The second phase of effective writing involves logical structuring
or organisation of content. It involves keeping the reader oriented to the
central and subordinate ideas. Good organisation is logical and sequential. It
guides the reader between divisions of the material. The introduction
establishes the central idea of the topic. Structured and sequential way of
narration describes the subordinating facts and the conclusion or closing
summarises the argument, emphasises the central idea, and leaves the reader
with a sense of completion.
• Continuity
Continuity is an important factor that helps to organise a
news story without any flaws. When changing from one aspect to other aspect of
a news story the writer have to provide linking words to guide the audience.
For example:
“However, a spokesperson for the women said they had a
number of other complaints.”
“Meanwhile, the central government was preparing its own
plans to fight the labour unrest.”
The "however" in the first example says that we
are about to hear an opposing view to the one previously expressed. The
"meanwhile" in second example tell us that something else is going on
at the same time.
There are a number of other linking words which can give
your story continuity. Usage of the same linking word may distract and confuse
the audience. So it has to be used only in relevant conditions.
Point of view, style of writing and word choice. Good writing is clear, specific, accurate, and appropriate
to the audience. It contains relevant material and a purpose.
• First, second, third person views
There are three points of view in writing: first person,
second person, and third person. While straight news always stays in the third
person point of view feature article may use the first person point of view.
First person: This involves the usage of the pronoun ‘I’.
This is used when a writer is writing about himself or from his perspective. As
mentioned above it is mostly used in writing feature articles where a writer
may detail his or her interaction with interview subjects. Example: I am the
smartest person in this room.
Second person: Second person point of view involves the
usage of pronoun ‘you’. This is normally not used in narration. Example: You
are the smartest person in this room.
Third person: This style of writing involves directly
stating who is being written about without using pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘me’,
‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘you’. Here pronouns such as ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘it’ are used
instead. Example: She is the smartest person in this room.
• Style of writing
Style is an important factor in language. It is the manner
of presentation of ideas that is chosen by the author to communicate with the
audience.
Writing a news story also requires certain news styles which
include not only vocabulary and sentence structure, but also the way in which
stories present the information in terms of importance, tone, and target
audience. The tense used for news style articles is past tense.
News writing is
intended to answer all the basic questions about any particular event; i.e. the
five W’s and one H (who, what, when, where, why and how). News writing usually
follows inverted pyramid style.
• Words and their usage
Every single day in our lives, spoken and written words are
used to communicate ideas, thoughts, and emotions. Knowing the exact usage of
words can help in quick and effective communication of meaning.
Vague words like “thing” “stuff” should be avoided while
writing. Vague words do not give the reader a good sense of intended meaning.
Usage of strong verbs will make communication easier.
For example:
Poor way of presentation: “People do a lot of things.”
Better way of presentation: “People perform a lot of tasks.”
The usage of words can also be influenced by the type of
audience represented. When writing for children, usage of simple words will
make better communication. It is important to consider the type of audience
when writing.
While writing for news media, the usage of words has prime
importance. The words or language used in a news report should not be libellous
or defamatory. Even a single mislead word can destroy the reputation and
goodwill of an organisation or person. Also the words used by a news reporter
should not contain any slang, or abusive words.
• Grammar, spelling and punctuation
Grammar is an essential element of writing. Generally accepted
rules of grammar and syntax includes pronoun/noun agreement, subject/verb
agreement, appropriate verb tense, pronoun case, possessive forms, parallel
construction, etc. Adding punctuations and usage of correct spellings reflects
the standard of writing.
• Subject verb concord
Subject-verb agreement is another aspect of grammar the
journalist needs to be aware of. The rule is pretty simple. In a sentence a
singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural
verb. Example: My brother is a musician. ‘Brother’ a singular subject takes
‘is’ a singular verb. Both my brothers are musicians. Here the subject
‘brothers’ is plural and hence takes a plural verb ‘are’.
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