When writing about a crime, the most important question to answer is why, if the crime was committed by a well-known person. If it’s a robbery, the news item has to start by mentioning what was stolen.
One hundred million dollars were stolen from the bank…
If the way in which the misdeed was done is exceptional or unprecedented, it’s possible to start with it:
He disguised himself as an admiral and took possession of a boat…
If it’s an earthquake that lasted longer than usual, this would be the correct information to use at the beginning of the story:
The quake lasted 80 seconds…
If it’s an unusual place, it has to be mentioned first:
A Ferris wheel was the scene of a birth…
In short, the first task consists of catching the reader’s attention, and knowing how to begin a news piece is essential in journalism. It’s just as important to have a good command of the art of writing titles or headlines for news stories and articles. The titles should be attractive, flashy and faithful to the content. They should mention the main facts or elements of the event, summarized into five words. This catches the reader’s attention and interest.
All news items should be true, correct, complete, accurate and brief. In modern journalism there’s now a tendency for writers to pay more attention to subjective elements, like certain witticisms, which gives the news item more “flavor”.
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