Wednesday, February 20, 2013

9 Quick Tips for Writing a Convincing News Article


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
“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:

Mars Curiosity rover finds water, simple carbon compounds


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