lcome to the world of
urnalism, where
porters have been
gging dirt, raking muck,
king headlines and
adlines for centuries
w. It’s a history full of
bloid trash, of slimy
nsationalists, of
runkards, deadbeats and
mmers” (as a Harvard
iversity president once
scribed reporters).
But it’s a history full of
roes, too: men and
men risking their lives
tell stories of war and
agedy, risking
prisonment to defend
ee speech. And as you
n see here, reports have
come beloved characters
p culture, too, turning up
movies, comics and TV
ows as if guided by an
cult McGraw-Hill
hand.
Every culture seeks
constantly evolving,
dramatically. The typi
effective ways to spread
reflecting and shaping its
newspaper of 1800 wa
new information and gossip. culture.
undisciplined mishma
In ancient times, news was
Others see it as an
legislative proceeding
written on clay tablets. In
inspiring quest for free
long-winded essays a
Caesar’s age, Romans read
speech, an endless power
secondhand gossip. B
newsletters compiled by
struggle between Authority 1900, a new breed of
correspondents and
(trying to control
tor had emerged. Jour
handwritten by slaves.
information) and the People had become big busin
Wandering minstrels spread (trying to learn the truth).
Reporting was becom
news (and the plague) in the Which brings to mind the
disciplined craft. And
Middle Ages. Them
cameHarrower
words of A.J. Liefling:
newspapers were bec
Tim
ink on paper. Voices on
“Freedom of the press is
more entertaining and
airwaves. Newsreels, Web
guaranteed only to htose
essential than ever, w
sites, And 24-hour cable
who own one.”
most of the features w
news networks.
In the pages ahead, we’ll expect today: Snappy
Thus when scholars
take a quick tour of 600
headlines, Ads, Comic
analyze the rich history of
years of journalism history, Sports pages. And an
journalism, some view it in from hieroglyphics to
“inverted pyramid” sty
terms of technological
hypertext: the media, the
writing that made stori
progress—for example, the message and the politics.
tighter and newsier.
dramatic impact of bigger,
Technical advances and
Radio and television
faster printing presses.
brilliant ideas forged a new brought an end to
Others see journalism as
style of journalism. It was a newspapers’ media
a specialized form literary
century of change, and
monopoly. Why? Well
expression, one that’s
newspapers changed
did yo
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc. yourself:
All rightsWhich
reserved.
Inside Reporting
3
Newswriting basics
Slide 2
Newswriting basics
Just the facts
The five W’s
The inverted pyramid
Beyond the basic news lead
Leads that succeed
After the lead…what next?
 (continued)
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 3
Newswriting basics
(continued)
Story structure 
Rewriting 
Editing 
Newswriting style 
Making deadline 
66 essential tips 
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 4
Just the facts
You must try to be objective.
Truthful. Fair.
 Good reporters
respect integrity
of facts.
 Facts tell the
story.
 Readers draw
their own
conclusions.
McGraw-Hill
Where do opinions
belong in a
newspaper?
• Most newspaper stories can
be placed on a continuum.
• Ranges from rigidly
objective (breaking news)
to rabidly opinionated
(movie reviews).
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 5
The five W’s
Facts usually fall into
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 6
The five W’s
The WHO
The WHAT
 Readers love
stories that focus
on people.
 WHO keeps it
real.
• Who’s involved?
• Who’s affected?
• Who’s going to
benefit?
• Who’s not going to
benefit?
McGraw-Hill
 WHAT gives news
its substance.
• Stories become dry
and dull if they focus
too much on WHAT.
• Need WHO.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 7
The five W’s
The WHEN
The WHERE
 Timeliness essential
to every story.
• When events
happened or will
happen.
• How long they lasted
or will last.
 The closer the
event, the more
relevant it is for
readers.
 Many stories
require
supplements.
• Map
• Diagram
• Photo
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 8
The five W’s
The WHY
The HOW
 Finding
explanations
difficult.
 The WHY is what
makes news
meaningful.
McGraw-Hill
 Often requires
detailed
explanation.
 Sometimes
omitted to save
space.
 Readers love
“how-to” stories.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 9
The inverted pyramid
Newswriting format summarizes
most important facts at story’s start
This is the lead, which summarizes the
story’s most important facts
This paragraph adds more details or
background
This paragraph adds even
more details
This adds more
details
More
details
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 10
The inverted pyramid
The typical news story uses the
inverted pyramid
 Summarize first.
So should you
use this format
• Explain later.
 Resolve everything in for every story?
• Gets repetitive.
the beginning.
• Doesn’t always
 Allows editors to trim
organize story
stories from bottom.
material
logically.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 11
The inverted pyramid
Why writing a good lead actually
matters to readers
 If a story takes too long
to make sense…
 Readers flee like rats
from a sinking ship.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 12
Remember the PTA lead?
The Parent-Teacher Association of Cornelis Banta School held its regular monthly
meeting Tuesday evening in the school cafeteria, for the election of officers for the
coming year, with Mrs. Noah ten Floed, president, in the chair. The nominating
committee proposed Mrs. Douwe Taleran for president, Mrs. David Demarest for
vice president, and Mrs. Laurens van Boschkerken for secretary-treasurer. It was
moved and second that the nominations be closed.
Mrs. Gianello Venutoleri arose and said that she wanted to nominate Mrs. Nuovo
Cittadino, Mrs. Giuseppe Soffiate, and Mrs. Salvatore dal Vapore. Mrs. Ten Floed
ruled Mrs. Venutoleri out of order. Mrs. Venutoleri appealed to the parliamentarian.
Miss Sarah Kierstad, who sustained the chair.
Mrs. Venutoleri took a small automatic pistol from her handbag and shot
Mrs. Ten Floed between the eyes. Constable Abraham Brinkerhoff came
and escorted Mrs. Venutoleri to the county jail. The body of Mrs. Ten Floed
was removed to Van Emburgh’s Funeral Parlor.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned for refreshments, which
were served by Mrs. Adrian Blauvelt’s committee. The next meeting will be held on
Friday evening, Sept. 10, for the installation of officers.
*The Mount Pleasant News also buried the lead in this December 1986 story.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 13
Writing basic news leads
How to write an effective news lead
 Collect all your
facts.
• Lead should
summarize.
• The more you
know, the easier it
is to summarize.
McGraw-Hill
 Sum it up. Boil it
down.
• List who, what,
when, where, why
of story.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 14
Writing basic news leads
How to write an effective news lead
 Prioritize the five
W’s.
• Lead contains the
most important
facts.
• Which of the key
facts deserves to
start the first
sentence?
McGraw-Hill
 Rethink. Revise.
Rewrite.
• Is
• Is
• Is
• Is
it
it
it
it
clear?
active?
wordy?
compelling?
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 15
Writing basic news leads
How to write an effective news lead
 Writing leads
often a process of
trial and error.
• Try different
approaches:
– Write various types
– Imitate
professional
writing styles
McGraw-Hill
 Create different
leads using the…
• Who.
• What.
• When.
• Where.
• Why.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 16
Writing basic news leads
Not every story begins with a
roundup of essential facts
 Basic news leads
can be too dull
and dry.
 All good reporters
spend time
searching for the
perfect lead.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 17
Beyond the basic news lead
Story checklist
 Be accurate.
 Remember what
day it is.
 Don’t name
names.
Sell the story.
Don’t get hung up.
 Use strong verbs.
McGraw-Hill
Ask “Why should I
care?”
Move attributions to
the end of the
sentences.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 18
Leads that succeed
A roundup of commonly used options
 Basic news leads
 Anecdotal/
narrative leads
 Scene-setter
leads
 Blind leads
 Roundup leads
McGraw-Hill
 Direct address leads
 The startling
statement
 Wordplay leads
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 19
Leads that succeed
A roundup of commonly used options
Basic news leads
• Summary lead
– Combines five W’s
into one sentence.
• Delayed
identification lead
– Withholds the name
of the person in
question until the
second paragraph
McGraw-Hill
• Immediate
identification lead
– Uses a public figure or
celebrity in the
sentence.
• Or, you can write a creative lead
and follow it was a nut graf
• An example from The Atlantic
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 20
Leads that succeed
A roundup of commonly used options
 Anecdotal/
narrative leads
 Scene-setter leads
• Lack urgency of hardnews leads.
• Borrowed from fiction.
• Have a beginning,
middle and end.
• Will be mini-story  Blind leads
with symbolic
• Extreme delayed
resonance for
information lead.
bigger story.
– Deliberately teases
reader.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 21
Leads that succeed
A roundup of commonly used options
 Roundup leads
• Rather than focus
on one person,
place or thing,
impress reader
with longer list.
 Direct address
leads
• Use secondperson voice.
McGraw-Hill
 The startling
statement
• Also called a
“zinger” or a
“Hey, Martha.”
 Wordplay leads
• Encompass wide
range of amusing
leads.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 22
Leads that succeed
…and three lazy leads you should
usually reconsider
 Topic leads
• Convey no actual news.
 Question leads
• Are irritating stalls.
 Quote leads
• Don’t fairly summarize
the story.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 23
After the lead…what next?
Add another paragraph
 Know how long the
story should be.
Write the nut graf
 Paragraph that
condenses the story
idea into nutshell.
McGraw-Hill
Briefs and
brites:
•Brief – written
using the inverted
pyramid.
•Brite – written
with more
personality than a
brief.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 24
Story structure
Giving an overall shape to writing
 No one-size-fits-all
solution.
 Every story
unfolds in a
different way.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 25
Story structure
Organizing your story
 The inverted
pyramid
Most important facts
• Use for:
– News briefs.
– Breaking news.
McGraw-Hill
Additional facts
More facts
Etc., Etc.
Etc.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 26
Story structure
Giving an overall shape to writing
 The kabob
• Also called Wall Street
Journal formula or the
Circle.
• Use for:
– Trends.
– Events where you want
to show actual people.
McGraw-Hill
Anecdote
Nut graf
Meat
Meat
Meat
Anecdote
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 27
Story structure
Keeping readers from getting bored
 Modern journalist’s  Use narratives
job basically boils
when you can.
down to
 Think like a
• Teaching.
teacher.
• Storytelling.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 28
Story structure
Writing tips as you move from
paragraph to paragraph
 Keep paragraphs
short.
 Write one idea per
paragraph.
 Add transitions.
McGraw-Hill
Alternatives to
long, gray news
stories
•Bullet items
•Sidebars
•Subheads
•Other storytelling
alternatives
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 29
Story structure
The big finish
 Good writers
agonize over the
kicker as much as
the lead.
•Plan ahead.
•Don’t end with a
summary.
•Avoid clichés.
•End with a bang.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 30
Rewriting
Good story. Now make it better.
 Writing is rewriting.
• Make things a little
better.
• Few stories arrive fully
formed and perfectly
phrased.
• Most require rethinking,
restructuring and
rewording.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 31
Rewriting
5Reasons to hit the delete key
 Passive verbs
• Start sentences
with their
subjects.
• Replace to be with
stronger verbs.
 Redundancy
• Avoid
unnecessary
modifiers.
McGraw-Hill
 Wordy sentences
 Jargon &
journalese
• Filter out jargon
and officialese.
 Clichés
• Lower the IQ of
your writing.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 32
Rewriting
The Fog Index – a readability gauge
 Find typical
example.
 Average number
of words per
sentence.
 Number of “hard”
words with 3 or
more syllables (no
proper names).
McGraw-Hill
 Add average
number of words
to number of
“hard” words.
 Multiply the sum
by 0.4.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 33
Rewriting
The Fog Index – a readability gauge
 Most Americans
read at or about
9th-grade level.
• Aim for Fog Index
of 7 to 8.
• Bible, Mark Twain,
TV Guide have Fog
Index around 6.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 34
Editing
The role editors play in your stories
 Before you write
• Assigning story.
• Planning angle.
• Estimating scope.
• Anticipating
packaging.
McGraw-Hill
 While you write
• Adding details.
• Monitoring speed.
• Fine-tuning.
• Layout changes.
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 35
Editing
The role editors play in your stories
 After you write
• Editing content.
• Copy editing.
• Cutting or padding.
• Assigning follow-up
stories.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 36
Newswriting style
Who’s right?
 Every news outlet
customizes
guidelines.
 Copy desk’s job to
standardize style.
 Know AP and your
news outlet’s
style.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 37
AP Style Highlights





Numbers
Titles
Capitalization
Abbreviations
Addresses
McGraw-Hill





The Internet
Parentheses
Possessives
Prefixes
And others…
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 38
Making deadline
Live by the clock
 Deadlines are
mandatory.
 Pass the deadline
checklist.
• Accuracy.
• Fairness and
balance.
• Writing style.
McGraw-Hill
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 39
66 newswriting tips
 Writing leads
 The rest of the
story
 Editing and style
 Rules of grammar
McGraw-Hill
 Word choices
• Nonsexist,
nonageist,
nondiscriminatory
 Punctuation
© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.