A quick primer

The Lead

 The first 1-2 sentences that

summarize the most interesting
point of the article.
 Brief yet catchy
 Gives the reader an instant sense of
what the article is about and making
him or her want to read more.
5 W’s and an H

 Who is involved?
 What is the nature of the news
story or event?
 Where is the news or event
taking place?
 When will (or did) the event take
place?
 Why is the story newsworthy?
 How was the matter done?
Don’t use jargons.

 Use a minimum of technical terms

and jargon.
 Explain any jargons clearly and
succinctly.
Use the Inverse Pyramid.

 Most important to least important.

 Don’t write in chronological order.
Use the Inverse Pyramid.
 Chronological:
A faculty meeting was held on Monday in Room
10-250 at 3:00. There were about 150 people in
attendance. The meeting opened with a welcome
by Professor John Doe. Professor Jane Smith then
read the minutes of the May meeting. Following
that, President Charles Vest announced that all
MIT employees will receive a new car on reaching
their 20th anniversary of employment.
Inverse pyramid:
All MIT employees will receive a new car on
reaching their 20th anniversary of employment,
President Charles Vest told a startled faculty on
Monday. Vest made the surprise announcement in
the middle of the faculty meeting in Room 10-250.
Use direct quotations.

 When a speaker says something that

clearly summarizes a point, write
down the exact words and use them
in quotation marks.
 Take notes and paraphrase most of
what the speaker says.
 Try to train your ear to pick up on
isolated sentences that stand out.
 Check with the speaker afterwards.
K.I.S.S.

 Write in short, simple

sentences.
 Avoid using clichés.
 Avoid jargons.
 Don’t use a long word
when a short one will do.
 Use the active voice.
Be objective

 Only the people in your article can

express opinions.
 Factual and written in the third person
("he," "she" or "it" rather than "I" or
"you").
 An article has more credibility if it’s not
trying to “sell” something.
 This is a news article, not an opinion
article, so be sure not to include any
personal opinions.
Check your facts.

 If necessary, have a knowledgeable

person (probably someone you
interviewed) review your article for
accuracy before you submit it for
publication.
 Avoid distortion of information by
being clear and straight to the point.
Keep it short.

 Upcoming event—150 words

 After-the-fact article – 500 words