Writing a catchy headline and subhead
- Make your headline descriptive – tell the main point of the story in the headline.
- Headlines can be up to 15 words ideally, but are sometimes even 20 words long.
- Subheads should support but not repeat what is in the headline.
Writing an engaging lede
- The lede is the first sentence (or two) of the article. It should capture the most important thing you want to say in the report in an engaging way.
- Don’t copy what’s in the headline or subhead – expand on it.
- The lede sentence can be long, but the paragraph should be relatively short. One sentence only, two at most.
- The lede can have a quote, if what someone said is actually the main point of the article. Otherwise, it’s best to let the lede summarize the story, and to include a quote from a prominent player in the story as a second, follow-up paragraph to the lede.
Writing the body of the article
- Don’t bury the lede!
- Put the most important and interesting things at the top of the article, in order of importance. Readers drop out of reading articles at various points along the way depending on time.
- Use plain language whenever possible. Explain all acronyms or jargon if they must be used.
- One way of explaining jargon is to use a “callout box” – a text box with its own subhead inside the box, and a sentence or two of explanation.
- Watch the length of sentences, of paragraphs, and of the article as a whole.
- Long and/or run-on sentences are hard to follow and understand.
- Large paragraph blocks are off-putting and divert readers’ attention elsewhere.
- Keep the length of the article as short as possible while still telling the story.
- For feature-length or in-depth articles, break them down into sections with headings that move the story along in a logical flow. Each section should have a mini-lede.
- Here’s an excellent article on how to write a feature article. It is, fittingly, feature-length itself! https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-nonfiction/5-tips-on-writing-a-feature-journalism-article
- Edit ruthlessly!
Ending the article
- Summarize the situation or outline next steps without repeating what you’ve written previously.
- You could end with a quote from one of the main players you’ve quoted previously that summarizes the situation.
- You could end with a timeline of when the next thing will happen if it’s an ongoing story. (E.g. “The next hearing dates are scheduled for October 15 and 16, 2024.”)