Any tips to writing a good journalistic article?
Ive just got a few questions…
You know in an essay, within your introduction, you very briefly state all your points…do you do that in a journalistic article?
Also, my paragraphs are pretty big…is that ok?
Any other tips for me? Thankyou so much!
Favorite Answer
A lot of articles are written in what is called “inverted pyramid” style where the most important information is placed near the beginning of the article and the less important information is placed near the end of the article. An article usually begins with a lead which is designed to attract your reader to continue reading your article instead of passing on it for another. Your lead can be an anecdote, a quotation, a question, or even just a startling fact. It just has to get the reader’s attention. After your lead, describe the basic information of the event- the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why) and the H (how). Then go on and describe what happened in detail, starting with the most important information.
This is just one way to approach writing an article- there are many different ways. Look in the newspaper to see how their articles are written, maybe it would help to compare the styles of different reporters.
To answer your second question, reporters generally use smaller paragraphs then found in other types of writing. This is generally done to keep the reader’s interest.
I hope all of this information helps you! I do have one major tip for you: visit newsu.org. This is an e-learning website run by The Poynter Institute (a leading Journalism organization) that offers basic courses on everything from basic reporting to diversity to lead and headline writing. It’s an awesome resource.