REBEL RESOURCES: HOW TO WRITE AN ARTICLE

THIS GUIDE WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH HOW TO COMPOSE AND WRITE A JOURNALISTIC ARTICLE

 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ARTICLE

• News Pieces

• Feature Article (basically anything that isn’t news)

- Review

- Interview

- Opinion Piece

- Instructional Copy

- Listicle

- Reportage

 

HEADINGS

• British print typically only has a capital letter of the first word of the heading; Knife crime rates rising in London

• Keep it short and snappy, take out any unneeded words; Knife crime rates are on the rise in London

• Make sure it grasps the angle you’re going for in the article. If this article actually focuses more on how the police force are currently struggling with funds then don’t mislead your viewers!

 

 

IMAGES

A family flees the fighting in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, as oil fields burned in Qayyara, Iraq, on Nov. 12, 2016.

 

 

• Images are very important for online articles, they tend to be what grabs a reader’s eye so they read the heading and click on the article.

• Make sure your images are clear, show the subject well and look professional.

• Different websites will have different requirements for images. But the defaults are usually;

- Between 1500 or 2000 pixels in width, anything smaller will be too pixelated and anything larger may cause the site loading problems.

- They should be in RGB colour mode, this is usually the default in Photoshop anyway but if you have put it into CMYK for print, don’t forget to change it back otherwise it won’t show!

- Landscape orientation for the big header image.

 

RESEARCH

 

• Always research everything, never take anything at face value because sometimes it will cost more than slight embarrassment!

• Even if you know the subject well, always check your facts.

• Don’t be afraid to double-check things with your interviewee.

They’ll probably appreciate you asking rather than publishing a story with incorrect facts.

 

 

 

NEWS PIECES

 

• For an online website, news pieces need to be written as quickly as possible whilst the piece is still fresh.

• Most news companies will receive press releases of this breaking news, it would then be your job to read the release, take down the most important information, and then start contacting people for comments. 

• If you see on Facebook that a protest is about to occur at the University, then contact the protest organiser for a comment, then the University press office for their statement on the matter, and whoever else may be useful for the story.

 

 

INTERVIEWING

 

• Phone calls, email or face to face are the most common ways to conduct an interview.

• Video calls are also an option.

• Some sites like UniLad will get someone to record themselves talking about the subject.

• Face to face is the best, it’s more personal and you can record the interview for more accurate notes – though always remember to write notes down too as technology has its faults!

• Vox pops are a great way to collect views on a certain subject.

• Prepare your questions beforehand, you don’t always have to stick to them but it will make sure you don’t forget anything.

• Do the research before the interview!

• Double-check name spelling!

 

FEATURES

• Features come in many different formats.

They are usually identified by being a more human interest piece.

This could be an article about why people don’t celebrate bonfire night as much as halloween.

• You can refer to yourself in these articles, usually if you’re writing as a witness or it’s a personal story about an experience. But try not to sound too self-obsessed.

• These can be longer articles and won’t be as urgent, meaning you can work on them for quite some time to perfect the research and get plenty of interviews.

• There’s also more room for personality!

• Also, throw the inverted pyramid out of the window. You’re starting paragraph does still need to be juicy but it can be anything from an anecdote to a quote, you don’t necessarily need all the most important information in it.

 

REVIEW

• This can be anything from a film you watched recently to a restaurant you have eaten at.

• Reviews have quite a bit of leeway in terms of writing style.

• What you MUST do is make sure you make it really clear why you have scored it the way you did – labelling what you liked and what you didn’t. It’s important the reader has a clear idea of what your overall view is by the time they finish reading the article.

• Headings should name what you are reviewing, and maybe give a teaser of what you thought;

 

‘Joker’ review: this splendid origin story is no laughing matter

 

• Don’t forget to tell your reader what it’s about and the basic background details, behindthe-scenes information about its making can also make the review more interesting.

• With a product review, tell readers what the product is supposed to do and whether it actually does this.

• End off your review with a conclusion to summarise your final thoughts, depending on the publication you may also leave a rating.

• Timing with review is important, most publications provide their reviewers with access to press-screenings or early book releases etc. As a student it’s worth a try but not always possible. If not then review it more or less as soon as it comes out.

 

 

INTERVIEW PIECE

 

• This would usually be an article where you focus on one person. It can either be written like any other article, or you could do a Q&A format.

• These can either be written in third-person with some quotes, a profile piece, or a first-person continuous quote.

 

 

REPORTAGE

 

• A reportage is an eye-witness account of a story. This could be a news story where you were actually at the scene of maybe a protest or riot, or along the lines of a travel writing piece.

• It’s a lot more personal than a news piece and gives you the opportunity to paint a picture to set your readers into the scene.

• A reportage is an eye-witness account of a story. This could be a news story where you were actually at the scene of maybe a protest or riot, or along the lines of a travel writing piece.

• It’s a lot more personal than a news piece and gives you the opportunity to paint a picture to set your readers into the scene.

 

 

OPINION PIECES

 

• These can usually be less formal pieces. If something is bothering you then you can throw down words onto paper to form an opinion piece.

• This could be anything from commentary to a column.

• Combine this opinion with facts to make a strong piece.

• Well-research these pieces and make your arguments clear. It’s also good to try and debunk your own argument by looking at the other point of view to show you’re not just being biased.

 

LISTICLES

• You’ve probably seen loads of these on sites such as Buzzfeed.

• They are what it says in the title – a list.

• Try not to repeat lists which other publications have used, originality is key with these!

• Keep them relevant to what’s going on, if it’s near the end of the year then maybe a list of the best films that year.

• Don’t just write a list, include descriptions of what you’ve listed or an explanation.

• They tend to be a bit more fun than other articles and there’s more space for light commentary.

 

INSTRUCTIONAL COPY

• This can anything from a recipe to tips on how to get the best summer body.

• Again, keep it original and don’t just copy what someone else has published.

• They can also be quirky, how about an article on the correct way to hold a baby crocodile?

• Always split it up with numbers to make it easier to read.

• Include pictures so it’s easier to follow!

 

When you finished your article, submit it and we will get back to you as soon as possible!