Writing for News

I love to write, which is helpful seeing as I am in public relations. When I started out though, I was a different kind of writer. I loved long flowery descriptions and vivid detail. I was a dramatic writer, which is great if you are writing a novel, not so much for a press release or a news story.

In college I was introduced to AP style and have been struggling with it ever since. It seemed so concise, so objective, so unemotional…. I think that my news-writing teacher, also a free lance writer, was probably ready to throw something at me by the end of the semester.

Since starting my career I have had to continue studying AP style. Every release comes back from my supervisor (remember the newspaperman mentor?) with at least one AP error. He also managed to cut a third of my words. At first I was devastated, but then I realized that you can still be interesting without being too wordy.

Recently he loaned me a book called “The Word” by Rene J. Capon. Excellent advice! If you write for news at all then this is a must read. It certainly helped me begin to understand how to get the message out without inundating the reader with trivial details.

Listed below are a few tips from the book:

1. Hold the Adjectives! -“E.B. White once observed that the adjective hasn’t been born yet that can pull a noun out of a tight spot.” Mark Twain concurs, “When you can catch an adjective, kill it.” Too many adjectives weaken the story. Not every noun needs one. Use them sparingly and then they will become more valuable, making your writing more interesting without wordiness or redundancy. For example: “It can be said with absolute certainty…..” “The man pleaded guilty to the alleged theft.” Get rid of the excess making the first, “It can be said with certainty…” and in the second, “The man pled guilty to the theft.” (If he pled guilty then you don’t need alleged.) Why inform the readers that something is dramatic or tragic? Give them the particulars and they will supply their own adjectives.
2. Trim the lead, but not too much – don’t give away the farm but make sure you keep them interested enough o continue reading. This is a tricky skill that requires patience and a good eye for what the people want. Cruise through your local paper and see which stories catch your attention by the lead alone.
3. Second hand news – how do you make old news fresh? This happens a lot when you work for an agency that has much of the same news year after year. So change it up. Look for the angle that will make it newsworthy again. Example: Maybe you have to write about the state tax check off for the 4^th year in a row, but make it new by opening with a highlight on a program that the money raised goes to funding.
4. Avoid Clichés – this is a no brainer, but often when on deadline, even the best writers fall into this trap.
5. Don’t hide behind approximations – try to be exact when you can and if you don’t have an exact figure, rethink your sentence. Example: “At least 30 people bought tickets to the show, although not all showed up.” A phone call or two could tell you the exact number. Generalities are boring.

For more information on AP writing you can check here or simply read the book. Your writing will improve and you'll laugh so hard you'll cry when you see yourself in the text. Happy writing!