Writing clear impactful sentences and choosing the right language, style and tone is essential for all news journalists.
This guide provides a foundation for writing news clearly and effectively. Following a consistent style helps your audience understand the facts without being distracted by complicated language.
The guide is based on the article Journalism – language and style, which we recommend you read before applying the checklist below.
Checklist for clear news writing
- [ ] Write for a single person: Imagine you are telling the story to one friend or family member to keep your tone natural and direct.
- [ ] Use short sentences: Try to keep each sentence to about 25 words or fewer to make the information easier to digest. See: The power of words.
- [ ] Stick to one idea per sentence: Do not crowd your writing with too many facts at once; let each point breathe.
- [ ] Choose simple words: Use everyday language that everyone can understand and avoid using long or academic words when short ones work better.
- [ ] Explain essential jargon: If you must use a technical term that is vital to the story, provide a simple definition immediately.
- [ ] Use the active voice: Write sentences where the subject performs the action, such as the police arrested the man, rather than the man was arrested by the police. See: The active and passive voices in news
- [ ] Remove unnecessary words: Check your work for words that do not add meaning and delete them to make your writing tighter. See: Clarity is as important as accuracy.
- [ ] Be specific with your verbs: Use strong, descriptive verbs that tell the reader exactly what happened instead of relying on many adjectives. See: Adjectives and adverbs in news.
- [ ] Avoid clichés and tired phrases: Do not use overused expressions that have lost their impact; original and simple descriptions are more powerful. See: Clichés, journalese, and jargon.
- [ ] Read your work aloud: This helps you find awkward phrasing or sentences that are too long to be read in one breath.
Summary
Mastering these basics ensures that your reporting is accessible to the widest possible audience. By focusing on simplicity, brevity, and clarity, you remove the barriers between the news and the reader.
Related material
