How to write a news report

1. How to write a news report By Zachary Cliff

2. 1. Write something you’re passionate about • If you write something you’re passionate about, then it will show through in the writing, dramatically improving its quality. • Also if you talk about something you are passionate about then it will add emotion to your voice.

3. 2. If it doesn’t go right first time, have another go • If you’re making a video, try to do each part a few times and then pick the best one. • Don’t worry if it goes wrong, you can always film it again. • If your writing then it’s a good idea to do a draft in pencil before you write it out in neat, this way you don’t have to worry about making a mistake so much.

4. 3. Research • Look up interesting things about your subject. • This will make you feel confident and if your not confident in what you have to say, then nobody else is going to be either.

5. 4. Find a relevant place to film • One of the main things is to use a selection of different locations available to you, these locations however, must be linked to your topic. • If you don’t move around your losing out on both an element of interest and of belief.

6. 5. Hook the audience within the first few seconds • Giving lots of interest right at the beginning will help attract and hold your audience’s attention. • One way of doing this is to ask an interesting question to get your audience thinking, after introducing the subject.

7. 6. Explain any technical terms • Remember that not everyone watching or reading your news report will know as much about the subject as you do. So, if you need to use complicated language always explain what it means.

8. 7. Be specific and show examples of the effect your subject has • You should show an example of somebody or an animal affected by your news story. • If you do this then it encourages empathy. • Empathy means that you feel for somebody and this gives you strong feelings about some thing.

9. 8. Use facts • Facts can be used to show people what’s actually happening and therefore they can understand what went on, what is still going on and how they might help or put forward their opinion.

10. 9. Presentation • If you are writing then your writing will need to be neatly laid out and in a neat style, this may not be a handwriting competition, but if the judges cant read your work then you wont stand a chance. • If you are doing a video entry then if you look scruffy , nobody will take you seriously and then you can barely go anywhere, but if you look smart, then you will be taken seriously and people will listen to what you have to say.

11. 10. Ask audiences opinions • If you ask the audience what they think, then they will be thinking about what you talked or wrote then they will either consciously or subconsciously carry on thinking about it, giving it a chance to sink in then, after a bit, they will see the news article in a new light. • Asking the audience to do something about your topic (if relevant) has a similar effect.