Writing newspaper articles for kids

Writing a news article is different from writing other articles or informational pieces, because news articles present information in a specific way. It’s important to be able to convey all the important information in a limited word count and giving the best information to your targeted audience. Knowing how to write a news article can help you expand a journalism career, exercise your writing skills and convey information clearly and concisely.

Steps Edit

Part One of Three:
Planning Your Article Edit

Research your topic. To begin writing a news article you need to research the topic you will be writing about extensively. In order to have a credible, well written, well structured article, you have to know the topic well.

• 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.
• Begin by asking yourself the “5W’s” (sometimes “6W’s”). [1]
  • 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?

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Compile all your facts.

• Once you can clearly answer the “5W’s”, jot down a list of all the pertinent facts and information that needs to be included in the article. Organize your facts into three groups:
  • 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.

  Create an article outline. Your outline, and subsequently your article, should be structured for like an inverted triangle. The inverted triangle allows you to build your story so that the most important information is at the top. [2]

  
  • If you’ve ever heard the term “burying the lead”, that is in reference to the structure of your article. [3] The “lead” is the first sentence of the article – the one you “lead” with. Not “burying the lead” simply means that you shouldn’t 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.
  

  Know your audience. In order to write a great news article you need to know exactly who you are writing for. Your audience will dictate the voice and tone of your article and help you to know what you should include.

  • Ask yourself the “5W’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.

  Find an angle. Why is this article unique to you? What is your voice? These questions will help you to make your news article unique and something that only you could write.

  • 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.

  Interview people. When writing a news article, interviewing people and getting a first hand source on your topic can be invaluable. And while reaching out to people and asking for an interview may seem daunting, it can greatly affect the credibility and authority of your article. [4]

  • 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.

  Part Two of Three:
  Writing Your News Article Edit

  Start with the lead. Begin with a strong leading sentence. News articles begin with a leading sentence that is meant to grab a reader’s attention and interest them. This is one of the most important parts of the piece, so start with the the good stuff when writing a news article. Remember the inverted triangle.

  • 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.

  Give all the important details. The next important step to writing news articles is including all the relevant facts and details that relate to your lead statement. Include the basics of what happened, where and when it took place, who is involved and why it’s newsworthy.

  • 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.

  Follow up main facts with additional information. After you’ve listed all the primary facts in your news article, include any additional information that might help the reader learn more, such as contact information, additional facts about the topic or people involved, or quotes from interviews.

  • 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.

  Conclude your article. Congratulate your readers for sticking with you to the end by giving the reader something to take away, like potential solutions to the problem or challenges expressed in your article.

  • 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.

  How do I write a science news article related?

  Answered by wikiHow Contributor

  • Well-written news articles on science topics should be able to explain scientific concepts clearly and understandably to the layperson. You can start by writing about a new study that was done and summarize its results. Get some opinions on the subject by conducting interviews with the people behind the study and other experts. Remember to explain any jargon or complex concepts.

  What are some qualities of a good news writer?

  Answered by wikiHow Contributor

  • The main qualities of a good news writer is the ability to search out a news worthy event or idea that others may find interesting. They are clear, concise, and relate to their audience.

  How do I write an article to a newspaper on the benefits and misuse of mobile phones in our lives?

  Answered by wikiHow Contributor

  • Write it the same way you would any other article. Compile your facts, craft a good lead, and support it with the information you gathered. You can also write a less formal letter to the editor to comment on social issues regarding mobile phones.