Due to the number of means of communication like television and the Internet, nowadays, news travel at the speed of the light. Even though it may seem easy, making a great news story is very difficult since one has to make a story that stands out from thousands of others. If you are starting a new job at the local news station or local newspapers, and you want to make a great news story, here is everything you need to know.
The first that we have to clear up is that making a news story includes both recording and reporting and writing. So you can choose the film your story and do some interviews or you can write a newspaper article. According to tidbar.com, you need to be objective and not let your personal feelings get in the way.
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Obviously, the first thing you have to do is to find an interesting and newsworthy story to write about. Are you wondering where to start looking? Well, think about the most common places where current stories happen. Go to the city hall, a courthouse, a mayor’s office or a police precinct. The chances are that you will find your story there. If you don’t want to write a story to be about politics, why not attend football or basketball game of the local high school, and report on that?
Upon finding the perfect story for you, you have to research it at great length. One of the most important things when creating a news story is to gather all the facts and double check them. If you don’t get your facts straight, you will probably end up with holes in your story. Besides researching the story, you have to plan the interviews. Not only do you have to research the story, but you also have to research person or persons you’re interviewing. A good interviewer always comes prepared to an interview. You should plan the interview in advance and write down all the questions, but be aware that the best interviews are more like conversations. Give space to the person you’re interviewing and you will probably get more information.
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Once you have conducted all the interviews and double checked all the information, it’s time to actually write it down. If you are writing a news article, there is a certain pattern you have to follow. In a way, the first sentence is the most important thus you have to write it carefully. The first sentence of your article should interest the readers. It shouldn’t be too long and complex, but short and simple, and yet it has to clearly state the topic of the article. The next thing to add is the relevant facts, which means you should write about what happened when it happened, how was involved in it and so on. Furthermore, you should add additional details about the main occurrence and its participants, which you collected during your research and interviews. In the end, you should conclude the article. As mentioned above, you cannot state your own, personal opinion in the article. The first rule of being a good reporter is to be objective and impartial. Instead, you should conclude the article with something like possible solutions to a presented problem.
Source: AdobeStock
The last thing you should do before publishing your article is proofreading it and correcting any mistakes you find. Then, check all the information like names, dates, and addresses again. Nothing will say unprofessional as a misspelled name. At last, check if the article is in accordance with the AP style, and provide your editor with a copy of your article before publishing it. Even though you have read it and corrected all the mistakes, it is always a good idea to have it analyzed by another person.
To conclude, if you are looking for your great news story, here are some major things you have to know and comply with. Consider carefully which topic you want to write about and start your research.
