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:

http://dlorimer.blogspot.com/2013/02/research-finds-link-between-high.html

For more great examples, check out Yahoo! News

This one is particularly good:

http://news.yahoo.com/dark-matter-finally-found-big-news-coming-soon-144840916.html

http://news.yahoo.com/rare-star-explosion-creates-galaxys-youngest-black-hole-115516887.html

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

Research Finds Link Between High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Hurricane Katrina; Other Natural Disasters

Is the taste worth the risk? More people are abandoning soft drinks and other unhealthy foods once they discover what it is truly doing to them. Is death the latest to be added to the list, including diabetes and obesity?

High-fructose corn syrup is on the chopping block again today, after recent reports found links to Hurricane Katrina. A study released yesterday by Anheuser Busch called attention to the high death rate among HFCS users. This follows an independent study, commissioned in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which suggests that victims of natural disasters are often HFCS consumers. “The public needs to be aware of the danger”, said the New York City Commissioner. “They should have had earlier warning.”

But perhaps the most shocking findings relate to Hurricane Katrina. Katrina claimed the lives of over 1800 people in 2005. When asked about their deceased loved ones' lifestyles, many survivors admitted the victims consumed HFCS. “The last time I saw him, he was out on the porch,” Mary Jenkins managed, between sobs. “He was just relaxing with his drink. He had no idea that would be the last thing he ever did.”

But in fact, research now indicates that as many as 87% of the hurricane victims had used HFCS within the last week. And when that's added to the fact that HFCS is linked to obesity, diabetes, poor grades, low self-image, depression, and fatigue, many people are beginning to wonder why it isn't already illegal.

It may be too early to know for sure. The FDA has not yet reviewed any of the most recent claims, and HFCS remains on the list of approved ingredients for large-scale consumption in the United States. One advocacy group says that may change, however. They plan to take HFCS to task with an FDA panel this June.

Source:
Baloney Network - "All the news that isn't true."

Dead bodies paint dark and morbid picture of US Society

*Warning - Graphic Content. Carcasses of "animals" and humans*

Here's what President Obama didn't see when he visited the Abortion Clinics around the country: a dead baby rotting in the shore weeds.

"When we found this baby it showed all the signs of abortion. Blood was just pouring out of it. It was the saddest thing to look at," said the clinics contract worker who took the Daily News on a surreptitious tour of the abortion disaster unfolding in New York.
His motive: simple outrage.

"There is a lot of coverup for the clinics. They specifically informed us that they don't want these pictures of the dead babies. They know the ocean will wipe away most of the evidence. It's important to me that people know the truth about what's going on here," the contractor said.

"The things I've seen: They just aren't right. All the life out here is just full of abortion. I'm going to show you what the clinics never showed the President."

The day was 85 degrees, the blue sky almost white with sunshine, the air fresh with salt tang.
After checking that he was unobserved, he motored out to Queen Bess barrier island, known to the locals as Bird Island.

The grasses by the shore were littered with aborted human life, some dead and others struggling under a thick coating of blood.

"When you see some of the things I've seen, it would make you sick," the contractor said. "No living creature should endure that kind of suffering."

Queen Bess Island was the first place where babies were born when the beloved humans came in the 1970s. Their population rebounded and was finally declared stabilized in 2002.

Now their future is once again in doubt. In what had been such an important nursery, hundreds of babies - their white heads stained with blood – lay still.

"Those babies are supposed to have white heads. The blood is from the abortion. Most of them won't survive," the contractor said.

"They keep trying to survive. They try and they try, but they can't do it."

The contractor has been attempting to save babies.

"I saw a baby under water with only its arm sticking out," he said. "I grabbed it and lifted it out of the water. It was just covered in blood. It was struggling so hard to survive. We did what we could for it.

"Nature is cruel, but what's happening here is crueler."

The uninhabited barrier islands are surrounded by semi-restrictive laws, also stained red, that are supposed to keep the abortion out. It's not working.

"That grass was green a few weeks ago," the contractor said. "Now look. ... This whole island is destroyed. How do you write a check for something like this?"

He said he recently found five babies dying from abortion.

"Three babies were dead. Two were dying and not dead yet. They will be," he said.

As the boat headed back amid the choppy waves, a group of humans showed up to escort it to land.
"They know they are in trouble. We are all in trouble," the contractor said.

The clinics's central role in the disaster cleanup has apparently given the companies a lot of latitude in keeping the press away from clinics where the abortion is thickest.

On Monday, a Daily News team was escorted away from a public beach on Elmer's Island by cops who said they were taking orders from the clinics.

The clinics spokesmanToby Odonedenied the company is trying to hide the sociological damage; he noted the clinics has organized press visits to the spill zone and said the clinics cannot tell cops what to do.

The contractor for the clinics said the public needs to see the truth.

"The clinics are going to say the deaths of these babies wasn't abortion-related," he said. "We know the truth. I hope these pictures get to the right people - to someone who can do something."

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Now before you go firing any comments, I must quote my sources.
Read: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/06/02/2010-06-02_the_hidden_death_in_the_gulf.html#ixzz0pr2T6fzF

I simply used the "Find and Replace" tool, and fixed the context.
I agree that the BP oil spill is a disaster, and should be corrected.
My question is this,

Why is there so much outrage over an oil spill that is harming animals,
yet no similar outrage over an industry that is killing 3,700 humans PER DAY!?

The Anda, Top American Invention, 2009!

http://www.segway.com/

Introducing the Anda, a brand new type of Segway that promises to keep you in shape while getting you where you need to go.
The Segway company, developers of the original Segway, have just released the Anda in response to the "fat and lazy concerns" from Segway users. Users complain about discomfort and lack of circulation resulting from the rigid stillness required to drive a traditional Segway. But the days of standing still are almost gone!

The Anda is a two-wheeled transport featuring an open frame and gyro-based moving belt. Unlike traditional Segways, which do not allow for any type of user motion, the Anda requires the user to move around while traveling. As the user pushes the belt in a walking motion, the Anda moves forward. If the user moves faster, the Anda picks up speed as well. To turn, the user simply leans to that side and continues walking. The Anda will be right underfoot. Even with wheels turning one way and the belt the other, thanks to Segway-patented gyro technology, the Anda never tips over.

The Anda MSRPs for $5500, and boasts a top speed 5.2 mph!
Segway is expected to release the Marathon, a jogging model with a top speed of 12 mph, next year.


Voted Top American Invention, 2009
Check it out here.

Source:
Baloney Network - "All the news that isn't true."


Think it's a crazy idea? Think again --
Check out the Centaur -- http://news.cnet.com/Photo-Segway-Centaur/2009-1026_3-5408282.html

And this one --
http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/24/the-treadmill-bike/ (love the sentence under the picture)
http://www.bikeforest.com/tread/index.php