9 Quick Tips for Writing a Convincing News Article
… and other stories
We've all seen them – compelling news
articles proving things that may not be true. Here are some quick
tips to write your own top-selling news articles about anything!
1. Make a Bold Statement in the Teaser Headline
It doesn't have to be true. In fact,
it's probably most effective if it's not. This is the headline that
everyone is going to see, so make it good. Most people aren't going
to click on your article anyway, so make sure the teaser headline
says exactly what you want them to believe.
Example: “Curiosity Rover: Water on
Mars!”
2. Write a Compelling Article Title
Your article title needs to be true,
at least technically. But since most people won't read the article,
be sure that your title makes them believe what you want them to.
Example: “NASA's New Findings Prove
Water on Mars?”
The question mark is your friend. Use
it a lot, especially in the beginning paragraph.
3. Prove it in the Subtitle
If a reader likes your headline,
chances are, he'll read the subtitle next. Again, this may be all he
or she is reading, so be convincing, and use that question mark!
Examples: “Curiosity's latest
samples indicate something many earthlings have long thought
impossible. Have we found water on Mars at last?”
or
or
“The latest studies indicate a
strong link between population growth and disease.”
4. The First Paragraph is your Argument
The majority of people who have read
this far won't read past the first paragraph. Be sure that the first
paragraph implies your conclusion. You want people to believe your
statements in the first paragraph, assuming you prove them later in
the article. (Please note: Proof is not necessary, see below)
5. Use Words Like “Linked” and “Indicates” a Lot
Research indicates the use of special
words is correlated with an increased percentage of people who
believe what is implied. In 98% of cases, language is linked with
people's specific beliefs.
Example: * clears throat *
Bonus: “May have” also sounds like
proof. “Early reports indicate that the man may have embezzled as
much as $1 Million dollars.” (Even if the guy is innocent, this
kind of language convicts him in the readers' minds.)
6. More Then 90% of Effective Articles Use Statistics
You must have statistics. A full 87%
of people surveyed indicated that they are more likely to believe a
claim if it is backed up by statistics. Don't worry. You can prove
whatever you want with statistics, even the opposite of what the
statistics originally indicated (remember that word?). You don't have
to pay thousands of dollars to commission a survey. All you need is
some carefully spun words.
7. Eyewitness Interviews Tell the Story
Be sure you include quotes. If you
have relevant statements from an authority, use them. But for most
news articles, a quote from any eyewitness will win your audience.
Your witness can be an authority, a passerby, or a drunk – it
doesn't matter. Your advantage? You get to chose what words show up
in your article.
Examples: Susan Thomas, one of the first people to witness the scene, cried, “It was terrible, just terrible.”
or
“I was drinking a cold pop, and all
of a sudden, I had sharp chest pains.” (The soda might be
irrelevant to the story, but by using the quote this way, one can
indicate the pop may have caused the chest pains).
8. Always Tell the Truth
But save it for the very last
paragraph or second-to-last paragraph. Most people won't read it
anyway, so this is where you can be honest to preserve your
integrity. Don't counteract your previous words. Just clarify them.
Remember all those “linked”, “indicates”, and “may have”s
you used earlier? Here is where you clarify them. Oh, but you can
always throw in a statement like “at this time” to make your
readers believe your statements will be proven true in the future.
Example: “As of the time of writing,
NASA has not confirmed these statements. But scientists are
enthusiastically awaiting Thursday's press conference. A NASA
spokesperson promised that NASA has “some really exciting news to
share.”
9. The Comments
Ignore them. Haters Gonna Hate.
For a full example that I wrote just to illustrate, read:
For more great examples, check out
Yahoo! News
This one is particularly good:
I wanted you to read this one (it's part of what my previous blog was based on), but it appears that yahoo has removed it. (Yahoo's story was just like what I describe above, unlike the news story their story was based on). Here is their title:
