It’s important to know – trust me - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

It’s important to know – trust me

How to Write A Newspaper ArticleSlide2

Newspaper articles require a different style of writing from what is used when writing a story. When writing a newspaper article, picture a triangle like the one shown.Slide3

The newspaper article has all of the important information in the opening paragraph.

This information includes who, what, when, where, why and how. It is written thisway because most people do not read an entire newspaper article all the way through.

So newspaper writers put the most important information at the beginning.

who?

when?

what?

why?

how?

where?Slide4

A typical newspaper article contains five (5) parts:Slide5

Part 1: Headline

: This is a short, attention-getting statement about the event.When writing a headline, eliminate the verbs is, are, was, and were

. Replace them with action verbs.Original: Three people were injured by a tornado in Illinois

Revised: Illinois tornado injures threeOriginal: Baseball’s Opening Day was cancelled because of rain

Revised: Rain cancels baseball’s Opening DayOriginal: Competency exams are required for all future graduates

Revised: Future graduates must pass competency exams

**Do not capitalize any words except the first one and any proper nouns. No period at the end of a headline.Slide6

Also, when writing a headline, make sure there are no slip-ups…

Here are some examples of actual newspaper headlines that just shouldn’t have been:Grandmother of eight makes hole in one

Queen Mary having bottom scrapedIs there a ring of debris around Uranus?

Prostitutes appeal to PopePanda mating fails – veterinarian takes over

Eye drops off shelfSquad helps dog bite victim

Miners refuse to work after deathNever withhold herpes from loved one

If strike isn’t settled quickly, it may last awhile

War dims hope for peace

Child’s death ruins couple’s holiday

Blind woman gets kidney from dad she hasn’t seen in years

Something went wrong in jet crash, experts say

Typhoon rips through cemetery; hundreds deadSlide7

Now you try it!

Original: Music director is casting Oklahoma!Revised: Music director casts Oklahoma!

Original: James is appointed Transportation Secretary by governorRevised: Governor appoints James Transportation SecretarySlide8

Part 2: Byline: this tells who wrote the story

Part 3:

Lead paragraph: this has the who, what, when, where, why and how in it. A writer must find the answers to these questions and write them into the opening sentence(s) of the article.

*The “why” and the “how” often appear only in the following paragraph.Slide9

Part 4: Explanation:

the writer must decide what other facts or details the reader might want to know

the writer must make sure that he/she has enough information to answer any important questions a reader might have after reading the headline and the lead paragraph. this section can also include direct quotes from witnesses or bystanders.

Part 5: Additional information:

this information is the least important. Thus, if the newsarticle is too long for the space it needs to fill, it can be

shortened without rewriting any other part. This part caninclude information about a similar event.Slide10

Always remember…

When writing an article: Paragraphs are to be 2-3 sentences in length

You must remain unbiased. You are giving facts only, not your opinion!!Slide11

Being objective

Fact or opinion?The strikers rushed the company car and forced it to turn back.

FactJim Watson’s request for a raise is certainly reasonable.

Opinion Jim Watson requested a raise.Slide12

Now you try it!

The pilot, an arrogant, cold person, didn’t inform the passengers about the reasons for the bumpy ride.

The pilot didn’t inform the passengers about the reason for the bumpy ride.Central High deserved the overwhelming victory it achieved in the tournament.

Central High achieved an overwhelming victory in the tournament.Slide13

Example

Headline: High flying escape ends in death

Byline: By Robin Sloan

Lead paragraph: Icarus, son of the famous inventor, Daedalus

, plunged into the Aegean Sea and drowned while attempting to escape from the island of Crete early yesterday afternoon. His body has yet to be recovered.Slide14

Explanation: Icarus

and his father had made wings from wax and bird feathers they had collected over the years while imprisoned on the island of Crete. They attached the homemade wings to their arms and, using a flapping motion, lifted off from the island shortly before noon. While making their escape, Icarus flew too close to the sun. As a result, the heat melted the wax on his wings which caused the feathers to drop off. The wings collapsed and

Icarus fell into the sea and drowned.Slide15

Additional Information:

Daedalus, sobbing from the distant shore where he had landed safely, said, “My last words to Icarus before we left the island was to stay close and not fly too high! He just didn’t listen! Why didn’t he listen to me?” Daedalus

and Icarus had been held prisoner by King Minos on the island of Crete, and had been forced to build a labyrinth at the palace of Knossos. It was known to be the most difficult maze in the world to navigate successfully.Slide16

High flying escape ends in death

By Robin Sloan Icarus

, son of the famous inventor, Daedalus, plunged into the Aegean Sea and drowned while attempting to escape from the island of Crete early yesterday afternoon. His body has yet to be recovered.

Icarus and his father had made wings from wax and bird feathers they had collected over the years while imprisoned on the island of Crete. They attached the homemade wings to their arms and, using a flapping motion, lifted off from the island shortly before noon. While making their escape,

Icarus flew too close to the sun. As a result, the heat melted the wax on his wings which caused the feathers to drop off. The wings

collapsed and Icarus

fell into the sea and drowned.

Daedalus

, sobbing from the distant shore where he had landed safely, said, “My last words to

Icarus

before we left the island was to stay close and not fly too high! He just didn’t listen! Why didn’t he listen to me?”

Daedalus

and

Icarus had been held prisoner by King

Minos on the island of Crete, and had been forced to build a labyrinth at the palace of Knossos. It was known to be the most difficult maze in the world to navigate successfully.Slide17

Who?

Icarus, son of famous inventor, DaedalusWhat? drowned

When? yesterdayWhere? the Aegean Sea

Why? He tried to escape from the island of Crete

How? He got too close to the sun and the heat melted the wax on his wingsSlide18

Your turn!