Writing a News Story on the Web? 15 Tips to Make Your Story Shine
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by: J. Doyle
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Word Count: 340
With millions of people reading news online, there is still no clear style to news writing on the web. While some traditional news writing tips work with online writing, some additional factors have emerged that can help make a story receive traffic and become popular. Here is a list of some traditional tips and web-specific tips that currently work for successful online news writing:
1. Write short sentences and paragraphs and take out unnecessary words since newspaper writing is more about getting information to readers quickly.
2. Check and double-check your facts and spell names correctly since an inaccurate piece can ruin a writer's credibility.
3. Grab the reader's attention with a strong lead to make the reader want to continue.
4. Have one idea for each sentence.
5. Add images, audio, or video to complement your story.
6. Focus on the reader and figure out what questions he or she would like answered.
7. Talk to experts in a particular field for ideas on important aspects deserving discussion.
8. Try to speak with people on both sides of the issue and include them in the story.
9. Consider using bullets and lists since readers on the web tend to scan information.
10. Keep headlines clear since readers can lose respect if the article does not provide the expected information.
11. Read the story out loud to see if it flows and rewrite long or complicated sentences.
12. Link to related stories, which can help readers get additional information without you having to repeat past information.
13. Discuss the human side of the story by offering quotes or something personal of an affected individual
14. Use active voice and avoid passive verbs and run-on sentences.
15. Consider adding humor to the story (depending on the piece) since this can be more acceptable on the web.
I hope these tips help you receive more traffic and readers!
About the Author
J. Doyle writes articles for http://www.vixles.com where the user becomes the reporter and writes the news! Report anything including a barbecue, a lost dog, or any breaking news on your block. Visit our site today!
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