• When you write a story, you must try to be objective, truthful and fair.
• When you select your facts carefully and arrange them skillfully, you can communicate without inserting your own opinion.
• Where opinions belong in a newspaper.

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
• and How

• This newswriting format summarizes the most important facts at the very start of the story.
• Advantages: (a) It condenses information efficiently so readers can grasp facts quickly, and (b) it allows editors to trim stories from the bottom.
• Disadvantages: (a) It gets repetitive, and (b) it doesn't always organize the story material logically or engagingly.

• It's the essence of journalism: the key facts told in the most concise way.

• Collect all your facts.
• Sum it up. Boil it down.
• Prioritize the Five W's.
• Rethink. Revise. Rewrite.

• Nine suggestions for writing compelling news leads

• It's not mandatory to begin every story with a summary of essential facts; there are other options.

• Basic news leads
• Anecdotal/narrative leads
• Scene-setter leads
• Direct-address leads
• Blind leads
• Roundup leads
• Startling statement leads
• Wordplay leads

• Briefs and Brites: news stories in a condensed form
• Second paragraphs
• Nut grafs

• There is no simple, one-size-fits-all solution for organizing stories. Every story unfolds in a different way.

• Inverted pyramid
• Martini glass
• Kabob

• Keep paragraphs short.
• Write one idea per paragraph.
• Add transitions.

• Bullet items
• Subheads
• Sidebars
• Other storytelling alternatives

REWRITING

• Passive verbs
• Redundancy, and repeating yourself
• Long, long, long, wordy sentences
• Jargon and journalese
• Clichés

• Reporters have a love-hate relationship with editors. Every story needs editing, and every newsroom needs good editors: copy editors, photo editors, design editors, online editors—they all play a part in making your efforts as effective as possible.
• How editors play a part in the stories you write: before, while, and after you write the story.

• Every newsroom adapts its own rules when it comes to punctuation, capitalization, etc.
• The Associated Press Stylebook: An Industry Standard
• Highlights of the AP style

• When you're a reporter, you live by the clock.
• Deadline checklist: accuracy...fairness and balance...writing style

• A collection of rules, guidelines and helpful advice to make your stories more professional (writing leads, the rest of the story, editing and style, rules of grammar, word choices, punctuation).