Inverted Pyramid Style

NEWS REPORT: INVERTED PYRAMID STYLE

News reports are most frequently written in the “inverted pyramid” style. The essential facts are presented near the beginning of the report.

Paragraphs are independent of one another, and relatively complete in themselves.

Headline & byline

Lead (Paragraph) includes W5 + How

Important Facts

Steps to writing a News Report:

1) If one is not provided, create a short headline for the story to capture reader attention.

2) Include a “byline” with your name as the “journalist” writing the piece.

3) Catch reader interest in the lead paragraph by including interesting facts and answering the questions who, what, where, when, why and how.

4) Use quotations to make the report more interesting and to reveal the person’s point of view on the subject; use non-connotative dialog tags like “said” or “says” to maintain the impression of your objectivity. Never use “I” in the article.

5) Include accurate and believable facts to illustrate your topic.

6) Write in short, independent paragraphs each of no more than two to three sentences.

7) Provide a caption for any photo included with the report.