Writing a News Story

A news story is a factual story that usually answers the questions who, what, where, when, and why. Below are some general guidelines to assist you as you write your news stories. You may wish to read some articles in a local or school newspaper to get some more ideas.

• A news story should have a headline that gives a hint of what the story is about and also catches the reader's attention. The headline should make the reader want to read the story.

• The lead, or first, paragraph of a news story should give the main points of the story.

• The next paragraphs should give details of the main points.

• The story should end with a paragraph that summarizes the main ideas.

• Photos or drawings can be added to further explain the story or make it more interesting.