How to Write a News Article
News is information about events that have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur. News articles cover topics of general interest to the public, ranging from national and international events to local news. The types of things that are considered newsworthy differ from society to society. For example, some societies consider it newsworthy when a celebrity dies or is involved in scandal. Others find stories about health or the environment to be newsworthy, while still others consider it newsworthy when a person wins a race or becomes president.
To write a news article, start by researching your topic. Gather as much factual information about the topic as possible, and create an outline of the facts based on their importance. Use the upside-down pyramid format to help you keep track of your ideas, and make sure you have a byline, a summary paragraph and a list of citations (see this lesson on sourcing for more information).
Once you’ve gathered your sources, write a headline that is short, snappy and captures readers’ attention. Then write a lead, or the first paragraph, that includes many of the basic facts about your story and allows readers to decide whether they want to read more of your news article.
The rest of the news article should be a logical progression of the facts about your story. End with a strong conclusion that is often a restatement of the title or a statement indicating potential future developments on your topic.