In this blog, we are going to focus on report writing. This genre focuses on crisp, concise writing and reflects on a particular purpose. Before writing, it is crucial to understand your target audience because it is designed for a quick and accurate read. There are two types of report writing: magazine article and newspaper article. We start with magazine articles.
The ingredient to flavourful report writing is knowing your audience. Your target audience could vary, depending on the topic of discussion and the type of magazine. For example, if you are writing an article for your school magazine, the target audience would be your classmates, friends and teachers, but if you are writing for a general magazine that is released in your city, it would reach a wider audience; hence, the target would be all children (and adults). Let us look at an example for clarity.
The following examples are based on the topic, ‘Annual Sports Day’
Example 1: Writing for your school magazine
Annual Sports Day
(By Dave Webber, London)
The much-awaited Annual Sports Day commenced from 08:00 a.m. on 24thFebruary 2023 in our playground. The indoor halls and stadiums were buzzing like bees for three hectic, colourful and exciting days. After the introductory speech from Mr. Abbott, the event started with excitement and a competitive spirit lingering around the school corridors. Thames House—sincere Congratulations on winning the Golden Cup! All other houses, we look forward to more spirit and zest for next year.
In this snippet, the intended audience is aware of what Golden Cup is, the name of the houses, the playground and who Mr. Abbott is. Continue the article to talk about the number of participants, the name of events, extra-milestone achieved by a House, the healthy competition, prizes, etc.
Example 2: Writing for a general magazine that targets school children from across the city.
Show Sportsmanship, the Heidelberg Way!
(By Dave Webber, London)
Heidelberg School, in Northwest London, displayed one of their best Annual Sports Events from 24thFebruary to 27th February 2023. Organised at one of their massive playgrounds, north-west London experienced one of the best competitive vibes. Students ranging from primary to senior school actively participated in various indoor and outdoor events. The annual sports day commenced at 08:00a.m—flagged off by their school principal, Mr. Dennis Abbott.
In this example, the name of the school is mentioned along with the event dates. In addition, the intended audience is aware who Mr. Dennis is.
Once you are aware of your intended audience, follow the structure to maintain a sequential thought flow:
Step 1: Mention a catchy title. Note the title in Example 2. Does it intrigue you to start reading the article?
Step 2: The title should follow a By-Line: name of author, followed by place (include in brackets).
Step 3: Introduction—start the leading paragraph with an eye-catchy quote or a rhetorical question. This would involve the readers. Note the starting lines of the examples stated above.
Step 4: For the body of the article, maintain three to four paragraphs. Depending on your target audience and the aim of the article (whether to inform, persuade or entertain), structure the content accordingly. Consider the following snippet that aims to entertain as well as encourage readers to visit the tourist destination (only the body paragraphs are included):
Sitting between the tall, lush green trees, I gaze at the narrow stretches of hills that exotic animals own; it is named ‘The Animal Corridor’—one of the most unique destinations. Often, while you travel across this stretch, you have to drive so carefully that you can seldom blink; however, if you are fortunate enough, you could witness the exotic animals crossing the road or just leisurely soaking under the sun.
A train of cars anxiously waits. And waits. There she is: a baby elephant, in the middle of the road, in its own territory, running scared. Her eyes are watery, fearing the wrath of men. A few joyously flash the cameras, turning blind to the misery, loneliness and fear of the baby elephant.
This is often an occurrence in the magical corridor, the pride of Assam, where the exotic one- horn Rhino is tucked safe. The world acknowledges it as Kaziranga National Park. Have you ever heard of corridors that animals own? Well, this is truly a unique one.
Step 5: Conclusion—In the example mentioned, a rhetorical question is used to emphasise, pause and think. Sharing a memorable experience is also a good technique to hook the readers’ interest until the end.
These are the key points to consider while writing a magazine article. Are you ready step into the journalist shoes?