How to Write a Hard News Article
Hard news articles are one of the common and basic types of reporting that a journalist will write. A hard news article is based on fact. They cover current events, politics and crime reports. Hard news articles focus on the facts, rather than the human elements of a story.
- Write an effective introduction. The introduction should provide the reader with a short, concise summary of the story or event that you are covering. Include enough information that the reader will get a basic idea of the story, but withhold enough information so as to entice the reader to continue on with the rest of your article.
- Verify all of your information. It is important that you double and triple check all of the facts of the article. Reporting incorrect information will tarnish your reputation as a journalist. It can also lead to lawsuits and other legal problems. Take the time to verify all of the information in the article.
- Follow the inverted pyramid method when writing a hard news article. The inverted pyramid requires that you put all of the important information in the first few paragraphs of the news article. If the reader gets cut short while reading the article, he should be able to understand all of the facts simply by reading the summary and first few paragraphs.
- Use AP format when including quotes in the story. It is important that you correctly reference any and all quotes that you include in the hard news article.
- Use a sidebar if necessary. A sidebar can be an effective tool to help you to convey facts, complex information or statistics that are related to your article.