How to Write a News Story for a Web Page

Writing news stories are important for our society. When they are put on the internet, it can be different. There should be a different format and style on a web page than in print. While the fundamentals are essentially the same, there are some key points that a writer should factor in.

Instructions

1. Know the introduction of your news story is very important. This is where you will try to hook the readers into learning more. There are many ways to catch attention, and there is no set formula for a writer in this area. Try to be interesting and factual. Drama is an excellent way to begin a news story.

2. Tell the readers the more detailed aspects of the story. Put the paragraphs in order from importance and interest and work your way down to the least essential details. Because readers on the internet will likely read only the first part, you want to get all of the facts and information in before anything else. If your writing is catching enough, your readers will move on and finish the article.

3. Answer the six important questions that every reader wants to know: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? This should all be contained in a news story. If there is any unavailable information, it is important to state that. If you don't mention it in any way, the readers will believe that the article is incomplete and move on. If you plan to find more information about the story, let the readers know that there will be a follow up to answer any questions that weren't covered the first time.

4. Be active in your writing. A news story is going to tell the readers what happened. The more action sentences that are included in the news story, the more a reader will feel that it had happened. Try to avoid passive sentences.

5. Add quotes or statistics to the news story. Quotes are a great way to get opinions from the people involved or the people that are affected. Statistics that you dig up on your own are a great way to flesh out the story. This can be background information or supporting evidence.

6. Keep your paragraphs short. On a web page, you need to understand how your readers will view the article. If you have too many words clumped up, it becomes easy to skip over. Avoid this by cutting your long paragraphs into shorter ones.

7. Use necessary words only. In a news story, it is ideal to remain on point without all the extras. Find ways to tighten up your writing so that it is easy to get through.

Tips & Warnings

• Think of your readers as you write a news story. You know the information you're trying to get across to them.