This short how-to guide is for those who want to learn the basics of constructing a news story.
It’s based on the article Essential elements of a news story by John Allen (Former Executive Editor of BBC Radio News).
How to write news
In journalism, you don’t save the best for last. Whether you are writing for a blog, a local paper, or a professional news outlet, your goal is to deliver the most important information immediately. Follow these four steps to structure your story like a professional.
- Ask the six essential questions: Before you start writing, you must gather the facts. Here are the six questions every news story must answer:
- Who is the story about?
- What happened?
- Where did it take place?
- When did it occur?
- Why did it happen?
- How did it happen?
- Structure with the inverted pyramid: Imagine a pyramid turned upside down. The widest part (the most important information) goes at the top.
- The lead: Your first paragraph should summarise the essence of the story. If a reader reads thi only, they should still walk away with the vital facts.
- Supporting details: Expand on the lead with quotes, immediate impacts, and evidence.
- The tail: Use this for background context that is nice to know but not essential.
- John Allen’s cotton price test: Rank details by relevance to the reader. In the piece this how-to is based on, John Allen uses the example of cotton prices:
- The fact: Cotton prices fell by 15%. (the lead)
- The impact: How this affects farmers and consumer prices. (details)
- The reaction: What experts say. (aAdditional information)
- Refine for impact:
- Keep it short: Aim for a lead of around 20 words or less.
- Active voice: Say “The council decided” rather than “The decision was made.”
- Attribute everything: Always state where your information came from.
