Back to basics: Ten mistakes to avoid when writing a news story

1. Missing the point

MAKE sure your story is as strong as it can be. Take a step back and play devil's advocate. Are you communicating what really matters to your readers?

Have you missed out any crucial information that would make the story more compelling or important? And if you can genuinely answer 'no' - then make sure you haven't buried that vital point too far into the story.

2. Assuming anything

Never think that just because you know something your readers do too. This isn't the same as understanding as John Thompson points out in his excellent piece here, that your readers know more than you. Will they really be aware of the organisation you are referring to or know who your interviewee is? Even something as simple as spelling someone's name should be checked, however obvious you think it is.  That leads us to...

3. Not checking information supplied

It's debatable as to whether this should be higher up the list. But you mustn't assume that anything you read elsewhere or are told is true. It's not just spelling that needs checking. Claims by PR people can be especially problematic. Who says that something is 'pioneering' or 'innovative' - what do they mean a 'leading' company and how reliable are those 'survey' results?

4. Saying too little

In my days as a news editor, I was fond of telling reporters that their copy 'begged too many questions'.

Think of a fawning  TV interviewer who ignores fascinating and unexpected insights from their subject, only to jump to their next inane question. The same frustration arises if you leave out information in your story that would help the reader better understand what you are reporting on.

Examples? Something really basic would be saying that someone had won an award, but not what for and why. Or perhaps you are reporting on someone who has lost their job - help your reader by telling them what the job was, where it was, how much it was paid and how long it had been held.

Another would be saying 'recently' when you need to be more specific or in some circumstances including a date and not saying what day of the week it is. You want the reader to know what you are talking about as quickly as possible. So if you tell them there's a meeting on January 19, 2009, why not also tell them this is a Monday to save them having to look it up? (I've heard this called 'news you can use' by the way, in case you like that sort of thing!)

Sounds obvious, doesn't it? Tell that to the next reporter who tells us about a 'miracle' baby and doesn't expand on how many weeks premature the child is, how much he or she weighed or how long they stayed in hospital.

5. Saying too much, too early on

Okay, so you're determined to get in what happened, when where, why, how and who was at the centre of it all, but please don't try and say it all in the first paragraph. In my book, The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World, I say that if anyone has to read your intro twice to understand it, then you have failed.  Be as concise as you can.

6. Being subjective rather than objective

You are reporting what's happening, not offering an opinion on it. A press release may tell you an achievement is 'impressive' or 'astounding' - but is it really? Who says? You should remain impartial at all times, offering sources with opposing views to express them. You're not trying to show anyone how clever you are and analyse the information, you're reporting on it. There's a huge difference and again, as obvious as it sounds, journalists do overlook this. They can be too fond of their own voice.

7. Using jargon or language that is too complicated

God help us all. Forgive me a 'miserable old bugger' moment, but boy, this one gets on my nerves. You shouldn't put your readers in mind of say, a policeman reading evidence from his notebook. "He was proceeding in a northerly direction" or some such nonsense. Don't say 'purchase' when you can say 'buy', don't say 'stationary, when you can say 'parked', for example. There are plenty more!

8. Not using enough direct quotes

If you are going to report that someone has a view, back it up with direct quotes, else what's the point? This can relate back to point number 6. Let your interviewees tell their story in their own words where needed, to fit in with space available.

9. Missing out basic information

I mean people's names, ages, jobs, addresses and so on - depending on what the house style of your publication is. People much cleverer than me will argue about whether the fact that someone is a mother or has been divorced, say, is relevant to some stories, but you shouldn't forget that often these details are needed to help your readers get a fuller picture.

10. Waffling on!

Be precise and succinct. Know when to stop. Erm, that's it.

These basic points are a discussion point in training I provide to people without any media background as to how to write a news story for various types of publication. That's especially 'grass roots' media such as a campaign or community newsletter. They support a style guide with grammar and syntax pointers and tips on how a news story should be written.

Thanks to everyone at JournoBiz who discussed this recently.

What would your list include?

Comments

[Becky]

Great reminder!

[Linda]

Thanks Becky, I hope people find it useful.

[Term Papers]

Writing a news story is a lot different than writing poems or term papers. It involves facts that must be presented as clearly as possible with just the truth. With these list of mistakes, I'm sure the news writers will be more alert in their writing.

[Martin]

You really hit the nail on the head with these tips! Re what my own list would include, the only thing I'd add is to remember who your audience is.

Any interesting story can be unravelled countless different ways, but the perspective you find most compelling might not be the slant your readers (or editors!) are looking for.

Btw for me, (5) is still the biggest bugbear.

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[Ame']

I'm the Editor of my campus' paper, and I am printing this list off for the other staff members. Most of them are English majors whom have never learned news format writing. I'm hoping this will help them stop handing me research papers at deadline time.