story structure

•The lead: Grabs the reader. Presents the news (what happened) in a simple and concise way. Makes you want to read on. Short. THE NEWS. Who, what, when where, why and how.

•Nutgraf: Provides the summary of what the story is about, what the point is. Elaborates on the lead, gives more context. Why people should care. THE IMPACT. What it means and who is affected.

Quote: Usually a lead quote to back up the point of a story. This may bring in the human element or underscore the point of the story

 •Body: Supporting paragraphs. Detail. Context. Background. Significance.

•More quotes: Different perspectives. Only use quotes that add to the story and that you can’t say better yourself.

•Kicker: End. Might be a quote, might be more information.

News Stories must be

•*Accurate- get everything right. In writing, check spellings, dates, quotes.  In reporting, verify everything. DO NOT MAKE UP ANYTHING. If you get anything wrong, your credibility- and that of your organization – could be damaged.

•*Attributed-attribute all quotes and information.

•*Fair/balanced: Do not take a side. Present all sides. No opinions.

•*Clear and concise: It must make sense and it must not use more words than necessary. Use correct grammar and punctuation, active language, simple sentences and words; past tense, third person. This is not academic writing. Lots of distractions in today’s world. You are competing for attention. Get the info out quickly.