In the earlier blog of report writing (Write the Journalist Way), we discussed writing magazine articles. How is that going for you? In this blog, we will talk about the second aspect of report writing—newspaper articles.
Consider the example below. The following article was published in BBC News on Friday, 17th February 2023:
Antarctica Sea-ice Hits New Record Low
By Jonathan Amos and Erwan Rivault, London
There is now less sea-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent than at any time since we began using satellites to measure it in the late 1970s.
It is the southern hemisphere summer, when you would expect less sea-ice, but this year is exceptional, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Winds and warmer air and water reduced coverage to just 1.91 million square km (737,000 sq miles) on 13 February.
What is more, the melt still has some way to go this summer.
Last year, the previous record-breaking minimum of 1.92 million sq km (741,000 sq miles) wasn't reached until 25 February.
Three of the last record-breaking years for low sea-ice have happened in the past seven years: 2017, 2022 and now 2023.
What are some of the key features that you notice in the article? First, note the title of the report. See how the prime motive of the content is summarised in the headline. Next, shift your focus to the By-line—name of the journalist(s) and place is mentioned, which gives you an idea about where the report is compiled from.
Note the use of facts and statistics to provide a general idea on what the article is about. In addition, can you tell who the target audience is. In this instance, it is the broader audience (adults as well as young group). Following through the article, you notice the use of alliteration and facts (again).
In the subsequent paragraphs, the article talks about the how much of sea ice is missing in Antarctica, while subtly comparing with previous years (between 1981-2010). Content exudes confidence in the report, persuades one to listen (at the worrying cause of climate change) and presents a strong visual imagery (by including contrasting examples, facts and statistics). It does not end there; the article moves ahead to even consider a way forward: what could be expected (as per research) and actions that could be taken to minimise the damage (all based on experiments and research). Would you not be a tiny bit convinced to at least consider giving the article a serious thought? Sure enough, it moves ahead to compare it to Arctic ice melt and how it could affect our daily lives.
Another critical detail to consider while in the journalist’s shoes is that only factual details are included in newspaper article. Refrain from stating personal opinions. Let us look at the difference:
Example 1:
Continuing from the example mentioned above, consider the following statement:
It is likely this year's record sea-ice minimum has been influenced by the unusually high air temperatures to the west and east of the Antarctic Peninsula. These have been 1.5C above the long-term average.
Researchers think the more positive trends seen over the longer term are probably linked to the presence of an ozone hole over Antarctica and the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Example 2:
Undoubtedly, there are variations in the air pressure causing the winds to be severe, which has influenced the continent’s climate change.
Do you see the difference in the two examples? The first example supports its statements with reasoning based on actual research. It also contains additional technical details related to the research; whereas, in the second example, it seems like stating an opinion without any proof. Which one would you say is more convincing?
Let us look at the key takeaways for a newspaper report:
· Must contain a title and a by-line.
· The introductory paragraph must explain the 5Ws (who, what, where, when, why and how).
· Supporting paragraphs should elaborate the event/incident in a concise, objective and chronological order.
· Mention only factual details and report in past tense. Using phrases such as It is likely that../Sources close to the incident reported../Police (or any other authoritative body) believe../According to Mr. Doe../Many claim.. etc.
· The concluding paragraph summarises the key points of the article. It could also include a relevant quote from a related source or shed light on any expected outcome.
Go ahead—read a newspaper article, and slowly claw your way into a journalist’s hat!