News articles present factual information in a quick and concise manner. They may cover a wide range of topics from tragic and scary to exciting and trivial. They often feature interviews with sources and are designed to be as unbiased as possible. Writing a news article helps develop your journalistic skills and can be a useful way to pass on information to the public.
A good news article starts with an attention grabbing headline. It should be short and catch the reader’s attention by evoking emotion or arousing curiosity. It is then followed by a “nut graph” which provides the basic facts of the story including who, what, when, where and why. This is a standard format that allows the writer to focus on efficiently delivering the most important details of the news to readers.
After the nut graph, the story can be fleshed out with additional information and background. It is important that the writer avoids incorporating his or her own opinion into the story as this can color the entire piece and confuse the information being conveyed. This is particularly true if the story is about politics or current events where there is often a large amount of partisanship.
Once the article has been written it should be proofread carefully. It is helpful to have another person read it as well, since they can often see mistakes that the writer has overlooked. It is also a good idea to put the article away for a day or two before re-reading it as this can help the writer get fresh eyes on it.