by Celine Bernadette Francisco

Created on: July 02, 2009   Last Updated: July 05, 2009

Expressing yourself via a news story (which might be as conventional as your dailies might be) is just a quick click away if you'll only devote yourself to it. Just think about reporting in front of your audience, allowing you to share the latest happenings around your side of the world.

Now, news stories are just so simple to create. Start by briefly stating every bit and piece of information you can gather from an event, person, or issue, and do not be afraid to keep your notes filled with your penmanship that only you will be able to read.

Then, determine what angle you are coming from. Are you delivering a news-feature or a straight news? If you still haven't decided yet, try to consult your editor or just think about how your news will be perceived in the end when you have already structured your article. Does it have to include a bit of ruffles (news-feature), or is it very direct, formal, and without further ado in reporting your facts?

After considering the news style, you can now try to compose the rest of the story. Of course, with the inverted pyramid style always being utilized in the news setup, you have to take note of the most important events or issues first, before tackling those that are just side-frills of the issue.

Remember too that you are telling the news to people who hardly have time to finish the rest of the paper. Because of this, you certainly have not enough time to dilly-dally and keep the readers hanging. Most of the time, they just are viewing the lead and off they go to work. (See you again tomorrow!)

Developing the Lead

The lead of the news is very important to your news article. If you are a veteran news writer, you would not have any problem with what goes first and what goes last. But then, for budding reporters, this is usually the hardest part.

Oftentimes, those fresh publication staffers tend to have a difficult time coping with the structure of the news, since they are so used to writing literary and features, that by just the mere saying of the term 'inverted pyramid,' they just back out.

As you try to produce an outline, really realize the essence of your story. In the lead, you are providing your readers with the summary. Frequently two to four lines the most, this article lead is like the whole story itself, except that it only contains brief yet to the point facts.

Keep track of the following considerations and you will not get lost.

1. The subject goes first in the paragraph. If you are telling about a person, make sure that your lead starts with the name of the person.

2. The place comes first before the date (Ex: Astoria Plaza, July 2). Use a comma as you state these.

3. Using the date first is applicable only when the time or date is really of great significance, that the day mentioned is really the focus of your story (Ex: February 14 - <rest of the lead>

4. Quotes are usually used in news-features and vital issues. These are very helpful to bring out the essence of the story.

5. Leads can be in various types, too: summary, novelty, quotation, etc. Make the most out of the type of lead you want to apply.

Hence, as you now have an inkling of the type of lead and the manner of presenting it, you can eventually create the body at a blast.

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