy (catchattract people!s
attention" and to the point (concise".
#$amples%
&ost dog finds his way home
'ebate tonight in (asper )all
*anel chooses + essay winners
Byline: This is your names andorgroup name, The byline is the names of the writers.
Placeline: Where the story begins (see e$ample story"
Lead: The lead is the first paragraph, but it is written to provide a detailed preview of the
entire story. -t summarizes the story and includes all of the basic facts. This should
have most of the 5Ws (Who, Where, What, When, Why and How". The lead will help
readers decide if they want to read the rest of the story, or if they are satisfied knowing
these details. .or this reason, the lead may contain a hook (i.e. something to entice readers
to continue reading".
The Story: /nce you!ve set the stage with a good lead, you follow up with a well0written
story that contains facts from 1!your research!! (you can invent this" and 2uotes from people
you!ve interviewed. 3uotes from people add accuracy and add an 4at the scene5 feeling.
6hen you 2uote you can use direct speech% 1-!ve never seen anything like it!, said one of the
bystanders, or reported speech% /ne of the bystanders stated that he had never seen
anything like that. 7lso, using a variety of reporting verbs helps to make the story more
interesting and readable.
The article should not contain your opinions.
'etail any events in chronological order. 8se active voice9avoid passive voice when possible.
-n a news article, you would typically put the most critical information in the early
paragraphs and follow with supporting information, background information, and related
information. To decide what is most important, imagine your editor might cut the end of your
story because there!s not enough space in the newspaper for it all. You need to have the key
facts at the beginning, unimportant details can go at the end and it won!t matter if they!re
cut out.
:ource% http://homeworktips.about.com/od/paperassignments/a/How-To-Write-A-News-
Article.htm
Source:
http://schools.peelschools.org/sec/lornepark/SiteCollectionDocuments/EQAO/
OSSLT%2StED!"riting%2A%2#e$s%2%eport.p&'
#e$s %eport ( An e)ample
Car thief caught trapped in target vehicle
*im Da+, Sun-o$er .roup
"e& /e0 21, 22
CA#3E%%A ! A 0ungling Australian car thie' $as caught
a'ter acci&entall+ locking himsel' in the 4ehicle he $as
tr+ing to steal, $hich $as parke& in the garage o' a pri4ate house, police
sai&
on "e&nes&a+.
5olice $ere calle& to a house in A&elai&e a'ter t$o thie4es $ere hear& tr+ing
to steal the car. On arri4al the+ $ere 4er+ surprise& to 6n& a 17!+ear ol&
man hi&ing insi&e the 4ehicle. 8The man, $hile 0reaking into the car, ha&
locke& himsel' insi&e the car an& coul&n9t get out,8 South Australian police
sai&, a&&ing that a secon& thie' $as 'oun& hi&ing in near0+ 0ushes.
3oth men ha4e 0een up in 'ront o' the :u&ge $ho tol& them, ;<#e4er 0e'ore
ha4e = come across t$o more stupi& people. = imagine that +our a&4enture is
not one +ou $ill 0e telling an+one o' +our 'ello$ prison mates $hile +ou get
to kno$ them o4er a si) month perio&.<<
To&a+, 0oth men $ill 0e trans'erre& to the prison $here the+ are to ser4e
their > month sentence.

Headlin
e
3+line!?names o' autors or group
name@
5lace line
Lead
catches reader
interest
introduces topic
has most
important info
answers most of
the 5Ws
The Aain 3o&+! organiBe& into
paragraphs