Writing a News Story - The Dos and Don'ts

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News stories can often be difficult to write.

Knowing what content is relevant, and how to make the story easy to understand can sometimes feel like a lot of pressure- so we have compiled a list of Dos and Don’ts for writing your news stories!

Person writing in a note book at a desk with a cup of coffee, a pen, some books, and a laptop

 

Don't
  • Just Post an Image - If you have media like a poster, or leaflet, it can be tempting to post it as its own news story with no text. For accessibility, this is a don't.. Accessibility features can not read text from images, so people relying on these features will not be able to access the information they need from your story. Instead we recommend write out the text in the news story, and post the image alongside. 
  • Use Unrelated Images - Sometimes with just text a page can look empty, so it can be tempting to add an image to the page, even if it is unrelated to the point of the story. Avoid doing this and keep all content on the page relevant to the story.
  • Add too Much Padding - If you can get your point across in 2 sentences, do it! Too much needless padding can take away from the main point of your story. So keep it short and snappy!
  • Type in All Caps - Typing in all caps can come across as aggressive, and 'shouty'. Although it can feel like you are simply trying to draw attention to your point, it can be off putting for viewers!
  • Rush - Finally, don't rush! Take your time on your story. You can always save your story as a draft and come back to it later, sometimes stepping away for some time can help the creative juices flow!
Do
  • Use Short and Snappy Sentences - The average time that most people spend on one website page is 54 seconds, meaning theorem simple you can make your point the better!
  • Be Transparent - Make sure the information is relevant, true, and not misleading!
  • Spell Check - Keep an eye on your spelling!
  • Write a Snappy, Informative Headline - The first thing a reader will see is the headline of your article, so try to make it as informative and eye-catching as possible. Be clear as to what your story is about, and keep it under about 15 words!
  • Add Meta Tags* - Meta Tags are key words used by search engines like Google and Bing to show the most relevant search results. If you want your article to come up at the top of people's searches, add relevant Meta Tags!
  • Use Clear Language - Steer clear of using jargon, or overly technical terms. People have come to your site to learn, so try to make your content as simple as possible!
  • Use Images to Illustrate your Story - Pictures speak 1000 words, so use them! Doing some renovations? Planted a new tree? Sometimes an image will elevate your News Story to the next level, so if possible, add a relevant, high quality image to your story! (But be sure to add Alt-Text!)

* Please see - What are Meta Tags and Why Should I Use Them?

Published: 27/03/2022 Published by: WJPS

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