News writing is a craft. It follows a simple but eloquent formula rooted in journalistic tradition, with a universal set of basic guidelines.

This is your guide to the fundamentals of news writing at Helium and beyond. Use these tips and resources to start thinking and writing like a journalist or to refresh your news writing skills.

The six commandments of news writing:

1. “Be concise, compelling and accurate.
2. “Present your story in plain English. Avoid writing in abstract terms and don’t use jargon. Don’t write in clichés or use superlatives: The purpose of a news story is to inform your readers and make them understand the topic at hand.
3. “Use the active voice as often as possible.
4. “Remain objective. News writing is about presenting a fair and balanced story: Never use “I.”
5. “Write to readers. Write articles that your audience can relate to and understand. Learn how to be simple, but not boring.
6. “Express the negative in a positive form.

Writing a lead

Every news story starts with a lead, which should capture a reader’s attention and present the news hook. Don’t try to tell the entire story in your lead, but use it to captivate your readers and make them want to read more.

A lead should be clear, concise and interesting. Don’t bury the news in your article: Always decide what the major news is and state it up front in the lead. Save secondary details and background information for later. For example, don’t use attributions in your lead.

A good lead sets your story apart. A compelling lead can make your story shine.

Tone

Always set a good tone for your readers by paying attention to word choice. Short, familiar words are more inviting and are more likely to set a positive tone. Overly pedantic words can set a negative tone and frustrate readers.

Interviewing

Interviewing is a fundamental skill used in news writing. A good interview adds a human voice to your story and makes an immediate connection with your readers. A good interview can help you paint a visual picture.

Good interviewing skills also help keep you informed as a journalist. As you talk to people to fully understand the situation that you are writing about, you’ll find that multiple sources will help you tell a fair and balanced story.

Like any skill, interviewing takes time, practice and research. Read the tips at News Lab to learn how to conduct a strong interview. There is a variety of ways to use your interviews in your article. Direct quotes are an important element to any news story and can really make your piece come alive. Excellent note-taking (or recording) is essential here, since you must be sure you are quoting someone accurately. Explain beforehand that what the interviewee says may be used in your article. Be sure to use quotes that advance the story and accurately reflect the person’s thoughts and point of view. Paraphrase carefully if you need to sum up what the person is saying (but don’t use quotation marks unless it’s a direct quote).

Stop, ask, then publish

According to the Associated Press’ Guide to News Writing, there are three questions that every journalist should consider before publishing a news story:

• Have I said what I meant to say?
• Have I put it as concisely as possible?
• Have I put things as simply as possible?

How to get your news story approved on Helium

Any News Story submitted to Helium must go through an editorial approval process before the story can become live on the site. Only News Editors can approve stories.

News items are vetted using the following criteria:

1. Story must have logical, well-written headline. The headline must appeal to any reader – in any part of the world.
2. Article must be free of any typos or spelling mistakes. You MUST copy edit and spell check your story. Stories with such errors will be rejected.
3. All sources must be hyperlinked within the story, using magazine-style citations. Your article will be rejected if you do not properly cite sources. Sources listed at the bottom of a story will not be accepted.

Example: According to a New York Times report, Haiti experienced its worst earthquake in 200 years on Jan. 12.

4. News story must follow Helium’s Writing Standards, and adhere to AP Style. Additionally, as usual, all content must adhere to Helium’s User Agreement.
5. Story must be easy to read, and logically organized. Readers should immediately understand what the story is about. For example, all references must be clear to both those who may live in the region discussed, and those from another part of the globe.
6. Story may not be a rewritten news story from another news story. The story should be original with at least two to three sources, all linked in the story. Writers should refer to Helium’s Guide to News Writing and Helium’s Guide to Reporting.
7. Upon finishing the first phase of building a news story, you will then be able to edit how the news article will appear and give it added content features such as maps, stock quotes, polls and other add-ons. Be sure all added features are relevant and enhance the news story.

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