How to Write a Sidebar

A sidebar is a tool used by newspapers and magazines to increase the interest in a main article or story. The sidebar should be its own separate companion piece to the article that will encourage readers to read the more detailed article.

Instructions

1. Write the sidebar before you write the main article. Doing this often allows you to focus your main article around the points that are in the sidebar. The sidebar expresses the small tidbits of information that you expand upon in the article or story.

2. Use extra information from your main story. As you research the main story, you will generate more information than you can use. Put this information in a sidebar. You can use bullets to show quick statistical facts.

3. Create a quiz. A sidebar can be a quiz that relates to the content in your article. For example, if your main article is on dating, you might include a quiz on finding out what type of date the reader is.

4. List information to generate interest. You can create a list of the top 10 reasons people do something, or you can use a list of things that people have in common with the article. Number the list and try to keep it to around 10 points.

5. Note resources. Your article may link to other topics of interest. Rather than putting this information in the main article or story you can write it in a sidebar. This makes the resource more noticeable and gives you the content you need for your sidebar.

6. Follow the guidelines for writing a sidebar. You must double-space the text. You need to write the sidebar on a separate piece of paper. Make sure that the information in the sidebar is correct and that your contact information and word count are at the top of the page.