Top 100 News Writing Tips for High School Journalists

Compiled by John M. Destacamento

LEAD
1. Keep leads short. Those with 35 words or less are preferred.
2. Leads limited to one or two sentences are preferred.
3. Avoid starting leads with "when" or "where" unless the time or place is unusual. Most leads start
with "who" or "what."
4. Avoid beginning leads with "there" or "this."
5. In leads about future events, the time, day (date) and place usually go at the end of the paragraph.
6. In leads about past events, the day (date) of the event usually appears before or after the verb.
Sometimes the day (date) comes at the end of the first sentence or the paragraph if it is a one-
sentence lead.
7. Use quote and question leads sparingly.
8. The first five to "what happened" makes a better story than the fact it did.
BODY
9. Keep paragraphs short. Those limited to 60 words or less or no longer than 10 typeset lines are
preferred.
10. Paragraphs limited to one to three sentences are preferred.
11. Each paragraph should contain only one idea.
12. Remember short paragraphs encourage readers to continue reading.
1. EDITING
13. Eliminate the word "that" whenever possible.
14. For past events, report it happened "Friday," NOT "last Friday." Eliminate the word "last." For
future events, report it will happen "Monday," NOT "next Monday." Eliminate the word "next."
15. Eliminate the "be" verb. Write "she will resign" instead of "she will be resigning. "Write in future
tense (will) instead of future progressive tense (will be "ing").
16. Eliminate words such as "when asked" and "concluded." These are weak transitions. Just report
what was said.
17. A long title should follow the name. A title that follows the name should be lowercased and set
off in commas. Shorter titles that precede names should be capitalized.
18. Avoid the contractions of he'd and they'd. "He'd" can mean both "he had" and "he would," and
"they'd" can mean both "they had" and "they would."
19. Always double-check the spelling of names.
20. Make sure numbers match the items listed.
21. Make sure "only" is placed properly in a sentence. The location of "only" can change the meaning
of a sentence.
22. Write. Rewrite. Revise. Rewrite. Revise. Edit. Revise. Edit. Edit. The first version of a story is
NOT good enough to go into print. Someone once said THERE IS NO GREAT WRITING,
ONLY GREAT REWRITING.
23. Read the story out loud to catch awkward sentence constructions.
GRAMMAR
24. If "none" means "no one" or "not one," use a singular verb. Consult the AP Stylebook or
Grammar for Journalists for more information. Example: None was found guilty.
25. When you use a pronoun to refer to a team or a group, the proper pronoun to use is "its," NOT
they. Example: The team wants to improve its record.
26. Make sure verbs or other phrases are "parallel" or the same in structure when they appear in
stories or list. Examples: He likes gardening, fishing and hunting. The fire killed at least 12
persons, injured 60 more and forced scores of residents to leap from windows.
27. Use THIRD PERSON (she, he, it, its, her, hers, him, his, they, them, their, theirs) in news stories.
Only on rare occasions do you use first person (I, mine, we, our, ours) or second person (you,
your, yours) in news stories.
 28. When "either ... or" and "neither ... nor" are used, the verb agrees in person with the nearer
subject. Examples: Neither the coach nor the players are to blame. Neither the players nor the
coach is to blame.
29. Use
active NO YES
voice vs. Mary, an epileptic, had no trouble Mary, who had epilepsy, had no trouble
passive doing her job. doing her job.
voice.
The
The handicapped parents met to The parents, each with some handicap,
passive
voice is exchange ideas. met to exchange ideas.
formed by using some form of the verb "be" with the past participle of an action verb: is shot, was
shot, has been shot, had been shot, may be shot, will be shot. The word "by" may also signal the
sentence is written in passive voice. Rewrite sentences to eliminate the word "by." Example:
Passive voice ; The city was ordered by the judge to make the payment. Active voice ; The judge
ordered the city to make the payment.
MISCELLANEOUS
30. When something isn't clear, make a drawing of it. Putting it on paper can clarify the situation.
31. WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT. This has to do with questionable information that may be
libelous, incomplete information and information the writer does not have a clear understanding
of.
NONSEXIST, NONAGEIST, NONDISCRIMINATORY COMMUNICATION
32. Avoid words that reinforce ageist, racial and ethnic stereotypes.
33. Avoid racial identification except when it's essential to communication.
34. Substitute asexual words for "man" words or sexist words.
NO YES
mankind
people, humanity, human beings,
.......................................................
human race
man-made
synthetic, artificial, manufactured,
....................................................
of human origin
manpower
workers, work force, staff, personnel
....................................................

35. Separate the person from the handicap.

The deaf accountant spotted the
The accountant spotted the error.
error.
36. Be respectful of persons with handicaps.
NO YES
crippled impaired, limited, disabled or be
......................................................... specific -
paraplegic

deaf and dumb, deaf mute

deaf, hearing and/or speech impaired
.............................

crazy, insane, dull, half-witted,

mentally ill, developmentally
retarded ........
disadvantaged, disabled or limited, or
be specific - emotionally disturbed,
 37. Use "he or she" or "she or he" for "he." If using "he or she" or "him or her" becomes
cumbersome, consider using a plural pronoun ; "they," "them," "their" or "theirs." Plural
pronouns, however, are weaker than singular ones.
ORGANIZATION
38. Make sure information introduced or outlined in the lead is covered in the same order in the body
of the story.
39. Avoid introducing new information at the end of a story. All aspects of a story should usually be
introduced or outlined in the first few paragraphs.
40. Transitions are necessary to show the reader that the writer has a sense of direction. A word,
phrase, sentence or paragraph can move the reader from one thought to another.
PARTS OF SPEECH
41. Avoid using "like" for "as." "Like" is a preposition and takes a noun or pronoun object. "As" is a
subordinate conjunction that introduces dependent clauses. Examples: It tastes like a peach. The
one-time millionaire now works from dawn to dusk, as he did in his youth.
42. Most adverbs are unnecessary. Redundant adverbs weaken strong verbs. Instead of "tightly
clenched teeth," write "clinched teeth." Instead of "the radio blared loudly," write "the radio
blared."
43. Most adjectives are unnecessary. The concept is oftentimes already in the noun. Use adjectives
sparingly.
44. Choose verbs that suggest what they mean. "Active" verbs add pace, clarity and vigor to writing.
Verbs are a writer's most important tools. Avoid "be" verbs.
PUNCTUATION
45. Use a comma with "according to." Example: ... , according to the news release. According to John
Jones, ... .
46. There is no comma between time, date and place. Example: The accident occurred at 4:32 a.m.
Monday one-half block north of Central Dairy on Third Street South.
47. When in doubt about the use of a comma, leave it out.
48. Avoid comma splices and comma blunders. If a comma is placed between the subject (noun) and
predicate (verb), it's called a "comma splice." Example: The Fountain of Youth, is not in Florida.
(The comma is NOT needed.) If two independent clauses are joined by a comma, this is a
"comma blunder" or "comma fault." Example: The Fountain of Youth is not in Florida, it's in
Russia. (This is known as a run-on sentence. A period or a semicolon should replace the comma.
If a period is used, the "i" on "it's" also needs to be capitalized.)
49. A comma should precede "such as," "especially" and "including" when these words introduce
examples. Examples: The advertised price of the tour does not cover some personal expenses,
such as laundry, entertainment and tips. He likes fruit, especially oranges. In newswriting,
students study various approaches to writing, including the inverted pyramid, chronological,
narrative, personalized and first-person. When "such as" is used with a restrictive application, the
comma is omitted. Example: Magazines such as these should be thrown in the trash.
50. Quotation marks go outside commas (,") and periods (."). They go inside semicolons (";) and
colons (":).
51. In a series, a comma is NOT needed before the "and." Example: red, white and blue.
52. The dash is a long mark (-- or ; ). There should be a space before and after the dash. The dash
should be used before words and sentences run as lists.
53. The hyphen is a short mark ( - ) and is used to divide words or to link hyphenated adjectives.
Don't hyphenate adverbs ending in "ly" with adjectives. Write "frequently misused words," NOT
"frequently-misused words."
54. Use an exclamation point in only the rarest of situations and only after brief interjections.
Exclamation points are "graphic tantrums" and sometimes demonstrate a lack of control on the
writer's part. The order of the words in a sentence should be arranged in such a way that they
make the desired impression. Let the reader decide if the content is humorous or exciting on his
or her own.
QUOTES AND ATTRIBUTION
55. Use attribution only once per paragraph.
 56. Attribution is needed when policy change statements are made, when opinions are expressed or
when "professional" opinions from physicians, scientists, engineers and others are used.
Attribution is also needed with direct quotations and indirect quotations (paraphrased
information).
57. Attribution is NOT needed when facts are commonplace and not subject to dispute or when they
are accepted and historically true.
58. Attribution is usually noun + verb. Example: Jones said. It may be verb + noun when the source's
title follows his or her name. Example: ... ," said John Jones, chairman of the department of
English.
59. Attribution should be placed at the end of the first sentence when the quote is made up of two or
more sentences.
60. When one quote follows another but the second one is from a different source, attribution for the
second quote should be placed at the beginning of it. This helps the reader know immediately that
a different person is speaking.
61. "Said" is the best word for attribution. Other words can be used, but they should accurately
represent how something is said.
62. Use past tense verbs (said vs. says) for attribution in news stories.
63. Let quotes begin the paragraph. Show them off. Quote marks attract the reader's eye. Use them to
encourage the reader to continue reading.
64. Avoid the use of partial quotes. Quote or paraphrase material. Don't mix the two.
65. Each time a different source is cited, start a new paragraph.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
66. Avoid using the same word twice in a sentence.
67. The optimum number of words to use in a sentence is 14 to 16. The average reader cannot
comprehend a sentence with more than 40 words.
68. When writing becomes cumbersome, turn one long sentence into two or three shorter ones.
69. If a long sentence must be used, place a short sentence before and after it.
70. Don't have more than three consecutive prepositional phrases in a sentence. Prepositional phrases
start with about, above, against, at, between, by, down, during, for, from, in, like, on, over,
through, to, toward, under, up, until, upon, with ...
71. Count the words in a story's sentences. Sentence length should vary. Stories become dull when
sentences are all the same length.
72. Don't start or end a sentence with "however." Start the sentence and then work "however" into it
as soon as possible. This word is intended to cause an interruption in thought.
SPELLING
73. Use "Spell Check" on the computer.
74. Consult a dictionary. (Webster New World Dictionary is the preferred reference.)
75. Ask for help. Public library information desk personnel can be resourceful and helpful. Don't call
university libraries for assistance.
STYLE
76. Consult the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual.
77. If the answer cannot be found in the AP Stylebook, consult a dictionary or a grammar book.
78. The order for writing when and where is time, day (date) and place.
79. Use the day of the week for six days before or after a specific day.
80. Use the date when it is seven or more days before or after a specific day.
81. On first reference, identify a person by his or her first and last names. On second reference, refer
to the person by his or her last name only. On second and all other references, you don't need
Miss, Mrs., Ms. or Mr. unless it's an obituary.
VOCABULARY
82. Use simple words. Never send the reader to the dictionary. Odds are the reader won't bother
looking up the definition.
83. Words such as "thing" and "a lot" annoy some readers, bosses and executives. Avoid using them.
(Note the correct spelling of "a lot.")
84. Be careful how the word "held" is used. Make sure the object can be "held" physically. Example:
Weak ; The meeting will be held at noon Monday in Anthony Administration Building, Room
125. Better ; The meeting will be at noon Monday in ...
85. Avoid using words that qualify how someone feels, thinks or sees. "Little qualifiers" include the
following: a bit, a little, sort of, kind of, rather, around, quite, very, pretty, much, in a very real
sense, somewhat.
86. Avoid technical jargon unless 95 percent or more of the readers will understand it. If technical
jargon is used and it won't be understood by the majority of readers, be sure to explain each term
used.
87. Learn the difference between "affect" (usually a verb) and "effect" (usually a noun). Consult the
AP Stylebook or a dictionary for more information.
88. Never say "yesterday" or "tomorrow." These words are confusing to readers. Use the day of the
week. "Today" may be used.
89. Know the difference between its (no apostrophe for possessive pronoun) and it's (the contraction
for it is). Examples: The dog has a thorn in its (possessive pronoun) paw. It's (contraction) time to
go.
90. Know when to use "their" (possessive pronoun), "there" (adverb) and "they're" (the contraction
for they are). Examples: It is their (possessive pronoun) project. The project is over there
(adverb). They're (contraction) working together on the project.
91. Know the difference between whose (possessive pronoun) and who's (the contraction for who is).
Examples: Whose (possessive pronoun) coat is this? Who's (contraction) going on the trip?
92. Know when to use "to" (preposition), "too" (adverb) and "two" (adjective). Examples: The
advertising group is going to (preposition) Indianapolis. The public relations group wants to go,
too (adverb). Some members are not going on the trip because it will take too (adverb) much time
from their schedules. The two (adjective) groups will go to Indianapolis.
93. A person dies "unexpectedly," "apparently of a heart attack," "after a brief illness," "after a long
illness," "of injuries suffered or sustained," "following or after an operation" or "of a disease."
94. In connection with suicides, it is best to say the person was "found dead" or "fell or plunged to his
or her death" until the coroner completes his or her investigation. When suicide is reported, used
died by suicide vs. committed suicide. For more guidelines on reporting and writing about
suicide, go to www.suicidology.org/media/7.html.
95. In connection with arrests, write "arrested in connection with," "sought in connection with,"
"charged with" or "arrested on charges of." If a confession is involved but the confession has not
been admitted as evidence in court, report only that the prisoner "has made a statement."
96. Injuries are "suffered or sustained," NOT received.
97. With murder, arrests are made "in connection with the death of." It should not be reported that a
victim was murdered until someone is convicted of the crime. In obituaries, it may be said the
victim was "killed" or "slain."
98. Remember two objects must be moving to "collide." If a vehicle runs into a parked one or an
object, say the vehicle "struck" the stationary one.
99. Sometimes information cannot be verified. If doubt exists regarding a person's name, report the
person "was listed by police as John Smith" or he "gave his name as John Smith." If a person is
dead or unconscious and there is no identification, he or she is "unidentified," NOT unnamed. If
there are questions about where a person lives, report "address not given" or "address unknown."
100. With fires, a building is "destroyed," NOT completely destroyed. Buildings also are
damaged "lightly," "moderately" or "heavily." A fire may "gut" or "destroy" the interior of a
building. To raze a building is to level it to the ground.

Originally compiled by Sheryl Swingley

Source: http://jdwritingctr.iweb.bsu.edu