Writing News

Fill in the missing word. “Journalists use language that is clear,_______ and correct.”

• Concise

• Cool

• Crafty

• Conniving

Journalists' language is simple. Which of the following phrases is the best example?

• Firefighters rushed to the scene of a massive blaze.

• Riot control measures were used by law enforcement extinguish the Human Rights demonstrators.

• The president was hauled over the coals.

Which of the following will add interest to your report?

• Using italics and bold

• Quotations

• Exclamation marks

• Color

Which of these is most likely to annoy readers the most?

• Jargon

• Big chunks of text

• Inaccurate spelling and grammar

• Quotations

After you've written your article down, what's the first thing you should do?

• Give it straight to the editor.

• Read it aloud to make sure it is easy to read and hear.

• Move on to the next story.

• Find a picture to go with the story.

You're going to write an article about the new study into whether cell phones are harmful to children.

Which of these should go first in the story?

• An interview with one of the researchers.

• Pictures of children using mobile phones.

• Is there anything else you'd like to include?

• A lead explaining why this is an important issue.

Contacts are…

• People journalists talk to when they are researching stories.

• Notebooks which contain a journalist’s research.

• The big TV screens in the newsroom.

Which of these would NOT be an appropriate source to use for a news story with this headline?

Doctors warn young children about mobile phone use.

• parents

• doctors

• a guy who works at Tmobile

• teachers

Which of these stories would be interesting for an audience of students aged 11-18?

• New safety measures announced at Quaker Oats.

• Investigation into millions missing from company accounts.

• Ten thousand homes to be built in Cedar Rapids this year.

• Bubble wrap helps students to tackle exam stress.

A closed question…

• Prompts "Yes" or "No" answers.

• Encourages people to give detailed answers.

• Works well in radio interviews.