Communication: Writing A Newspaper Article

Recently, in my communication class we were given an assignment to create a newspaper article on a topic of our choice. The topic I chose was the same one I chose for this blog; overfishing. In writing my newspaper article, I realized that though a person can easily write an essay for a specific topic it’s not as easy when writing a newspaper article. 

Newspapers are printed to target audiences of varying ages and they cover the basics of current events. But as I was writing my article I realized that a news article is formatted differently from other articles or informative pieces since they are expected to present information in a specific way; they need to provide relevant facts to the audience in a concise way.

In writing a newspaper article, facts are especially important since these are the details from which the article will be devised. therefore, extensive research on the topic is necessary since creating a well-structured and credible article, considerable knowledge on the topic is necessary. This information can be gathered from the internet and through interviewing those who are knowledgeable about the topic. After gathering the facts, they need to be organized chronologically before drafting the article. 

Another thing to consider when drafting the article would be your target audience and the language used. A news article can only be considered great if the audience understands what information is being put forward. Therefore, it is best to avoid jargons or special words or expressions used by professionals as the audience may not understand what they mean. Generally, newspapers are written at a twelve year old's reading level to accommodate for people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Finally, when combining the facts with the important techniques, remaining unbiased is necessary. A news article is meant to convey the direct facts and not the opinions of the writer. It would be best to keep the writing unbiased and objective and to avoid any language that is overly positive or negative or statements that could be construed as support or criticism.

Before doing this assignment, I had no idea of these techniques and how necessary they are in writing a newspaper article. Though I completed the assignment, I felt that it was a bit difficult. Especially with the need for me to find simpler ways to explain the various scientific expressions used in over fishing. All-in-all, writing the newspaper article was an eye-opening experience for me.