how to write a fictional newspaper article

How to Make a Story Look Like It Is a Newspaper Article

Diane kampf.

Fictional stories and newspaper articles are two different types of writing. An interesting exercise is to turn a story into a newspaper article by using standard journalistic writing and practices. These include using headlines, leads and the inverted triangle for writing events as well as formatting the text in columns.

Explore this article

• Imagine the Story as Real
• Write a Lead and a Headline
• Use the Inverted Triangle
• Format in Columns

1 Imagine the Story as Real

The writing in a newspaper is nonfiction, so the story must be rethought as a nonfiction account. Instead of characters, you are witnesses, suspects, sources and victims. Instead of conflict, you have a crime, a natural disaster or an unusual event. To turn a fictional story into a newspaper article, think of the events as real happenings that occurred in the recent past. Recast the characters as real people and reuse the dialogue as witness statements.

2 Write a Lead and a Headline

The lead in a newspaper article is a sentence about the most important element of the story. This is very different from a fictional story, which might start at the chronological beginning of a narrative, not necessarily the most important part of the story. For example, if you turned the tale of Little Red Riding Hood into a newspaper article, the lead might be, "Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother were the victims of a violent assault by the Big Bad Wolf yesterday in the Enchanted Forest." Newspaper articles have headlines instead of titles. The headlines are short, catchy phrases that key the reader into what the article is about. "Little Red Assaulted for Cookies" may be the headline for Little Red Riding Hood.

3 Use the Inverted Triangle

Newspaper articles use what is called the inverted triangle for writing the events of the story. Instead of writing in strict chronological order, the newspaper article usually begins with the most important facts of the story: the who, what, where, when and how of the events. Important details follow to give the story context. Other general and background information fill out the story. In the Little Red Riding Hood example, the Big Bad Wolf's attack would be the lead, followed by details about the grandmother's sickness and Red's basket of goodies. The story would end with background information about the Woodcutter's employment in the Enchanted Forest.

4 Format in Columns

A newspaper article is formatted in columns rather than in long lines of text across the page. Various newspaper template programs can assist in formatting text in columns, but even Microsoft Word has a column feature you can use to format text to look like a newspaper article. Each sentence traditionally constitutes a paragraph in newspaper writing.

• 1 Scholastic: Writing Your Article
• 2 Purdue OWL: Journalism and Journalistic Writing
• 3 Mediacollege: How to Write a News Story

About the Author

Diane Kampf has more than 20 years of teaching experience ranging from middle school to college freshmen. She holds a Master of Arts degree in creative writing and English literature and a New York State Secondary Teacher Certificate. She has written educational materials for Learning Express, LLC, Kaplan and Pearson.

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How to Write a News Story

Newspaper article outline, how to write a news story in 15 steps.

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The Purdue Owl : Journalism and Journalistic Writing: Introduction

From Scholastic: Writing a newspaper article

Article outline

I. Lead sentence

Grab and hook your reader right away.

II. Introduction

Which facts and figures will ground your story? You have to tell your readers where and when this story is happening.

III. Opening quotation 

What will give the reader a sense of the people involved and what they are thinking?

IV. Main body

What is at the heart of your story?

V. Closing quotation

Find something that sums the article up in a few words.

VI. Conclusion  (optional—the closing quote may do the job)

The following is an excerpt from The Elements of News Writing by James W. Kershner (Pearson, 2009).  This book is available for checkout at Buley Library (Call number PN 4775 .K37 2009, on the 3rd floor)

1.       Select a newsworthy story. Your goal is to give a timely account of a recent, interesting, and significant event or development.

2.       Think about your goals and objectives in writing the story. What will the readers want and need to know about the subject? How can you best tell the story?

3.       Find out who can provide the most accurate information about the subject and how to contact that person. Find out what other sources you can use to obtain relevant information.

4.       Do your homework. Do research so that you have a basic understanding of the situation before interviewing anyone about it. Check clips of stories already written on the subject.

5.       Prepare a list of questions to ask about the story.

6.       Arrange to get the needed information. This may mean scheduling an interview or locating the appropriate people to interview.

7.       Interview the source and take notes. Ask your prepared questions, plus other questions that come up in the course of the conversation. Ask the source to suggest other sources. Ask if you may call the source back for further questions later.

8.       Interview second and third sources, ask follow-up questions, and do further research until you have a understanding of the story.

9.       Ask yourself, “What’s the story?” and “What’s the point?” Be sure you have a clear focus in your mind before you start writing. Rough out a lead in your head.

10.   Make a written outline or plan of your story.

11.   Write your first draft following your plan, but changing it as necessary.

12.   Read through your first draft looking for content problems, holes, or weak spots, and revise it as necessary. Delete extra words, sentences, and paragraphs. Make every word count.

13.   Read your second draft aloud, listening for problems in logic or syntax.

14.   Copyedit your story, checking carefully for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and style problems.

15.   Deliver your finished story to the editor before deadline.

Kershner, J.W. (2009). The Elements of News Writing. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

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How to write newspaper articles.

While educating myself with a correspondence writing course, I wrote a number of articles for local newspapers. Although I always wanted to write fiction, the course advised starting with non-fiction and journalism. This is because it is a lot easier to sell a newspaper article than a book, especially if you're writing a piece of local interest and are approaching a local publication.

Having an article published gives you valuable experience in dealing with editors and how they edit (or, in some cases, butcher) your work to make it fit the page.

Writing a gig or theatre review makes an excellent starting point. If the gig is local and you write well, a local paper is likely to use your work. That’s how I started – I wrote a review for a band I played in. Admittedly, this was a bit cheeky, but being in the band meant I knew the music and knew no one else from the paper was there to review the gig. This allowed me to write about the band and the performance convincingly.

To write an article, you need an angle. When the smoking ban was first introduced in the UK, I decided to do a piece on it as I had a friend who ran a local pub. I interviewed him, talking about the impact it was having on his business. The editor loved the local angle and the article went straight in the next edition. A really simple idea, but it worked. By using local contacts, you can produce something unique that no one else might have thought of or be able to write.

I’ve discovered that one thing to avoid when doing this kind of freelance journalism is voicing your own opinion. No one cares what you think. Readers just want the facts so they can make up their own minds. I found editors tend to strip anything out that is opinion based rather than factual. You can describe what happened and allow an interviewee to talk and give their perspective, but your own thoughts are not needed. This technique seems to work well. Remaining unbiased results in a higher success rate.

I can’t really talk in any great depth about this as fiction is my first love and I simply used article writing as a stepping stone to gain experience with having work edited and published. However, the experience I gained from doing this has proved invaluable. For any kind of writer, journalism makes an excellent starting point.

Below are copies of some of the articles I’ve had published in local press; the Bristol Evening Post and the South Avon Mercury.

Bristol Evening Post - Valentine's Day Article - February 14th 2004

click image to view full article in new tab

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Mercury - Ye Gods! Gig Review - November 11th 2004

Mercury - smoking ban article - december 9th 2004, mercury - brain busters - february 3rd 2005, mercury - valentine's day article - february 3rd 2005, bristol evening post - vic du monte - april 28th 2005, mercury - vic du monte - september 29th 2005, bristol evening post - vic du monte - september 29th 2005, mercury - ye gods album release - december 8th 2005, mercury - portishead carnival article - march 30th 2006, mercury - lands end to john o groats charity ride - june 2007.

This page may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy .

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Stan P Hello. I'm from Pittsburgh, PA. Every time I contact a newspaper outside of Pittsburgh (National and Regional Newspapers) I get turned down because I am not local. How can I get published in other newspapers when they only accept local writers.

Chris Fielden Hi Stan. In my experience, for local papers, you have to come up with a story with a local angle. That was the only way I got into them, apart from in Bristol (where I live) because I’m a local writer. Or tie a story in with local events.

For example, I sent bacon into space once (crazy project…) and got into a Wiltshire (UK) area newspaper and on the local radio because they had an event all about locally sourced ham (Wiltshire is famous for it). Bit of an extreme example, but hopefully you see what I mean. The bacon in the project made it newsworthy for that area at that time.

Re the nationals: you’d need a really strong story to get into one of them – it’s very competitive and they often have in-house staff to contend with too. Still, if the story is strong and original and/or you have a unique interview or information or something newsworthy, most editors would still consider it.

I’ll admit, it’s been a long time since I wrote for a newspaper – about 6 or 7 years – but that was my experience of it at the time.

I hope that’s helpful.

Mani P Dear sir, I'd like you to write articles for our newly opened restaurant, in the Toronto Star or any other famous news paper in Toronto Etobicoke. Can you help me with that ?

Chris Fielden Hi Mani. I don't undertake that kind of writing anymore I'm afraid - I concentrate on fiction.

I'd recommend working with a Canadian author who understands the local publications.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Ravi A Hello. How can send you my articles to be published in news papers? I'm a writer and want to develop my career. Can you help me to publish my articles in news papers?

Chris Fielden Hi Ravi. I'm afraid I can't publish articles for you, as I don't run a newspaper. The best way to go about submitting your articles is to buy copies of newspapers you are interested in and read them so you understand the kind of stories they publish. Then read their submission guidelines and get in touch with them directly to pitch your ideas. In my experience, that's the best way to do it.

I hope that's helpful and wish you the best of luck with your writing.

Jemma U That was useful.

Chris Fielden Thanks, Jemma :-)

Grace J Thank you for the information! I am currently a year 8 (or grade 7, if you are in America) student who is planning to make a school newspaper with friends!

Chris Fielden No problem, Grace! That's awesome news about your school newspaper. Please let me know when you get it off the ground - would love to take a look at it :-)

Penchalaiah K How do I write for an English newspaper?

Chris Fielden Hi Penchalaiah. Most newspapers have contact details on their website. Some have submission guidelines too. So the best bet it to start there :)

Amarachi P I am Amarachi from Nigeria. I have been asked to write an article for publication on a newspaper on my experience as the football captain at my last school.

Chris Fielden That's great, Amarachi.

I wish you the best of luck with writing your article - it sounds really interesting :-)

Valerie T Hi,  I'm  Valerie. I've been asked to write and publish an article as an assignment in school. Can you give me any advice on what topics or areas to write on?

Chris Fielden Hi Valerie. It depends where you hope to have the article published. If you're going for a local newspaper (which is a good place to start) then an article concerning something of local interest might be good. For example, when the smoking ban was implemented in the UK, I interviewed a pub landlord in the town I live in about the impact it was having on his business and a local newspaper published it.

You could also consider contacting one of your local publications, explaining your situation and asking them if they would like you to write about anything specific.

I hope that helps and wish you the best of luck with your assignment.

Chioma N I am Chioma from Nigeria. I am 16 yrs old. I really want to know more about being a journalist. Can you teach me? Thank you.

Chris Fielden Hi Chioma, thank you for your message.

I used to do a lot of writing for newspapers, but I now concentrate on fiction writing and running my blog, so I can't help you I'm afraid.

There are many online writing courses. I'd research some of them as a starting point. Try checking out your local universities - many unis run journalism courses. Or try the Open University and similar educational facilities that operate online learning options.

I hope that helps and wish you the best of luck with your writing :-)

Chioma N Thank you.

Chris Fielden You're welcome, Chioma :-)

Ejoh E I'm a content creator, writer for Cheap SEO Articles but I want to become a freelancer. I tried writing for someone once and he complained. He said it was too short and jumbled. I felt the article was fine. What can I do to make my article better?

Chris Fielden Hi Ejoh. Thank you for your message.

I'd recommend having a couple of articles critiqued. You can do that via a paid service, like the critique service I offer on my website .

Or you can look at platforms that offer free critiques. I list details of those in this resource .

I hope that's helpful and wish you the best of luck with your writing :-)

Eamonn M Good article, Chris. It came up when I googled article writing so your SEOs are working!

I used to write humorous articles for the Bristol Evening Post and was paid about £30 each for them, not bad back in the 1980s. I don't think they pay anything now but I'm thinking of article writing to keep my brain in gear. I'm giving up on short stories. Even the tiniest non-paying mag gets hundreds of submissions a month now. As for novels, there are 8 billion on Amazon and 8 billion authors tweeting at you to buy their book. I can't give mine away. Also, friends and family read articles. No one except my brother is the least bit interested in fantasy and SF.

I enjoyed your short story book and must review it on Amazon. All your advice was sound but there are so many short story writers now that even the lowest paying obscure online zines get hundreds of submissions every month. One's chance of acceptance is getting lower and of money almost zero. Not much reward for the effort.

Chris Fielden Thanks for your comment, Eamonn.

Sorry to hear you're giving up on fiction writing. You're right about the number of authors and submissions, but I find a dogged approach still works. Everyone experiences rejections, but if you keep trying, acceptances still occur. I'd urge you to keep trying.

Article writing can earn you money, depending on who your write for and what you write about. I hope that works well for you. And if you enjoy it, that's great. I find non-fiction easier to write. Well... "easier" might be the wrong word. "Quicker" might be more accurate. Fiction takes me a long time to write. Making things up requires more thought, I think. Writing a bit of fiction and non-fiction is good, though. Each inspires the other. I find the same with music. Working in different creative mediums works well for me. Maybe it will work for you too?

All the best to you.

Paul K Dear Chris, thanks very much for sharing some of the experiences that you had and have made you a great writer in this world. I have perused a few of your articles above and I can tell you're a wonderful writer. My name is Paul, and I'm from Malawi. I once published my pieces of article ranging from short fiction  stories to opinions etc. I'm not a full writer by myself because I have never been trained in writing. I did all these writings out of my interest, and passion. I really  need to pursue this career as one of the best African writer. Dear brother, I need to get good advise from you. For sure, I am not able to pay for a journalism institution as it is very expensive compared to the little income that I earn.

The other thing is that, how can I link with the local newspaper so that I can eventually send my article? Do I need to go to there respective offices and ask for an opportunity  to tribute my stories? How did you do yours?

Please help me with any information you can.

Chris Fielden Hi Paul, thank you for your message.

In my experience, it's best to contact the paper directly. I used to email ideas and articles to the editor and they would let me know if they wanted to print any of them. As I worked with the papers more, I got to know the editors and, on occasion, would meet up with them. That's because they were in my local area.

My advice would be to research the papers in your local area, or publications that deal with your area of expertise, and see what they want from journalists and writers. I started off doing a peice for my writing course about Valentine's Day and the local paper published it because the timing was right and they wanted something on that subject matter at that time - I sent it to them a week or two before Valentien's Day. Then I went on to do gig reviews and articles of local interest. That worked for the publications I was dealing with.

I hope that helps and I wish you the best of luck with your writing journey.

The copyright of the stories and content published on this website remain with the author.

Christopher Fielden and all the other contributing authors published via this website have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the authors of these works.

The stories and articles on this site are provided for you to read free of charge subject to the condition that they are not, by way of trade or otherwise, copied, lent, sold, hired out, printed or otherwise circulated in any format without the author’s prior consent.

How to write news articles

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Learn the basics of writing a news story or information-led article with our expert help

You may never need to write a news article. But knowing how to do it will help you with any kind of article writing , because it is a fundamental journalistic skill that will provide you with the bones to help structure any non-fiction pieces that you write.

A news story is how newspapers and magazines break a story, in print or online. It may be about events of national or local importance; it may be about a new development in a specialist area of interest; it may be, like our news section, a way of informing interested readers about something new: a competition, a publishing opportunity. But whatever kind of news it’s imparting, it will conform to a basic format. 

The basic model for writing a news story is the inverted pyramid. What this means in practice is that the most important news goes at the top , in the lead paragraph, usually the ‘what’, followed by the who, where, why, when and how in the second and third. As you read down, the information becomes less important, and the least important information goes at the bottom. The practice developed largely as an aid to deadline-fuelled newspaper production: the sub-in-a-hurry with only limited space could cut from the bottom knowing that the story would still make sense without much rewriting. The same principle holds true online. Some readers will click away before reaching the bottom of a story, confident they already got the important details from the article opening. 

Bear in mind with this structure that all the information in a news story has to be there: ‘least important’ is not the same as ‘not necessary’. In a story for a local or national newspaper about an armed robbery in which two people were shot, the top paragraph would contain the information that two people were seriously injured in an armed robbery. Subsequent paragraphs would include information about where the robbery took place, who the victims were and what they were doing when they were shot, and what the robbers got away with. None of that information should be left out. The news writer’s job is to prioritise it. 

The key job of the writer of a news story is to find the facts and present them to the reader in a logical way , so that the story makes sense. There is no room in a news story for anything superfluous – every word has to do a job, and earn its place. Writing in this way forces the writer to concentrate on what is most important. 

If you write fiction, this style of writing is the opposite of what you’re used to. A news story breaks down information whereas a fictional story builds a picture. The reveal in a news story comes at the beginning, not the end.

News story basics: 

• It is always time-sensitive: this has happened now. 

• It is concerned with passing on the necessary factual information relating to the story. 

• Its tone is always neutral. News stories are objective. This is not an opinion piece, or a place for writers to insert their personality. 

• Information is reported. It is written in the third person, past tense. 

As we said at the beginning, most of you will never need to write this kind of story for a news publication. But whenever you need to write something that conveys new information to a reader, knowing how it’s done will provide you with a very useful model. It will help you to concentrate on the information you need to present, and understand how to prioritise it. 

Let’s break down an imaginary news story – the kind you you might read in Writing Magazine . 

The first, or lead, paragraph will tell the reader, in a nutshell, all the basic facts. 

Denise Lace-Crawford from Newport has won the Roachford Prize for Non-Fiction for her first book, Arsenic and Old Mrs Lace. 

With no messing about, the reader knows the key facts. They tell readers why they should be interested, now. Further paragraphs – short, informative paragraphs – will expand on the information that has been summed up in the opening paragraph. Our sample story might continue like this:

The second par: The £3,000 prize, announced this morning by the University of Placename, was awarded for a biography of Denise’s forensic scientist mother, whose work was key to modern understanding of Victorian domestic poisoning. This expands on the information in the lead par. It also attributes the information to its source: the University of Placename.

Third par: Denise was inspired to write the book when she discovered her mother’s research notes after her death ten years ago. ‘I knew she went to work every day in the university laboratory but I had no idea that her work was so significant – mother never discussed it at home,’ she said. 

In fifty words our knowledge has been widened significantly: we now know what Denise’s mother did, that she died ten years ago, why Denise decided to write her book, what its sources are and that her mother’s work and home lives were entirely separate. 

Fourth par: Engineer Denise, 57, only started writing because her daughter enrolled her in a course at her local library. ‘It was my fiftieth birthday present because I’d often talked about writing our family history and Yasmin knew this was the only way I’d make a start on it.’ 

Now we have more facts, this time personal information about Denise. We know her age, occupation, and that she has a daughter who cares about her enough to help her achieve a long-term ambition. In the space of a few words, we know enough about her to care about her. This has longer-term implications for writer and reader, as there may be more coverage of this story: perhaps a feature article, a review, an opinion piece? 

Fifth par: The Roachford Prize, which is funded by the University of  Placename, was set up in 1975 by scientist and philanthropist DK Khan to reward a first publication that adds to knowledge in the field of popular science. 

This is all potentially useful information, and it adds to the reader’s knowledge. But it’s not as interesting or attention-grabbing as the information at the top of the story, so it goes near the bottom. If the story gets split over pages, it may not even be on the same page as the rest of the story.

Sixth par: Denise’s book was published by local small press Honeyford Books, and is available from Waterstones. More facts, useful but without the immediacy of the top four paragraphs. Readers know where to get the book and the local interest is reinforced by the mention of the publisher.

Seventh par: ‘I thought mother’s story might interest friends and family,’ said Denise. ‘I never expected to win anything like this.’ A nice, neat conclusion takes the story back to Denise – and in this case, reinforces the human interest angle. But this is not essential information, and if we were short of space, the editor might cut this par. 

Best practice for news article writing:

• Ask yourself what questions a reader might ask, and answer them in your story.

• Get your facts right. Check them and double-check them. How much was the prize money? Check it. Who set up the prize? Check it. What is the correct spelling of Denise’s daughter’s name? Check it. Never assume anything. The old journo’s mantra ‘If in doubt, leave it out’ could be adapted to: ‘If in doubt, find it out.’

• Don’t split information. If you have two paragraphs about Denise, don’t insert one between them about the Roachford Prize. 

• Keep your writing tight and your sentences short. You can’t go far wrong with subject-verb-object. This keeps things to the point. News stories are not the place to display your extensive repertoire of adjectives, or your command of complex clauses. 

• Information must be attributed. Make it entirely clear where the information comes from. Credit your sources. It might be as simple as ‘said Denise’. 

Using quotes:

Perhaps you’ve interviewed someone for your news story. Perhaps you’ve interviewed several people. You have probably got much more information than you need. Prioritising information in a news story also means using the most important quotes.

• Ask pertinent questions.

• Don’t try to use everything. 

• Good quotes support your story and spark the reader’s interest.

• A good quote will grab attention, evoke images and convey the speaker’s personality.

• A bad quote is one that is unclear, or doesn’t add anything to the story. 

Use news writing techniques to put together your own press releases

Being able to write a news story comes in handy when you’re writing press releases for your books. Use the inverted pyramid structure to write your press release like a news story, with the key information at the top. Journalists are looking for a story: use this structure to give them one. 

All journalists are familiar with badly-written amateur press releases that jumble facts and hide useful information (‘when we were moving house – we used to live in Swindon, where some of the book is set – we found a box full of my grandfather’s old war diaries, and because I’ve always wanted to write a novel, that inspired me to think about…’). Your news-writing skills in using the minimum of words to present all the relevant facts will make it easier for the journalist to see why they should write about you. If you are sending out information about your book to media outlets, you need to present it clearly and confidently to professional journalists who will have little time, and less patience, to search for buried information in a press release full of waffle. 

Writing exercise:

Turn this information into a news story, putting the most important information into a lead paragraph and then writing the rest of the story as an inverted pyramid:

A fire in a furniture shop next to the main bus garage in your local town took place in the late afternoon on the last Friday before Christmas. It shut down all the traffic to and from the area for several hours, including a van of students returning from volunteering with refugees in Calais, a coach containing pensioners coming back from a festive trip to the Christmas market in Munich and a woman whose dog escaped from her car. Witnesses said the woman was crying and the dog was running up and down the hard shoulder but it came back eventually. Local services were affected and theatre and restaurant takings on the night were also badly affected. Thieves took advantage of the chaos to ramraid a local department store. There were no serious injuries, but damage to the business, which has been owned by the same family since 1937, was estimated at £1.5 million.  

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How to Write a News Article

Last Updated: January 13, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,381,000 times.

Writing a news article is different from writing other articles or informative pieces because news articles present information in a specific way. It's important to be able to convey all the relevant information in a limited word count and give the facts to your target audience concisely. Knowing how to write a news article can help a career in journalism , develop your writing skills and help you convey information clearly and concisely.

Things You Should Know

• Outline your article with all the facts and interview quotes you’ve gathered. Decide what your point of view on the topic is before you start writing.
• Your first sentence is the most important one—craft an attention-getter that clearly states the most important information.
• Proofread for accurate information, consistent style and tone, and proper formatting.

Sample Articles

Planning Your Article

• If you’ve ever written a research paper you understand the work that goes into learning about your topic. The first phase of writing a news article or editorial is pretty similar.
• Who - who was involved?
• What - what happened?
• Where - where did it happen?
• Why - why did it happen?
• When - when did it happen?
• How - how did it happen?

• 1) those that need to be included in the article.
• 2) those that are interesting but not vital.
• 3) those that are related but not important to the purpose of the article.
• This fact list will help prevent you from leaving out any relevant information about the topic or story, and will also help you write a clean, succinct article.
• Be as specific as possible when writing down all of these facts. You can always trim down unnecessary information later, but it’s easier to cut down than it is to have to beef up an article.
• It’s okay at this point to have holes in your information – if you don’t have a pertinent fact, write down the question and highlight it so you won’t forget to find it out
• Now that you have your facts, if your editor has not already assigned the type of article, decide what kind of article you’re writing. Ask yourself whether this is an opinion article, an unbiased and straightforward relaying of information, or something in between. [2] X Research source

• If you’ve ever heard the term “burying the lead”, that is in reference to the structure of your article. [4] X Research source The “lead” is the first sentence of the article – the one you “lead” with. Not "burying the lead" simply means that you should not make your readers read several paragraphs before they get to the point of your article.
• Whatever forum you’re writing for, be it print or for the web, a lot of readers don’t make it to the end of the article. When writing a news article, you should focus on giving your readers what they want as soon as possible.
• Write above the fold. The fold comes from newspapers where there’s a crease because the page gets folded in half. If you look at a newspaper all the top stories are placed above the fold. The same goes for writing online. The virtual fold is the bottom of your screen before you have to scroll down. Put the best information at the top to engage your readers and encourage them to keep reading.

• Ask yourself the “5 W's” again, but this time in relation to your audience.
• Questions like what is the average age you are writing for, where is this audience, local or national, why is this audience reading your article, and what does your audience want out of your article will inform you on how to write.
• Once you know who you are writing for you can format an outline that will get the best information to the right audience as quickly as possible.

• Even if you are covering a popular story or topic that others are writing about, look for an angle that will make this one yours.
• Do you have a personal experience that relates to your topic? Maybe you know someone who is an expert that you can interview .

• People usually like to talk about personal experiences, especially if it will be featured somewhere, like your news article. Reach out through a phone call, email, or even social media and ask someone if you can interview them.
• When you do interview people you need to follow a few rules: identify yourself as a reporter. Keep an open mind . Stay objective. While you are encouraged to ask questions and listen to anecdotes, you are not there to judge.
• Record and write down important information from the interview, and be transparent with what you are doing and why you are doing this interview.

Writing Your News Article

• Your lead should be one sentence and should simply, but completely, state the topic of the article.
• Remember when you had to write essays for school? Your lead is like your thesis statement.
• Let your readers know what your news article is about, why it’s important, and what the rest of the article will contain.

• These details are important, because they are the focal point of the article that fully informs the reader.
• If you are writing an opinion piece , this is where you will state what your opinion is as well.

• This additional information helps round out the article and can help you transition to new points as you move along.
• If you have an opinion, this is where you will identify the opposing views and the people who hold them.
• A good news article will outline facts and information. A great news article will allow readers to engage on an emotional level.
• To engage your readers, you should provide enough information that anyone reading your news article can make an informed opinion, even if it contrasts with yours.
• This also applies to a news article where you the author don’t state your opinion but present it as an unbiased piece of information. Your readers should still be able to learn enough about your topic to form an opinion.

• Make sure your news article is complete and finished by giving it a good concluding sentence. This is often a restatement of the leading statement (thesis) or a statement indicating potential future developments relating to the article topic.
• Read other news articles for ideas on how to best accomplish this. Or, watch news stations or shows. See how a news anchor will wrap up a story and sign off, then try to emulate that.

Proofing Your Article

• Be sure to double check all the facts in your news article before you submit it, including names, dates, and contact information or addresses. Writing accurately is one of the best ways to establish yourself as a competent news article writer.

• If your news article is meant to convey direct facts, not the opinions of its writer, ensure you’ve kept your writing unbiased and objective. Avoid any language that is overly positive or negative or statements that could be construed as support or criticism.
• If your article is meant to be more in the style of interpretive journalism then check to make sure that you have given deep enough explanations of the larger story and offered multiple viewpoints throughout.

• When quoting someone, write down exactly what was said inside quotations and immediately cite the reference with the person’s proper title. Formal titles should be capitalized and appear before a person’s name. Ex: “Mayor John Smith”.
• Always write out numbers one through nine, but use numerals for numbers 10 and up.
• When writing a news article, be sure to only include one space after a period, not two. [12] X Research source

• You shouldn’t submit any news article for publication without first letting someone take a look at it. An extra pair of eyes can double check your facts and the information to ensure that what you have written is accurate.
• If you are writing a news article for school or your own personal website, then have a friend take a look at it and give you notes. Sometimes you may get notes that you want to defend or don’t agree with it. But these should be listened to. Remember, with so many news articles getting published every minute you need to ensure that your widest possible audience can easily digest the information you have provided.

Expert Q&A

• Start with research and ask the “5. Asking these questions will help you create an outline and a narrative to your article. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Interview people, and remember to be polite and honest about what you are writing. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Put the most important information at the beginning of your article. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about writing an article, check out our in-depth interview with Gerald Posner .

• ↑ https://libguides.mit.edu/select-topic
• ↑ https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/different-genres/news-writing-fundamentals
• ↑ https://libguides.southernct.edu/journalism/howtowrite
• ↑ https://spcollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=254319&p=1695313
• ↑ https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/cm360
• ↑ https://mediahelpingmedia.org/basics/how-to-find-and-develop-important-news-angles/
• ↑ https://www.northwestern.edu/brand/editorial-guidelines/newswriting-guidelines/
• ↑ https://tacomacc.libguides.com/c.php?g=599051&p=4147190
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/journalism_and_journalistic_writing/ap_style.html
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/punctuation/space-after-period
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/

About This Article

To write a news article, open with a strong leading sentence that states what the article is about and why it’s important. Try to answer the questions who, what, where, when, and why as early in the article as possible. Once you’ve given the reader the most important facts, you can include any additional information to help round out the article, such as opposing views or contact information. Finish with a strong concluding sentence, such as an invitation to learn more or a statement indicating future developments. For tips on researching your article, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Table of Contents

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, news story (journalism).

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Emma Sills , Kyle Olmstead , Shannon Hawley

JOURNALISM: Gathering Information and Writing Your Story

University of Delaware Professor Ben Yagoda defines journalism as, “uncovering timely and previously not well-known information that, according to agreed-upon standards, is important; and conveying it to the public clearly, accurately, concisely, disinterestedly, and independently.” As a journalist, the stories you write are meant to provide true facts to readers about issues or news going on in the world today. They are meant to be truthful, unbiased, and informative. According to Peter Cole, a writer for The Guardian “journalists write stories for their readers to tell them what is going on, to inform them, engage them, entertain them, shock them, amuse them, disturb them, and uplift them.”

This webtext is an overview of the necessary skill sets to be successful in journalism, specifically, gathering information through interviews and asking the right questions. Readers will also learn how to organize that information and turn it into written work that includes unbiased writing, credible sources, and proper structure.

Gathering Information

The first step to writing a story involves gathering information about your topic. In order to do so, you need people who witnessed the event first hand or have extensive knowledge on said topic. In writing, especially in journalism, the information you use is the heart of your writing. Perhaps without details, sources, evidence, one’s writing will not have the intended impact of informing your audience.

Conducting an Interview

When interviewing someone related or involved with a story, you are receiving information from primary sources. Before you begin interviewing someone, you need to make sure you know what questions to ask and how to ask them. Plan your interview as best you can and think carefully about the topics you want to cover. It would be helpful to write your questions out beforehand if you have time.

Questions to ask yourself before the interview:

• What do you know and what do you need to know?
• What are you trying to inform your audience about?
• What are some of the outcomes? Not everyone will like your story or the topic you choose to write about so be prepared for negative feedback. Be aware of any ethical issues pertaining to your topic as well.

Rich Martin author of the book, “Living Journalism”, who has more than 30 years of reporting and teaching experience, offers his advice about interviewing. These are some questions adopted from his list:

• What organizational policies or professional guidelines should you consider?
• How can you bring people with different perspectives and ideas into your decision making?
• Who will be affected by your decision? Think about your topic and who will be reading about it.
• How would you feel if roles were reversed and you were the subject of the story?
• Are there ways to minimize harm while remaining true to the facts of the story?

Once you have answered these questions and feel as though you know a lot about the subject of matter then you can consider questions that you want to find out from the person you are interviewing. It’s a given that you want to hear all sides of the story to prevent a biased opinion , but also keep in mind that there may not always be two sides to a story, so do your research. University of Delaware Professor of Journalism Ben Yagoda refers to this instance as False Equivalency. He refers to this example:

• The flu vaccine. The question parents are asking themselves is should or shouldn’t my child get the flu vaccine? Reporters may think there are two sides of this story and the truth lies in the middle, but it doesn’t. “That would be saying that only a portion of children should get the flu vaccine when medical reports prove that all children should,” says Yagoda.

With this in mind, think carefully about your topic to your story and whether it’s apparent or not that there’s two sides to look into. If so, plan for multiple interviews because as a journalist you do not want to have a biased opinion. If there is only one side of the story then do the research and interview accordingly.

Here are a few examples of types of questions you can use (adapted from Rich Martin). We have further explained underneath each type.

• Ask open-ended questions: This means questions that have no fixed limit or that require your subject to provide details. Example: Do you like animals and why? As opposed to a closed-ended question that only requires one word answers. Example Do you like animals?
• Avoid charged language or loaded words: This means questions that are not biased or come across to the subject as trying to persuade them towards a particular viewpoint. Your questions should not sound tough, but they should probe and issue.
• Keep your questions short and focused: Don’t overload them with details that will allow the subject to answer selectively.

Good questions illuminate issues and capture the personality and character of the people you’re writing about. Also when interviewing someone, you need to be sure to explain who you are and what your job is. Journalism is about directness, precision, clarity, and not about confusing people. Questions are supposed to get answers. Questions that fail to get answers are not tough enough.

Tips on questions to ask the interviewee according to Yagoda:

• Ask follow-up questions-which are sometimes the most important: Example: Yagoda read a story and in it the reporter quoted that his interviewee, “once drank a fine wine that helped him remember a specific memory”. There was nothing further on the subject and Yagoda wanted to know more about what was stated in the quotation. He says, “This would be an example of an opportunity to ask a follow up question so the readers aren’t left with questions. What was the type of wine he drank? What was the memory?
• Do not just read off all the questions you have prepared.
• If something the interviewee says is surprising or not clear then ask to explain further.
• If another topic is brought up ask about that as well.
• Educate yourself on the general topic.

After the questions are prepared and you feel confident about them, remember these final tips about conducting your interview:

• Be Yourself. Don’t act out of character.
• Choose the right setting. Offices and homes are both appropriate and convenient to conduct interviews. Outdoors is also convenient if the story calls for it, but it can be noisy.
• Tap into your subject’s ability to remember the details of the event or situation.
• Always ask why in order to fully understand what is being said.
• Take notes.
• Don’t be late.
• Dress appropriately

Interviews can be a multifaceted tool not just restricted to Journalism. They can also be used to help strengthen other forms of writing such as argumentative or research. Using interviews in this form of writing may prove to be more difficult than in Journalism due to the fact that Journalism is based on other people’s accounts of an event and stories, while other forms of writing are based on other things such as data and research. An interview adds multiple points of view to help inform the reader of the topic and allow them to create their own opinion. If you are able to conduct an interview with a reliable source, it is strongly advised to do so as this will help strengthen your writing.

Using Credible Sources

One of the most important things in any form of writing when using an outside source is to make sure they are credible. A credible source is someone or a group of people respected in their fields of study. A Harvard Law professor is going to be a more credible source than a freshman at your local community college when looking for information about law, for example. If even one of the sources that you cite in your work is not credible, every single one of the other sources in that piece will be called into question. Credible sources are not hard to come by, but you must take the extra time to make absolutely sure that nothing your sources are saying could be called into question for credibility.

According to Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to determine if your sources are credible. Below, we expanded on some of these questions to better understand them.

1.     Who is the author?

A credible author is going to be someone that has extensively studied the specific field you are writing about or need information about. Not only that, but they also will cite all of their sources in which you can check those as well for validity and backing to what your original author has written. This is also a great chance to find more possible sources to further your story.

2. How recent is the source?

The time in which a certain source was published will be important depending on what your topic is. A perfect example for this is found in the Purdue OWL which states that while information on the Civil War may be very old but still accurate, more modern topics such as computers or engineering must have more recent sources to stay relevant,

3. What is the author’s purpose?

A very important thing to keep in mind when deciding to use a source or not is what the standpoint of that source is. Is it neutral or is it biased to one particular side? This can be very detrimental to your writing if you only choose sources that limit your information to one side of a debate.

4. What type of sources does your audience value?

What this question essentially means is that you need to write to your audience, so you should use sources that could be respected by your audience. Peer-reviewed journals and research logs would be a good source for academics and professionals, but people in your hometown might not value that as much as a mainstream source of information.

Writing a News Story

Now that you have asked the questions, checked the sources, and have all of your information gathered, it is time to write the story. Peter Cole says that journalistic writing is different than creative writing. A journalist’s goals are to inform readers about what’s going and to adhere to just the facts. What sets journalism apart from other forms of writing is not only the eye-catching titles and lead sentences, but also the focus on human interest that makes the reader feel close to the story. These are crucial tools to incorporate into your writing for successful journalism.

Structure of a Story

Before you begin writing your story you need make sure you organize your information. This means picking out key points and quotes from interviews, investigative notes and observation to support your story topic. Unlike an academic essay, the most important information should be in the beginning of your story and supporting facts throughout the rest of it. Matthew Speal, writer for Freelance Writing, and Jim Hall, author of “Beginning Reporting,” highlight some key points to keep in mind when writing a news story:

“The Lead” can be one to two sentences in the opening paragraph or a separate introduction. It is used to grab the reader’s attention and persuade them to keep reading, making it the most important part of the story. There are two main types of leads-direct and delayed. A direct lead, also called a summary lead, immediately reveals what the story is about. It answers the questions; who, what, where, why, and how in a couple sentences. A delayed lead sets the mood of the story rather than answering the what, where, why, and how questions right away. This lead can be used to create anticipation and gives the reader a reason to keep reading.

Heart of the Story:

When writing your story you need to be sure you’ve answered the following questions previously mentioned. Using this structure will help you to avoid any conflict pertaining to a lack of information. You also need to make sure your story flows together and is easy for the subject to read. Using quotes, an active voice, and short sentences are important as well.

Conclusion:

Two ways to end a story are with a quote and a circle ending. A circle ending means you return to a key point or idea mentioned in the lead. Find a quote that ties your story together and draw a conclusion from it.

Non-Biased Writing

One of the single most difficult things for a journalist to do is write their story without bias. Bias is the showing of favoritism towards a specific topic or view point. As a journalist, you will be faced with a wide variety of topics to write about; some of these topics you may have never heard of, while others may personally affect you or a loved one. Writing a story without bias is difficult because if that topic personally affects you, your first instinct will be to write to persuade the audience. This, however, is not the job of the journalist. A journalist’s job is to truthfully inform the public about the facts of the story.

We conducted an interview with advertising student Nikki Marini of West Virginia University who also works at The Daily Athenaeum, West Virginia’s school newspaper. During this interview, Marini was asked about her thoughts on non-biased journalism. She advises the following:

1.     Your first obligation is to the truth and your first loyalty is to the public. By this Marini means that it is up to the journalist to bring the unbiased truth to the public.

2. Avoid making generalizations with potentially controversial subjects. Instead of using the word “all” use “some,” or “often” instead of “always.”

3. As you work through the writing process, try to remind yourself of the assignment you were given. With each sentence you add, ask yourself whether you are including it to better the article or to better argue your personal opinion on the topic.

4. Collaboration is key. When working on a story, you are sure to have some form of copy editor that will look over your work when you are done writing. A copy editor is someone who checks spelling, grammar, punctuation, and overall appearance of your story. Inform this person that you feel as though you may have been biased in your writing and they will be able to take a neutral look at your writing.

Example of bias writing from The New York Times

(The example below was directly quoted from The New York Times ):

Journalism can be an incredibly informative and useful form of writing as long as the proper information gathering and writing techniques are employed. The most important thing to remember when writing is that you are writing with a goal of informing the public. Doing so requires that you include facts, not opinions, and provide as much information from both sides of any given issue as possible.

For more information regarding these topics click the links below.

• http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp (Society of Professional Journalists)
• http://www.thedaonline.com/ (The Daily Athenaeum, West Virginia University school newspaper).

Brevity – Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence – How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow – How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity – Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style – The DNA of Powerful Writing

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Constructing News Stories with the Inverted Pyramid

This tried-and-true method is a good way for beginners to learn

• Writing Essays
• Writing Research Papers
• English Grammar
• M.S., Journalism, Columbia University
• B.A., Journalism, University of Wisconsin-Madison

There are a few basic rules for writing and structuring any news story . If you’re accustomed to other types of writing – such as fiction – these rules may seem odd at first. But the format is easy to pick up, and there are very practical reasons why reporters have followed this format for decades.

Inverted Pyramid in News

The inverted pyramid is the model for news writing. It simply means that the heaviest or most important information should be at the top – the beginning – of your story, and the least important information should go at the bottom. And as you move from top to bottom, the information presented should gradually become less important.

In the age of internet news, many online news outlets have tweaked this format to align with search engines. But the basic premise remains the same: Get the most important information at the top of the news story.

How to Write with the Inverted Pyramid

Let’s say you’re writing a story about a fire in which two people are killed and their house is destroyed. In your reporting, you’ve gathered a lot of details including the victims’ names, the address of their home, what time the blaze broke out, and possibly what officials believe may have caused the fire.

Obviously, the most important information is the fact that two people died in the fire. That’s what you want at the top of your story.

Other details – the names of the deceased, the address of their home, when the fire occurred – should certainly be included. But they can be placed lower down in the story, not at the very top.

And the least important information - things like what the weather was like at the time, or the color of the home - should be at the very bottom of the story (if included at all).

Story Follows The Lede

The other important aspect of structuring a news article is making sure the story follows logically from the lede (this is a deliberate misspelling of "lead," which prevented confusion among typesetters in the early days of newspapers).

So if the lede of your story focuses on the fact that two people were killed in the house fire, the paragraphs that immediately follow the lede should elaborate on that fact. You wouldn't want the second or third paragraph of the story to discuss the weather at the time of the fire, for example. Details such as the people's names, their ages and how long they had lived in the home would all be important to include immediately following the lede sentence.

History of the Inverted Pyramid

The inverted pyramid format turns traditional storytelling on its head. In a short story or novel, the most important moment – the climax - typically comes about two-thirds of the way through, closer to the end. But in news writing, the most important moment is right at the start of the lede .

The inverted pyramid format was developed during the Civil War. Newspaper correspondents covering that war’s great battles relied on telegraph machines to transmit their stories back to their newspapers’ offices.

But often saboteurs would cut the telegraph lines, so reporters learned to transmit the most important information – General Lee defeated at Gettysburg, for instance – at the very start of the transmission to make sure it got through successfully.

The use of the inverted pyramid also grew in popularity because as the news cycle grew shorter with the advent of television and online news, readers' attention spans grew shorter as well. Now, there's no guarantee readers will continue to the end of a story, so getting the most important information at the top of the story is more important than ever.

• Learn to Write News Stories
• Six Tips for Writing News Stories That Will Grab a Reader
• How to Avoid Burying the Lede of Your News Story
• 10 Important Steps for Producing a Quality News Story
• These Are Frequently Used Journalism Terms You Need to Know
• Avoid the Common Mistakes That Beginning Reporters Make
• How to Use the Inverted Pyramid in Newswriting
• How to Write a News Article That's Effective
• What Is the Inverted Pyramid Method of Organization?
• Writing News Stories for the Web
• Writing a Lead or Lede to an Article
• Use Verbs and Adjectives to Brighten up Your News Stories
• 5 Key Ingredients for Great Feature Stories
• Learn What a Feature Story Is
• How to Write Feature Stories
• Here's How to Use Attribution to Avoid Plagiarism in Your News Stories

How to Write an Article for a Newspaper: A Step-by-Step Guide

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on June 15, 2023

Categories Writing

Newspaper articles are essential to journalism, providing readers with the latest news and information on various topics. Writing a newspaper article is not like writing any other informative article. It requires a specific format, style, and tone of voice.

If you are interested in writing a newspaper article, this article will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to write an article for a newspaper.

Understanding Newspaper Articles:

Before you start writing a newspaper article, it is essential to understand the basic structure of a newspaper article. A newspaper article has a headline, byline, lead paragraph, body, and conclusion. Each section of a newspaper article serves a specific purpose, and knowing how to write each section effectively is essential. In addition, it is essential to understand the difference between a news article and an opinion piece, as they require different writing styles.

Preparing to Write:

Once you understand the structure and purpose of a newspaper article, it is time to prepare to write. This involves researching the topic, gathering information, and interviewing sources. It is essential to have at least two to three primary sources for your article and to contact them as far in advance as possible. This will make arranging interviews with them easier.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the basic structure of a newspaper article is essential before writing one.
• Preparation is key when writing a newspaper article, including researching the topic and gathering information.
• Writing a newspaper article requires a specific format, style, and tone of voice; knowing the difference between a news article and an opinion piece is essential.

Understanding Newspaper Articles

Definition of newspaper articles.

Newspaper articles are written pieces of information reporting current events or issues. They are published in newspapers and are meant to inform readers about what is happening in the world around them.

The purpose of a newspaper article is to provide factual information in an objective and unbiased manner.

Newspaper articles are typically organized in a specific format, with a headline, a lead paragraph, and the body of the article. The headline is a short, attention-grabbing statement summarizing the article’s main point.

The lead paragraph, or lede, is the article’s opening paragraph, which provides the most important information and sets the tone for the rest of the article.

Types of Newspaper Articles

There are several newspaper articles, each with its purpose and style. Some common types of newspaper articles include:

• News articles: These articles report on current events and are meant to inform readers about what is happening around them. News articles are typically written in a straightforward, objective style.
• Feature articles: These articles are longer and more in-depth than news articles. They focus on a specific topic or issue and provide more background information and analysis. Feature articles are often written in a more narrative style and may include quotes from experts or people involved in the story.
• Opinion articles express the author’s opinion on a specific topic or issue. Columnists or editorial writers often write opinion articles to provide a perspective on the news.
• Reviews: These articles critically evaluate a book, movie, or other cultural product. Reviews are often written by critics and are meant to inform readers about the quality of the product.

In conclusion, understanding the different types of newspaper articles and their purpose is essential for writing a good article. By following a newspaper article’s basic structure and style, writers can effectively inform and engage readers with their stories.

Preparing to Write

Before starting to write a news article, one needs to prepare themselves. This section will cover the three essential sub-sections of preparing to write: researching the topic, identifying the target audience, and outlining the article.

Researching the Topic

The first step in preparing to write a news article is researching the topic. Journalists must gather information from primary and secondary sources to write a credible, well-structured article.

Primary sources are documents or objects created during the event or by someone with direct knowledge, such as interviews, letters, or audio recordings. Secondary sources analyze, interpret, or comment on primary sources, such as books, articles, and reviews.

When researching the topic, it is essential to identify the main points and background information. Journalists must present facts and avoid expressing personal opinions. They should also cite their sources and verify the accuracy of the information.

Identifying the Target Audience

The next step is identifying the target audience. Journalists need to know who their readers are to write an article that is relevant and interesting to them. They should consider the reader’s age, gender, education level, and interests.

For example, if the target audience is teenagers, the article should use simple words, short sentences, and examples that are relevant to their lives. If the target audience is professionals, the article should use technical terms and provide relevant details to their field.

Outlining the Article

The final step is outlining the article. The outline should include a headline, a lead paragraph, and subheadings. The headline should be catchy and summarize the article’s main point. The lead paragraph should provide background information and answer the story’s 5Ws and 1H (who, what, when, where, why, and how).

Subheadings should be used to break up the article into sections and make it easier to read. Each section should have a topic sentence that summarizes the section’s main point. Journalists should use complete sentences and avoid using jargon or technical terms that the reader may not understand.

In conclusion, preparing a news article is essential to writing a well-structured and credible article. Journalists should research the topic, identify the target audience, and outline the article to make it relevant and interesting to their readers.

Writing the Article

Crafting a news article for a newspaper requires a structured approach that ensures the article is informative, engaging, and easy to read. Writing involves crafting a lead paragraph, developing the body, and writing the conclusion.

Crafting the Lead Paragraph

The lead paragraph is the most critical part of a news story. It should grab the reader’s attention and summarize the article’s main points. A good lead paragraph should be concise, engaging, and informative. It should answer the questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Journalists should start with a topic sentence summarizing the article’s main point to craft a good lead paragraph. They should then provide background information, using secondary sources to support their claims. The lead paragraph should be written in short, complete sentences that are easy to understand.

Developing the Body

The body of a news article should provide details, examples, and personal opinions that support the article’s main point. Journalists should use English effectively, choosing strong verbs and avoiding passive voice. They should also use citations to support their claims and avoid plagiarism.

To develop the body of a news article, journalists should start with a clear topic sentence that introduces the paragraph’s main point. They should then provide details and examples that support the topic sentence. Journalists should use short sentences and avoid using complex words that may confuse the reader.

Writing the Conclusion

The conclusion of a news article should summarize the article’s main points and provide a personal opinion or call to action. Journalists should use the conclusion to tie together the article’s main points and give the reader a clear understanding of the topic.

Journalists should start with a topic sentence summarizing the article’s main points to write a good conclusion. They should then provide a personal opinion or call to action that encourages the reader to take action or further research the topic. The conclusion should be written in short, complete sentences that are easy to understand.

In conclusion, writing a news article for a newspaper requires a structured approach that ensures the article is informative, engaging, and easy to read. Journalists can create articles that inform and engage readers by crafting a lead paragraph, developing the body, and writing the conclusion.

Polishing the Article

Editing and revising.

After completing the article’s first draft, editing and revising it to make it more polished is essential. Editing involves checking the article for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. The writer should also ensure that the article flows smoothly and that the sentences are clear and concise.

On the other hand, revising involves changing the article’s content. The writer should evaluate the article’s structure and organization and ensure it is easy to read and understand. They should also remove any repetitive or irrelevant information and focus on the essential points.

Fact-Checking and Citations

Fact-checking is an essential part of writing an article for a newspaper. The writer should ensure that all the information in the article is accurate and factual. They should also verify the sources of information to ensure that they are reliable and trustworthy.

Citations are also crucial in article writing. The writer should give credit to their sources of information by citing them appropriately. This adds credibility to the article and helps readers find the sources to read more about the topic.

When citing sources, the writer should follow the guidelines provided by the newspaper or publication. They should also use the correct citation style, such as APA or MLA.

In conclusion, polishing an article involves editing, revising, fact-checking, and citing sources. By following these steps, the writer can ensure that their article is well-written, accurate, and credible.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you grab the reader’s attention in the first paragraph of a newspaper article.

The first paragraph of a news article is crucial because it sets the tone for the entire piece and determines whether the reader will continue reading.

To grab the reader’s attention, start with a strong lead summarizing the most important information engagingly. Use vivid language and descriptive details to create a sense of urgency and intrigue.

What are the essential elements of a news story?

A news story should include the five W’s: who, what, when, where, and why. It should also answer the H question: how. In addition, a news story should be objective, accurate, and timely. It should provide context and background information to help readers understand the significance of the events being reported.

How do you write a compelling headline for a newspaper article?

A good headline should be concise, informative, and attention-grabbing. It should accurately reflect the article’s content and entice the reader to want to learn more. Use active verbs and strong language to create a sense of urgency and importance. Avoid using puns or wordplay that might confuse or distract the reader.

What are some tips for conducting effective research for a newspaper article?

To conduct effective research for a news article, start by identifying reliable sources of information. These might include government websites, academic journals, and interviews with experts or eyewitnesses.

Be sure to fact-check all information and verify the credibility of your sources. Organize your notes and keep track of your sources to make it easier to write the article later.

How do you structure the body of a newspaper article?

The body of a newspaper article should be organized in a logical and easy-to-follow way. Start with the most important information and work down to the details.

Use short paragraphs and subheadings to break up the text and make it easier to read. Include quotes from sources to provide additional perspectives and insights.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a newspaper article?

Some common mistakes to avoid when writing a news article include using biased language, making assumptions, and including irrelevant or inaccurate information. It’s important to remain objective and stick to the facts.

Avoid sensationalizing the story or injecting your opinions or biases into the article. Finally, proofread your work carefully for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

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Getting it right: this just in: writing news copy into your fiction, part 2.

Last time , we talked about writing print news stories – the kind you would find in your morning newspaper.  Today we’ll talk about how broadcast copy is different, and why.

Write for the ear:   I have a confession.  While I was writing my fake Sotheby’s story for the last installment, I was wincing.  No, actually, it was worse than that.  As I typed that hard news lede, every fiber of my being was screaming, “NONONONO!  This sentence is too damned LONG!”  That’s because, in broadcast news stories, the shorter your sentence is, the better.  Keep in mind that someone is supposed to be reading your words aloud.  If the sentence is too long, the news anchor will have to pause partway through it and take a breath – and guaranteed, he’ll breathe in the wrong place and screw up the flow.  So do yourself a favor and keep your sentences to between ten and 20 words.

You’re absolutely right – 20 words is not very many, and ten will hardly get you started (especially if you interview some self-important person whose title is five or six words long, but I digress).  That’s why you must stick to subject-verb-object sentence construction.  Any subordinate clause needs its own sentence. Continue reading “Getting It Right: This Just In: Writing News Copy into Your Fiction, Part 2”

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Getting it right: stop the presses: writing news copy into your fiction, part 1.

It happens sometimes: Your main character needs a vital piece of information that can only come from a third-party source. So you slip it into a newspaper story, or you put it into the mouth of a TV or radio reporter. There’s nothing wrong with that. But please note that writing credible journalistic prose means following some conventions – conventions that you would do well to follow, if you want to keep your journalist readers from howling, or sobbing brokenly, or reaching for the hooch. Or all three.

I worked as a broadcast journalist for 20 years, including a few years at the network level, before I quit the business and got a real job. I’ve distilled that experience into some pointers on how to make news stories in your novel more realistic.

Writing for broadcast is a little different from writing for print, but the principles behind both are the same. Let’s talk about those principles in the context of newspaper copy first. Continue reading “Getting It Right: Stop the Presses: Writing News Copy into Your Fiction, Part 1”

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Story Inspiration From the News

You may be a writer who has no trouble coming up with plots and story events, tumbling your characters into one mess after another easily and without too much thought.

But if you have trouble devising believable plots, a perusal of newspaper articles, whether on paper or online, could give you enough ideas to last your entire writing career.

I’m not necessarily talking of stealing an idea in full, enough so that readers would recognize the plot or some of the events. I’m talking about using as inspiration a kernel of some story. You may not even use the idea for your main plot—maybe something you read in a newspaper or news magazine is perfect, with a twist or two, for a secondary plot. A piece of back story. The key to a character’s motivation.

Try reading through some stories online. It’s likely that one that interests you will lead you to other stories and other information and additional topics that inspire something for a story you’re working on. Use it. If a topic or oddity or event catches your attention, it’s likely to catch the attention of others as well. So take what you read about or discover and put it to work in your fiction .

But use the tidbit or information in a way that fits your story. That means you might need to change it from its original form. You need the interesting (or unbelievable) event to fit your story’s genre, setting, characters, and other events. You don’t want to steal a story whole from the headlines, as some TV shows do, and plop it into a novel and call it your own. But you can certainly let the events of a true story influence you.

You are already influenced by all sorts of real-life people and events—there’s no prohibition against using topics from the news to add the feel of reality to your fiction.

News reports have shown us—

police killing citizens

citizens killing police

countries invading their neighbors

plane crashes

cruise ship illnesses and accidents

school shootings

kids killing other kids

acts of uncommon bravery

acts of uncommon cruelty

selflessness

selfishness

parents leaving children in hot cars

revenge porn sites

discovery of mummified remains in odd places

the rise of new political groups

wars based on religion

killer diseases

demonstrations based on race or economic factors

hiding of kidnap victims for years

computer hacking

cities falling into ruin

the search for the perfect selfie

teenager revealing too much of her personal life online

not getting a job/getting fired because of negative Internet presence

shoppers killing each other over the last toy, sport shoe, fancy purse

the rise (and possibilities) of 3D printing

wild weather extremes

stories that seem true at first glance but which prove untrue after an investigation

_________________________________________

Can you see it, a mystery based on the discovery of a mummy in a place no mummy should be found? Or maybe a love story based on the same discovery—what if the love story took place two thousand years ago and an explorer finds the remains of one of the lovers today and recreates the love story from the clues left behind?

Or the discovery of a mummy could lead to a horror story. A mummy that’s found and then lost again could make a fun and humorous YA adventure.

So many options out of one news story—don’t feel that you can’t take a snippet from real life and wrap a fictional adventure around it. You can. You can use any piece of information or news that moves you . You can use any piece of information and fashion it into fiction.

Make it Real When you can’t come up with either the main plot or some event or issue that you need as an influence for a character’s motivation or goals or personality, get thee to a newspaper and see if you can’t find something “real” that can be folded into your fiction to flavor it with a touch of authenticity.

Don’t copy events detail by detail, but allow your imagination to grab hold of a real-world event and then add it, like a spice, to your story. Instead of relying on old standards—plot lines that came from some event so far back that you know nothing about it, but likely something based on a real event or a scientific possibility or fear—substitute something more modern: cyber crime for a traditional kidnapping, ruining a person’s reputation via social media rather than killing him, hijacking a plane and hiding it rather than demanding a ransom midflight. Or hide the plane for political purposes. Or merely pretend to hijack and hide it. Maybe you don’t actually take the plane somewhere, maybe your plane never even leaves the airport. With readers primed (from reading the same news stories you read), they may expect a plane to turn up in some hidden airbase. But if you perform some literary sleight of hand, your plane might be hidden at the same airport from which it supposedly departed on its ill-fated trip.

Don’t be shy about taking the influences of the day and working them into your fiction. All ideas come from somewhere—it really is okay to use real-world events to inspire story events. Do you think all the famous novels from the past came solely from the minds of the writers, with no outside influences whatsoever? It’s not true. We are all inspired. So take what moves you and use that inspiration to influence your readers. Make them cry or shudder or laugh because they can imagine such events happening. Give readers believable fiction, events that they can almost see and touch.

Writers of historical fiction do this all the time, borrow real-world events for their novels. They may use a complex event or they may simply pick one thin sliver from the real world—a character related to a famous person, perhaps—but they bring reality to their fiction in a way that readers recognize and respond to.

You can do the same.

Make it real. And don’t hesitate to use the real to color your fictional worlds and events.

Related posts:

• Plot Basics—The Events of Story
• You Got My Attention, But Where’s the Action?
• Story Openings in a Digital World—The First Page is a Sales Tool

Tags: plot , story opening     Posted in: Craft & Style , Recommendations

Posted in Craft & Style , Recommendations

7 Responses to “Story Inspiration From the News”

Great article. Very inspiring.

I agree with your ideas in general, but your reference to the lost plane that crashed into the sea is a tad insensitive… It’s too early to exploit this tragedy as a good story line. I think writers have to be careful not to make a direct reference to sad events that are too easily recognizable. It feels like exploitation to me, which you rightly pointed out, but you used the example nonetheless..

I understand Marie-Claire’s point, but the very fact that such an event – events of that nature – are heart-rending – gives the writer the chance to set out their own reaction to it and may be able to touch the reader in a way that connects each human paving the route to compassion and understanding. Placing the reader in the shoes of the ones left behind, or indeed, the victims. Handled with sensitivity, adding depth to the news story, may help humanity grow. Just my thoughts. Anita

Marie-Claire, as I was falling asleep last night, the very same concern you had was on my mind as well. While I wasn’t trying to single out the one air crash—I was thinking of crashes and aviation incidents in general—because the one was on all our minds, I was second-guessing whether I should have even mentioned the topic. And yet other incidents are as equally difficult for those involved. If I mention a kidnapping, anyone involved in a kidnapping (or maybe even dealing with a child custody issue) will be affected. If I mention murder or embezzlement, those involved in those events will also be affected. If I mention a teenager shot by the police in Ferguson, MO, don’t I stir up the issue for all those involved?

But does all that mean we shouldn’t address certain topics because of the very real human pain involved with those topics? And will waiting a certain amount of time to address those topics and events be any easier on those involved? I rather think not. It may be easier on those of us involved only as bystanders, since we have little attachment to those involved in a tragedy—time and distance do lessen our pain and shock. But those involved will be changed for the rest of their lives; they’ll be affected forever. The passage of time may help the rest of us feel less of an impact, but I don’t think that’s true of those intimately involved. They may feel less raw, but they’ll probably never be the same.

This doesn’t mean we exploit people and their pain for our writing, but we can acknowledge events that touch us in profound ways. We can do what we do—write—as a way to work through pain and overwhelming events. People have always tried to make sense of what doesn’t make sense—writers are in a good position to help them do that. Fiction in particular is a good way to help others make sense of a crazy world. When we see characters in books triumph over pain and sorrow, we realize we can do so as well. At least we have hope that we can triumph.

The point of the article is not about exploiting people’s pain and sorrow, but about opening the fiction writer to possibilities regarding sources for subject matter. I hope that’s what came across.

Thank you for your reply. I take your point and understand that you only have the best of intentions. Having been on the receiving end of tragedy myself (under very different circumstances) it’s possible that I am more sensitised than most people and possibly biased. I’ll admit that on the one hand it’s an excellent example because it’s all over the news, on the other hand because of the timing and emotions are very raw, it could be misconstrued as exploitative. What I mean by timing is “events that just happned” as opposed to events that are already a few months old (like the Ferguson issue). Somehow, it seems to make a difference to me. Of course, it depends how you deal with tragedies around the world: they can be used for good to inspire people or they can be turned into a cheap sensational story. I do appreciate your blogs and certainly don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’ve tried to see things from your point of view, my head says it’s okay, but my heart feels differently.

I’m sorry that you’ve had to deal with a tragedy of your own. Those events change us in ways we could have never expected.

Discussion is good—I’m glad you brought up the point and your concerns. I hope you feel welcome to address any topic here.

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Imagine That! Playing with Genre through Newspapers and Short Stories

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• Instructional Plan
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Middle school students typically understand narration because of their exposure to the structure in their day-to-day lives. Television and movies draw on visual narrative structures; video games rely on background narrative; stories about friends, relatives, or daily experiences are narrated to them; novels and short stories depend on narration. However, students are not as familiar with the expository structures that will dominate the rest of their educational career. This lesson uses narrative structures to introduce students to one form of expository writing—news briefs and articles. By condensing a short story into a newspaper article and expanding an article into a short story, students will explore the ways that exposition differs from narration.

Featured Resources

Story Map Interactive : Use this online tool to map out the elements of students' original writing. The tool can also be used to analyze the characters, plot, and setting of a piece of literature. ReadWriteThink Printing Press : Use this online tool to create a newspaper, brochure, booklet, or flyer. Students choose a layout, add content, and then print out their work. Interactive Venn Diagram : Students use this online tool to compare and contrast the features of two genres of writing. The tool can also be used to organize ideas for a compare and contrast essay or compare and contrast two pieces of literature.

From Theory to Practice

Students learn best when the curriculum is connected to previous knowledge and experiences. Brainstorming what is already known about a topic through a graphic organizer such as a KWL (Know-Want to Know-Learned) chart is therefore beneficial because students see that they already know something about the subject. The same applies to tying instruction to events within the community. This lesson allows students to demonstrate what they already know about news writing through a graphic organizer, using articles related to local current events as models of the genre. There is, research demonstrates, a direct link between reading and writing. As students actively read a variety of texts in different genres, their ability to write in these genres improves. This lesson not only asks students read and analyze a variety of news articles, but it also allows students to use a familiar genre (fiction) as a starting point to writing their own articles. Students gain exposure to reading and writing a new genre while connecting to a more familiar one. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

Materials and Technology

• Newspaper articles. Ideally, choose articles from your local newspaper focusing on city-level articles. You can use the Associated Press Website if you prefer using online articles.
• “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury (Set on Venus where the sun comes out for two hours, once every seven years. Conflict between the student who recently came from earth and the others who have never experienced the sun).
• “War Games” by Nancy Werlin (Neighborhood kids in New York create an elaborate water gun war game over the summer. Themes of peer pressure and friendship. This is also an excellent story to use as a basis for persuasive writing by having students express their opinions about Jo and whether she is “the best friend” Elijah ever had.)
• “The Scribe” by Kristin Hunter (Boy attempts to help his neighbors who are being swindled because of their illiteracy.)
• “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes (A young boy tries to snatch a lady’s purse, but he ends up falling on his face. The lady takes him home and teaches him through kindness.)
• “The Dinner Party” by Mona Gardner (A group of people eating dinner and reacting to a poisonous snake under the table.)
• Anthologies might provide additional options. The two I like best are Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto (Harcourt, 2000), a collection of stories about growing up; and Twelve Shots edited by Harry Mazer (Delacorte, 1997), a collection of stories about guns by contemporary young adult authors including Chris Lynch and Walter Dean Myers. The short story “War Games” comes from this anthology.
• Qualities of Newspaper Articles
• Short Story Prewriting
• Story Outline Rubric

Preparation

• A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words: From Image to Detailed Narrative
• Fairy Tale Autobiographies
• Teaching Voice with Anthony Browne’s Voices in the Park
• Choose the stories you will use with your students. I recommend three to five different short stories so that students are not creating the same news article. Suggestions are listed above.
• Select a few newspaper articles that can be used as guides to provide scaffolding and structure for students. It is easy for students to get lost in their search for articles because of the variety of types of writing in newspapers (expository-informative, persuasive, etc.). Ideally, choose short articles (less than ten news paragraphs long) that convey facts with minimal authorial opinion. Since this lesson is an introduction to genres other than narrative, students should not use editorials or human-interest articles. Save those for another lesson, after students have been exposed to more straight-forward journalistic writing.
• Make copies of the handouts for each student.
• Test the Interactive Interactive Venn Diagram and, if desired, the ReadWriteThink Printing Press and Story Map interactive on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

• compare narrative writing (short stories) to expository writing (news articles)
• gain a basic understanding of expository writing.
• sketch story elements for a short story based on a news article.
• compose a news article based on a short story.

Session One: Gathering Knowledge about Newspaper Articles

• Ask students to list everything they know about newspaper writing as a starter activity. I have students keep a separate Daily Activity notebook. Other teachers use journals or have students complete similar activities on notebook paper.
• Using the board or a blank overhead transparency, write the qualities students offer when asked to share.
• Explain that because they are familiar with newspaper writing, they already have some knowledge of expository writing. Stress that while they will write narratives occasionally, the majority of their writing throughout middle and high school in all their classes will be expository. Tell students that the objective of this lesson is to determine some of the characteristics of the genre of expository writing by examining newspaper articles and to compare these characteristics to those in the genre of fiction (narrative writing).
• Review the elements of narrative writing learned in previous lessons, including plot, setting, and characterization.
• Arrange students into groups of no more than three. This allows students who are more comfortable working alone to do so.
• If you have computer access, direct students to Websites for local newspapers or the Associated Press , which will link to the local newspaper. If you choose, students may also use the online version of the Interactive Venn Diagram. If students will work on it at home you can substitute hand-drawn Venn Diagrams for the online tool.
• If you do not have computer access, pass out copies of the Venn Diagram for each student and copies of preselected articles.
• Pass out copies of the article questionnaire to all students.
• Students will have the rest of the period to read articles that will help them fill out the questionnaire. If students finish the questionnaire before the end of the period, allow them to begin their homework. Circulate among the groups to answer questions and monitor on-task behavior.

Homework: Students should come to class the next session prepared to share their genre comparisons with their peers. Have students complete a Venn diagram with their individual observations that can be used in the next lesson.

Session Two: From Newspaper to Short Story

• As an opening activity, students respond to the following question: summarize the difference between journalistic and fiction writing in no more than three sentences. This is a way for students to revisit the work completed the previous session and as homework. They may use their Venn diagrams to help them prepare a succinct comparison.
• Using the board, an overhead copy of a Venn Diagram, or a computer projection of the diagram, ask students to help you fill in the diagram. Even though students have already made individual comparisons, this activity is useful because it combines the perspectives of many students. Not all students will have the same observations, so this sharing allows you to let students teach each other by pointing out aspects missed by others.
• If no one has mentioned the journalist’s questions (5Ws and how) or pyramid structure, be sure to ask questions that help students notice these common characteristics of journalistic writing.
• You may also want to discuss the use of facts in expository writing, comparing the tone of an article to a short story. Whereas short stories are marked by characters’ and narrators’ opinions, experiences and beliefs, news articles try to maintain an even, unbiased tone.
• Explain that students are going to apply their comparisons by sketching out story elements for a short story based on a news article. The rest of the period will be used to model the activity. Modeling the activity benefits all students because it sets boundaries for those who tend to lose focus on the activity in an effort to impress the teacher. It also demonstrates to students who are afraid to ask questions exactly what is expected from them.
• Pass out copies of a short news article chosen from a recent newspaper, preferably a local newspaper. If you have Internet access for all students, you may direct students to an online story.
• Choose a student volunteer to read the article to the class. Depending on the length of the article, you may have multiple volunteers read aloud.
• After reading the article, arrange students into groups of three to five students and have them sketch out the story elements for a short story based on the article. Pass out the Short Story Prewriting handout to guide student work. Alternatively, students can use the Story Map interactive or Scholastic’s printable Story Map .
• Come together as a whole class and share the story sketches. This may be done orally, via computer projector (if available), on overhead transparencies, or using the board.
• Discuss the various options students have in basing a short story on a news article, and answer any questions students may have about this activity.
• Pass out copies of the news articles to be used for homework along with the Story Outline Rubric , which shows the criteria for the story map that will be due the next class. An example story from a Wisconsin paper can be used if desired. Instruct students to return to the Short Story Prewriting handout as they complete the task. Remind students that they do not have to write in complete sentences, but that their answers should contain many details.

Homework: Students should read their assigned article and complete a sketch of story elements similar to the one completed in class, using their notes and the rubric to help them compose. Note that a story outline is easier for students to complete in one evening than an entire story. If you choose to have students bring their stories to a final draft, the sketches they write serve as a prewriting activity. If you choose to use this activity as a shift of focus from narrative to expository writing, an outline allows students to use their understanding of narrative writing as a bridge to understanding exposition without immersing themselves further into the “old” narrative structure.

Session Three: From Short Story to Newspaper Article

• As an opening activity, have students respond to the following: On a scale of 1–10—1 being extremely easy and 10 being extremely difficult—rate the difficulty of the homework you’ve completed for this session. Explain your rating.
• Allow students time to share their responses to the opener and/or their story sketches.
• Use the prior discussion to lead into another question: Do you think it would be more or less difficult to create a news article from a short story? Such a discussion makes a good lead in to the day’s activities.
• Explain to students that today they will practice condensing a short story into a news article.
• Pass out copies of the short story you wish to use as a model. If it’s in a textbook, make sure all students have access to a textbook.
• Read the story. I prefer reading aloud to the students so that any students with reading difficulties aren’t pressured to read so quickly that comprehension is sacrificed. Students can also read the story silently. Students who are better readers may finish the story ahead of you; so let them know that they should begin writing ideas to use for the class article.
• After everyone has read the story, use suggestions from the class to create a short news article (about three to five paragraphs, so it resembles an AP brief). Return to the information gathered in the first session to review the characteristics of basic news articles.
• Be sure to return to the journalist’s questions and the pyramid structure to reinforce their role in this genre of writing.
• Pass out copies of the stories to be used for homework (if they are in the textbook, give page numbers). Ideally, provide three to five different stories and assign them randomly so that there is variety in the stories that students write in response.
• Explain the assignment and answer any questions. Remind students that the writing due the next session is a draft, not a final copy.

Homework: Students read their assigned short stories and create 3- to 5-paragraph news briefs based on the stories.

• Have students turn one or both of the above assignments into a final draft.
• Use the understanding of journalistic writing to create a newspaper for the next class novel read or as an independent reading project, publishing the pages with the ReadWriteThink Printing Press .
• Analyze the editorial sections of various newspapers to determine how editorials differ from regular reporting. Use a similar process as above as an introduction to persuasive writing.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Assess participation through teacher observation during discussion, group work, and reading activities.
• Check students’ Venn Diagrams and Questionnaires as you would minor assignments, simply noting whether the work was completed, partially completed, or left undone. Focus your assessment on participation and the discussion.
• The rubric for the story sketches can also be used to provide feedback to individual students.
• Calendar Activities
• Student Interactives
• Lesson Plans
• Professional Library

The Story Map interactive is designed to assist students in prewriting and postreading activities by focusing on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution.

The interactive Printing Press is designed to assist students in creating newspapers, brochures, and flyers.

This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.

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CMOS Shop Talk

From the chicago manual of style, how to mention a real newspaper, book, or song in fiction.

Narrators and characters in novels and other creative writing can talk about whatever they want. A character might read the Chicago Sun-Times ; they might say they like to sing “Drivers License” while brushing their teeth. A narrator might mention a famous poem or novel or TV show: “The host didn’t mention that he’d heard the same joke on The Simpsons .”*

Writers often ask how to style such titles. With italics? Quotation marks? Title caps?

The Chicago Way

Many writers don’t know that the default guidelines for styling the titles of works in fiction and other kinds of creative writing are the same as for works of nonfiction, as laid out in CMOS 8.156–201 .

Here’s a rough guide ( CMOS gives much more detail and many examples):

Titles of books, newspapers, magazines, plays, lengthy poems, movies, television series, and long musical works such as operas are in italics and headline caps: Native Son (novel), the Hyde Park Herald (newspaper), Womankind (magazine), Dune (movie, book), Hamilton (musical play), etc.

Titles of book chapters, stories, magazine and newspaper articles, television episodes, short poems, and songs are in quotation marks and headline caps: “Cyrus and Jeanette” (book chapter), “How to Fix a Flat Tire” (newspaper article), “And Still I Rise” (poem), “ ’Round Midnight” (song), etc.

It’s a longstanding convention in publishing that all titles of the same kind of work (book, magazine, song, etc.) should be styled consistently. Thus, for instance, every book title mentioned in a manuscript will be in italics and title caps. Likewise, all titles of magazine articles in a manuscript will be in headline caps and quotation marks. The alternative—allowing inconsistent styles for the same kind of work—doesn’t sit well with editors.

Here’s a passage from “A Fire in Winter,” a chapter in Clifford Garstang’s story collection House of the Ancients, and Other Stories (2020) that mentions two book titles:

The encyclopedia keeps burning, but doesn’t do enough to combat the cold. He pulls books from the shelves at random: Three Men in a Boat , from 1889, is ashes in minutes; The Story of the Typewriter , from 1923, lasts a bit longer. (93)

And here’s a passage from the novel Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day (2021) that mentions a newspaper and a book title:

The first news of Agatha Christie’s death reached Bridget the next day on the Tube, from the Daily Mirror held by a young lady with dark, flaking nail polish and messy hair. . . . Bridget dug into her carry-all and brought out the book she’d brought along. Dead Man’s Folly , her favorite. (409)

Creative License

You might feel certain you’ve read novels or stories where titles of works were not styled according to Chicago’s preferences. You’re probably right, and there are several possible reasons for that.

The text is old.

Classic writers in English like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen often referred to current-day or historical newspapers, magazines, and musical works in their writings. Their styling of titles, needless to say, was not according to CMOS . Modern publishers of the classics must decide whether to follow the writer’s original manuscript (if it exists), reproduce an early-edition styling, or impose modern styles.

In more than one modern edition of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey that I checked, for example, the titles of popular novels appear in simple title caps, as they did in the book’s first edition in 1818. For example,

“I will read you their names directly; here they are, in my pocketbook. Castle of Wolfenbach, Clermont, Mysterious Warnings, Necromancer of the Black Forest, Midnight Bell, Orphan of the Rhine, and Horrid Mysteries.”

Pages 68 and 69 of Northanger Abbey , by Jane Austen (London, 1818).

In context, the titles work fine without italics. Clearly, the simpler style is an option as long as it doesn’t cause problems elsewhere.

The writer or editor objects.

Some writers and editors argue that people “can’t speak italics,” and that therefore titles within dialogue must remain in roman type. But people don’t speak in punctuation or capital letters either, yet we rely on those symbols to convey meaning in written dialogue. And how would it be a good idea to use italics for titles in narrative, but not in dialogue?

In any case, in contemporary creative writing, it’s usual for titles of works to appear in italics even within dialogue:

“You read the Mirror ? Those headlines will get to anyone.” (Lori Rader-Day, Death at Greenway [2021], 411)

“Remember the famous trials of Madame Bovary , Ulysses , Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Lolita ?” (Azar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books [2008] , 129)†

 “No one reads Harper’s , anyway,” Daphne said. (Cathleen Schine, The Grammarians [2019], 216)

Slightly more convincing is the objection that italics should be reserved for conveying emphasis , but I give readers enough credit to know that the police chief isn’t shouting the name of the newspaper when he says, “Burke, have you seen this morning’s Star ?” In fact, italics help clarify that the chief isn’t inviting Burke to look at the sky.

The publisher doesn’t use Chicago style.

Although CMOS is used around the world in English-language publishing, some publishers have their own house guides. And sometimes a style asserts itself regardless of house preference. In this bit of dialogue from Agatha Christie’s 1970 Passenger to Frankfurt , enforcing Chicago style would result in a tangle of quotation marks around the song titles ( CMOS 8.194 ). However, someone made a good call in favor of italics:

“Not any tune I know,” said Jim Brewster. “It might be the Internationale or the Red Flag or God Save the King or Yankee Doodle or the Star-Spangled Banner . What the devil is it?” (173)

Readers appreciate consistency in the way titles appear in a text. Although certain styles have become more or less standard and expected, creative writers may have reasons to depart from them. A style guide and/or copyeditor can help you choose the best solution for your book or story. Smart writers and copyeditors keep track of exceptions on a separate style sheet.

Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey . New York: Penguin Classics, 1995. First published in 1818.

Christie, Agatha. Passenger to Frankfurt . New York: Dodd, Mead, 1970.

Garstang, Clifford. “A Fire in Winter.” In House of the Ancients, and Other Stories . Winston-Salem, NC: Press 53, 2020.

Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books . New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008.

Rader-Day, Lori. Death at Greenway . New York: William Morrow, 2021.

Schine, Cathleen. The Grammarians: A Novel . New York: Sarah Crichton Books, 2019.

* You don’t need permission to mention the titles of other works in a story or novel. However, if you quote from them, you may need to obtain permission from the copyright holder. Sometimes a fee is involved. In the young adult novel Overboard , by Elizabeth Fama (Chicago: Cricket Books, 2002), permission was needed because the main character, Emily, sings eight lines of the Beatles song “Blackbird” on one page (61), and thinks four lines of the song elsewhere (63). Here’s the permission acknowledgment on the copyright page of Overboard (which incidentally eschews Chicago style for the song title):

Blackbird , by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Copyright © 1968 (Renewed) Sony/ATV Tunes LLC. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

† In academic writing, a title within a title calls for typographical distinction. Thus, in a Chicago-style source citation, the title of Nafisi’s memoir would be styled Reading “Lolita” in Tehran . See CMOS 14.94 .

Top image: Watercolor of a man reading the news of the Emancipation Proclamation (detail), by H. L. Stephens, ca. 1863. Library of Congress, Cabinet of American illustration .

Fiction+ posts at Shop Talk reflect the opinions of its authors and not necessarily those of The Chicago Manual of Style or the University of Chicago Press.

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2 thoughts on “ how to mention a real newspaper, book, or song in fiction ”.

I agree with you that it isn’t practical!

This has come up a few times recently for me. I am especially interested in this part: “It’s a longstanding convention in publishing that all titles of the same kind of work (book, magazine, song, etc.) should be styled consistently. Thus, for instance, every book title mentioned in a manuscript will be in italics and title caps.” Writers have been telling me they wish to respect the preference of the author of the quoted work in terms of capitalization, so you might have a title in all lower-case, one with caps for The or An, etc. But it seems to me there’s no Original Title to go back to: it can be different on the title page, the cover, the publisher’s website, the ISBN record, and so on. And if you “respect” all the preferences of all the authors, you end up with a dog’s breakfast. What do you think of the respecting-the-preference argument?

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