1. lcome to the world of
urnalism, where
porters have been
gging dirt, raking muck,
king headlines and
adlines for centuries
w. It’s a history full of
bloid trash, of slimy
nsationalists, of
runkards, deadbeats and
mmers” (as a Harvard
iversity president once
scribed reporters).
But it’s a history full of
roes, too: men and
men risking their lives
tell stories of war and
agedy, risking
prisonment to defend
ee speech. And as you
n see here, reports have
come beloved characters
p culture, too, turning up
movies, comics and TV
ows as if guided by an
cult hand.
Every culture seeks
effective ways to spread
new information and gossip.
In ancient times, news was
written on clay tablets. In
Caesar’s age, Romans read
newsletters compiled by
correspondents and
handwritten by slaves.
Wandering minstrels spread
news (and the plague) in the
Middle Ages. Them came
ink on paper. Voices on
airwaves. Newsreels, Web
sites, And 24-hour cable
news networks.
Thus when scholars
analyze the rich history of
journalism, some view it in
terms of technological
progress—for example, the
dramatic impact of
bigger, faster printing
presses.
Others see journalism as
a specialized form literary
expression, one that’s
constantly
evolving, reflecting and
shaping its culture.
Others see it as an
inspiring quest for free
speech, an endless power
struggle between Authority
(trying to control
information) and the People
(trying to learn the truth).
Which brings to mind the
words of A.J. Liefling:
“Freedom of the press is
guaranteed only to htose
who own one.”
In the pages ahead, we’ll
take a quick tour of 600
years of journalism
history, from hieroglyphics
to hypertext: the media, the
message and the politics.
Technical advances and
brilliant ideas forged a new
style of journalism. It was a
century of change, and
newspapers changed
dramatically. The typi
newspaper of 1800 wa
undisciplined mishma
legislative proceeding
long-winded essays a
secondhand gossip. B
1900, a new breed of
tor had emerged. Jour
had become big busin
Reporting was becom
disciplined craft. And
newspapers were bec
more entertaining and
essential than ever, w
most of the features w
expect today: Snappy
headlines, Ads, Comic
Sports pages. And an
“inverted pyramid” sty
writing that made stori
tighter and newsier.
Radio and television
brought an end to
newspapers’ media
monopoly. Why? Well
yourself: Which did yo
Newswriting basics
Inside Reporting
Tim Harrower
3

2. NewswritingBasics
2
Just the facts
The five W’s
The inverted pyramid
Beyond the basic news Lead
Leads that succeed
After the lead…what next?
 (continued)

3. Newswriting basics
3
(continued)
Story structure
Rewriting
Editing
Newswriting style
Making Deadline

4. Just the Facts
4
 Good reporters respect
integrity of facts.
 Facts tell the story.
 Readers draw their own
conclusions.
You must try to be objective. Truthful. Fair.

5. The Five W’s
5
Facts usually fall into

6. The Five W’s
6
The WHO
Readers love stories that
focus on people.
WHO keeps it real.
Who’s involved?
Who’s affected?
Who’s going to benefit?
Who’s getting screwed?
The WHAT
WHAT gives news its
substance.
Stories become dry and
dull if they focus too much
on WHAT.
Need WHO.

7. The Five W’s
7
The WHEN
Timeliness essential to every
story.
When events happened or will
happen.
How long they lasted or will last.
The WHERE
The closer the event, the
more relevant it is for
readers.
Many stories require
supplements.
Map
Diagram
Photo

8. The Five W’s
8
The WHY
Finding explanations
difficult.
The WHY is what makes
news meaningful.
The HOW
Often requires detailed
explanation.
Sometimes omitted to save
space.
Readers love “how-to”
stories.

9. The Inverted Pyramid
9
Newswriting format summarizes most important facts at story’s start

10. The Inverted Pyramid
10
Summarize first.
Explain later.
Resolve everything in the
beginning.
Allows editors to trim stories
from bottom.
The typical news story uses the inverted pyramid

11. Writing Basic News Leads
11
 Collect all your facts.
 Lead should summarize.
 The more you know, the easier
it is to summarize.
How to write an effective news lead
•Sum it up. Boil it down.
• List who, what, when,
where, why of story.

12. Writing Basic News Leads
12
 Writing leads often a
process of trial and error.
 Try different approaches.
How to write an effective news lead
•Create different leads using
the…
• Who.
• What.
• When.
• Where.
• Why.

13. Writing Basic News Leads
13
 Prioritize the five W’s.
 Lead contains the most
important facts.
 Which of the key facts deserves
to start the first sentence?
How to write an effective news lead
•Rethink. Revise. Rewrite.
• Is it clear?
• Is it active?
• Is it wordy?
• Is it compelling?

14. Writing Basic News Leads
14
 Basic news leads can be too
dull and dry.
 All good reporters spend
time searching for the
perfect lead.
Not every story begins with a roundup of essential facts

15. Beyond the Basic News Lead
15
 Be accurate.
 Remember what day it is.
 Don’t name names.
 Use strong verbs.
Story checklist
 Ask “Why should I care?”
 Sell the story.
 Don’t get hung up.
 Move attributions to the end of
the sentences.

16. Leads That Succeed
16
 Basic news leads
 Anecdotal/ narrative leads
 Scene-setter leads
 Blind leads
 Roundup leads
A roundup of commonly used options
• Direct address leads
• The startling statement
• Wordplay leads

17. Leads That Succeed
17
Basic news leads
 Summary lead
 Combines five W’s into one
sentence.
 Delayed identification lead
 Withholds the name of the
person in question until
the second paragraph
A roundup of commonly used options
• Immediate identification lead
• Uses a public figure or
celebrity in the sentence.

18. Leads That Succeed
18
 Anecdotal/ narrative leads
 Have a beginning, middle and
end.
 Will be mini-story with
symbolic resonance for bigger
story.
A roundup of commonly used options
• Scene-setter leads
• Lack urgency of hard-news
leads.
• Borrowed from fiction.
• Blind leads
• Extreme delayed information
lead.
•Deliberately teases reader.

19. Leads That Succeed
19
 Roundup leads
 Rather than focus on one
person, place or
thing, impress reader with
longer list.
 Direct address leads
 Use second-person voice.
A roundup of commonly used options
• The startling statement
• Also called a “zinger” or a
“Hey, Martha”
• Wordplay leads
• Encompass wide range of
amusing leads.
• Watch out. These can be
corny.

20. Leads That Succeed
20
 Topic leads
 Convey no actual news.
 Question leads
 Are irritating stalls.
 Quote leads
 Don’t fairly summarize the story.
…and three lazy leads you should usually reconsider

21. After the Lead…What Next?
21
 Know how long the story should
be.
Add another paragraph
Write the nut graf
• Paragraph that condenses the
story idea into nutshell.

22. Story Structure
22
 No one-size-fits-all solution.
 Every story unfolds in a
different way.
Giving an overall shape to writing

23. Story Structure
23
 The inverted pyramid
 Use for:
 News briefs.
 Breaking news.
Organizing your story
Most important facts
Additional facts
More facts
Etc., Etc.
Etc.

24. Story Structure
24
 The martini glass
 Use for:
 Crimes.
 Disasters.
 Dramatic stories.
The lead
Key facts in inverted-
pyramid form
Chronology of events
Kicker
Giving an overall shape to writing

25. Story Structure
25
 The kabob
 Also called Wall Street Journal formula, the
focus lead or the Circle.
 Use for:
 Trends.
 Events where you want to show
actual people.
Giving an overall shape to writing
Anecdote
Nut graf
Meat
Meat
Meat
Anecdote

26. Story structure
26
 Modern journalist’s job
basically boils down to
 Teaching.
 Storytelling.
Keeping readers from getting bored
• Use narratives when you can.
• Think like a teacher.

27. Story structure
27
 Keep paragraphs short.
 Write one idea per
paragraph.
 Add transitions.
Writing tips as you move from paragraph to paragraph
Alternatives to long, gray
news stories
Bullet items
Sidebars
Subheads
Other storytelling
alternatives

28. Story structure
28
 Good writers agonize over the
kicker as much as the lead.
 Plan ahead.
 Don’t end with a summary.
 Avoid clichés.
 End with a bang.
The big finish

29. Rewriting
29
 Writing is rewriting.
 Make things a little better.
 Few stories arrive fully formed and
perfectly phrased.
 Most require rethinking, restructuring
and rewording.
Good story. Now make it better.

30. Rewriting
30
 Passive verbs
 Start sentences with their
subjects.
 Replace to be with stronger
verbs.
 Redundancy
 Avoid unnecessary modifiers.
Reasons to hit the delete key
5
Wordy sentences
Jargon & journalese
Filter out jargon and
officialese.
Clichés
Lower the IQ of your
writing.

31. Editing
31
 Before you write
 Assigning story.
 Planning angle.
 Estimating scope.
 Anticipating packaging.
The role editors play in your stories
While you write
Adding details.
Monitoring speed.
Fine-tuning.
Layout changes.

32. Editing
32
 After you write
 Editing content.
 Copy editing.
 Cutting or padding.
 Assigning follow-up stories.
The role editors play in your stories

33. Newswriting style
33
 Every news outlet
customizes guidelines.
 Copy desk’s job to
standardize style.
 Know AP and your news
outlet’s style.
Who’s right?

34. AP Style Highlights
34
 Numbers
 Titles
 Capitalization
 Abbreviations
 Addresses
The Internet
Parentheses
Possessives
Prefixes
And others…

35. Making deadline
35
 Deadlines are mandatory.
 Pass the deadline checklist.
 Accuracy.
 Fairness and balance.
 Writing style.
Live by the clock

36. lcome to the world of
urnalism, where
porters have been
gging dirt, raking muck,
king headlines and
adlines for centuries
w. It’s a history full of
bloid trash, of slimy
nsationalists, of
runkards, deadbeats and
mmers” (as a Harvard
iversity president once
scribed reporters).
But it’s a history full of
roes, too: men and
men risking their lives
tell stories of war and
agedy, risking
prisonment to defend
ee speech. And as you
n see here, reports have
come beloved characters
p culture, too, turning up
movies, comics and TV
ows as if guided by an
cult hand.
Every culture seeks
effective ways to spread
new information and gossip.
In ancient times, news was
written on clay tablets. In
Caesar’s age, Romans read
newsletters compiled by
correspondents and
handwritten by slaves.
Wandering minstrels spread
news (and the plague) in the
Middle Ages. Them came
ink on paper. Voices on
airwaves. Newsreels, Web
sites, And 24-hour cable
news networks.
Thus when scholars
analyze the rich history of
journalism, some view it in
terms of technological
progress—for example, the
dramatic impact of bigger,
faster printing presses.
Others see journalism as
a specialized form literary
expression, one that’s
constantly evolving,
reflecting and shaping its
culture.
Others see it as an
inspiring quest for free
speech, an endless power
struggle between Authority
(trying to control
information) and the People
(trying to learn the truth).
Which brings to mind the
words of A.J. Liefling:
“Freedom of the press is
guaranteed only to htose
who own one.”
In the pages ahead, we’ll
take a quick tour of 600
years of journalism history,
from hieroglyphics to
hypertext: the media, the
message and the politics.
Technical advances and
brilliant ideas forged a new
style of journalism. It was a
century of change, and
newspapers changed
dramatically. The typi
newspaper of 1800 wa
undisciplined mishma
legislative proceeding
long-winded essays a
secondhand gossip. B
1900, a new breed of
tor had emerged. Jour
had become big busin
Reporting was becom
disciplined craft. And
newspapers were bec
more entertaining and
essential than ever, w
most of the features w
expect today: Snappy
headlines, Ads, Comic
Sports pages. And an
“inverted pyramid” sty
writing that made stori
tighter and newsier.
Radio and television
brought an end to
newspapers’ media
monopoly. Why? Well
yourself: Which did yo
Newswriting basics
Inside Reporting
Tim Harrower
3