Journalistic Style and Techniques

How journalism is like other writing

Many of the writing issues in journalism are similar to those you'll find in other writing situations. So if you've read through some of our lessons on the writing process and writing style, you're on your way to being a good journalist.

Here's a brief overview of some points that are particularly important in journalism.

    Use concrete detail. Specific, sensory details make readers feel like they're part of the event. Describe sights, smells, sounds, physical sensations-your readers will care more about the story and feel more informed. Remember, too, how specific detail helps you prove your points. In other words, your stories will be both more exciting and more accurate if you use concrete detail.

    Avoid passive voice, sexist language, and misused modifiers; use active verbs. In journalism, it's especially important to write clearly: people often read newspapers and magazines quickly, skimming for articles that they want to read in more depth. They'll soon give up on an article that they have to struggle to read.

    Consider your tone. The tone of a story can mark the difference between serious reporting and tabloid journalism. Serious reporters show respect for their readers by letting them judge the facts for themselves. Daily news reports call for an objective tone. To show an event's emotional impact, good reporters don't use flowery or manipulative terms: instead, they provide direct quotes from the people involved to show their emotions.

    Other kinds of journalism, like features and op-ed columns, allow the reporter to show his or her personality to varying degrees. But that's not an excuse to sensationalize: such writers still restrain themselves, showing respect for their subjects as well as their readers.

    Write a strong introduction. In any kind of writing, the introduction can make or break the rest of the piece. In journalism, this is especially true, because readers are often in a hurry. Therefore, the introduction, which journalists call "the lead," tells readers what the article is about, and also why they should care. Different types of reporting call for different types of leads. We'll talk more about leads in the lessons called "Reporting the News" and "Features."

    Allow time for the writing process. As with all other kinds of writing, you'll need to "prewrite" first: brainstorm, outline, and write several drafts of your article. You'll probably be writing on a deadline, so divide up your time before you start writing to allow each part of the process to happen.

Special style issues in journalism

    Learn the style guidelines: Most magazines and newspapers refer to a standard set of style guidelines, covering issues like how to attribute quotations, formats for dates, whether to capitalize Internet, etc. Find out what these guidelines are before submitting your article. Many newspapers use the guidelines in the Associated Press Style Manual and Libel Guide. This is an essential book to have on your shelf if you're going to be a journalist.

    Keep paragraphs short. In newspaper writing, as well as in some magazine writing, editors will expect you to keep your paragraphs short. This is because readers of these types of publications are usually reading quickly. Keeping paragraphs short gives readers plenty of stopping points within the article, making it easier to digest information. Paragraphs of one, two, or three sentences at most are the rule.