How to Write a Legal News Article
Being a legal or court reporter is not easy. You have to know how to network, decipher legal jargon and how to pinpoint what is important and interesting for readers. Here are some tips on how to write a legal news article.
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Instructions
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Identify the crime or legal issue in question. Some crime reporters opts to purchase police scanners and take the time to learn the terms police use to describe certain crimes. Others choose to monitor local radio or television reports.
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Locate your "human" sources. If it is a story about a rape, you will want to try to locate friends and family of the suspect and the victim. Look through online phone books or subscribe to public records services, such as Lexis-Nexis. Many young people have profiles on social networking sites.
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Contact your legal sources. Prior news reports may have named police officers and attorneys involved in the case in question. Call the police station that is handling the case and ask to speak to these officers. Search for the attorneys' law office and contact them as well. Expect a generic response from the police -- your interactions with them will become less generic the more you communicate with them throughout your career as a legal news reporter.
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Call the courthouse that is handling the case and ask to obtain all the legal documents related to it. Most of the time, they will be public record, meaning that anyone is allowed to view them. Some may be available online, while others are only available at the courthouse itself. In this case, you or a "runner" -- an employee of the court -- will have to retrieve them in person. This may cost money.
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Write your article and make sure you stick to the facts and do not use loaded language--if a person is suspected of murder, you cannot call that person a "murderer"--you must use the words "suspected" or "the suspect." You must also ensure you present both sides and mention high in your article the suspect's side of the case. If he or she has not made a plea or has not commented, you must specify this.
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Tips & Warnings
Be cautious about entering neighborhoods known to be unsafe. You are under no obligation to put yourself in unnecessary danger for the sake of a news article.
