by A. South

Created on: December 14, 2008

These days, when news happens it takes many different forms. It goes in print (the newspaper) on the air (radio and television) and now, it goes online. Getting the news online is a skill. Web pages are updated every few seconds, especially news sites, so when news happens, you need to add information, any information, as soon as possible.

Like writing for television or writing for magazines, online news writing is different than writing for other news and information sources. Great print stories don't often translate directly to the web, but they can with a few quick alterations. When you get used to writing for the web, it'll come as naturally as writing inverted pyramid has been since journalism class in high school.

Here are a few changes you should be sure to make when putting news online.

1. If you're converting a TV script of news story, combine the headline, toss, lead-in, etc. Delete redundancies and keep key facts. Start your story with a strong sentence, not a tease line.

2. Remove scripting, coding, or publication marks (like ### or notes for layout).

3. Watch verb tenses. With the exception of breaking news, do not use present tense (often in TV scripts they use the present tense to inject urgency into the story).

4. Even if you don't have any update, answer your viewers' questions by putting a "we have no further information at this time" or "last updated" message up so people know they're looking at a current site.

5. Write lots of short sentences and paragraphs. Reader fatigue is the enemy of the newspaper and the absolute demise of the Internet. When someone is reading online, they're looking for information as quickly as possible. Keeping them interested and informed is your number one job.

6. Write offline then put it online. Nothing hurts like a website failure or page refresh. Write your copy offline, in TextEdit or Microsoft Word then put it online.

7. Write searchable headlines. Think about what you'd search if you were looking for your story. It wouldn't be a teaser or clever pun. The most effective headline is one that's literal, simple and clear.

8. Lead with the most current information. Stories should be written from top to bottom. The newest information at the top with story summaries at the end.

9. Pair with as much multimedia as possible. Photos, audio, video. The more the better. The Internet makes it possible for your readers to experience the story, not just read it. Use your resources to the fullest.

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