Writing News & Feature Articles

JUST THE FACTS, MA’AM
 
 
News articles or reports have different rules. The writer or reporter is looking for facts, and although these facts may point to certain conclusions, it is the reporter’s responsibility to be objective. Personal opinions are a no-no in any type of news article.
 
If a media organization has an agenda, often they use tried and true techniques to slant a story in order to direct the reader to a certain line of thought.
 
 
The most common form of bias is omission. Ignoring a news story or blacklisting it among media conglomerates that share the same position downplays its importance and value. Censorship is a common practice in countries whose governments control the media.
 
 
Interviewing only those individuals who support the reporter’s agenda is another sure-fire way to deliver bias.
 
 
Third-person reportage of someone else’s opinion is yet another way to slant the news. Usually the reporter or commentator will provide a liberal number of statistics to support their bias. Selective information is a powerful tool that is used often to sway the masses.
 
 
This is a good place for repeating three aphorisms from my pocketful of other people’s wisdom:
 

• The Truth shall set us free.
  
• Often the The Truth hurts.
  
• Imitation is the highest formof flattery.
   
  We can either choose pain or freedom. If we choose pain and use denial and deception as a means for resisting The Truth because we are afraid to embrace it, we find ourselves in the company of some interesting characters.
   
  If we oppose The Truth, we are opposing freedom. Who on this planet wishes to say they oppose freedom?
   
   
  Which side are you on: Self-Deception or Truth? Would you be willing to earn the right to be called compassionate?
   
   
  FEATURE ARTICLES
   
  Miracles and magic—extraordinary happenings, or stories about amazing people can be as rewarding to the writer as they are to the reader.
   
   
  Let these stories “write” or “tell” themselves. Listen to the story line and find the kernel: the heart-warming, amazing, beautiful and endearing core message. As you develop your article, focus on that message and the response you wish to elicit from the reader.
   
   
  Be generous with quotes and dialogue, and be just as generous with description. “Tell the picture” by describing the scene as if you were viewing it on TV or film.
   
   
  BE FREE
   
  Let yourself go. Come from a place of freedom and flow. You love to tell people interesting stories and you love to express yourself through your writing. So… just do it! It is so much fun and becomes even more so when you approach it with that intention.
   
  The moment it becomes work, stop. Take a break. Move away from the computer. Take a shower; go for a walk; make a pan of lasagna or some chocolate chip cookies.
   
   
  Read a book if this is an activity that will loosen you up again. Often just plucking up an article or a poem from your reading table is one of the best ways to start the juices flowing.
   
   
  Always, always, love what you’re doing and come from the heart. Even if you’re writing an article that requires “just the facts,” give it your all. Over-doing or over-performing is a sure-fire way to reach your audience. If you were a singer performing on stage, you would project your voice over the orchestra or accompanist, reach all the way to the highest balcony and scoop up every single person in the hall.
   
  Embrace your reader. Surround them with your energy, and then let go.
   
   
  CONCLUDING STATEMENT
   
  Your concluding paragraph will open with a hook that delivers the answer to your opening question or statement. It will then proceed to give a brief overview of the article’s contents. If you are taking a stand on an issue by presenting an argument or opinion, the concluding statement will briefly summarize that argument.
   
   
  Condensing or boiling down a large amount of material requires skill and experience. At first you may find yourself re-writing your work many times until it feels right.
   
  Closure should be short and sweet, yet all-inclusive.
   
   
   
  You can end with a famous quotation, a short anecdote that illustrates your point, or just a simple sentence or two that summarizes and/or supports the thesis or theme of your article.
   
   
  STOP!
  
   
  Know when to put it aside and start writing something else.
   
   
   
  At a certain point, consider the work finished. You will know when you have arrived at that moment. You’ve checked and rechecked the spelling and grammar; each sentence is tight; every phrase makes sense, and the writing flows with ease.