A guide to writing online news stories
Online news has changed the way that audiences engage with the written word. Readers demand short, snappy, social-style content that invites sharing.
This document is a style guide for making Royal Holloway news stories attract, sustain and direct readers.
What’s in a headline?
· Be snappy. Headlines should ideally be between 5 – 7 words
· Be specific. Ensure the headline contains keywords so search engines find your content easily
· Don’t be too clever. Puns and word-play can work well but don’t sacrifice specificity for clever obscurity
Get to the point
· Make sure the crux of the story is in the introduction - not in paragraph four
· Ideally, the first paragraph should contain enough information to give the reader a good overview of the entire story.
A few words about few words
Tell your story in 500 words or less
· News should be short, sharp and say something new
· News is not the place for in-depth analysis. Link to wider reading if needed
· Edit your own work. Proofread to remove unnecessary words.
Can you tell a story in eight words?
· Keep sentences short and to the point. Eight words a sentence is ideal for news
· Use commas to break up copy so it flows conversationally
Punchy paragraphs
· Chunky copy immediately puts readers off. Keep paragraphs to 3-4 lines and double space between
Suitable subheadings
· Direct readers to points of importance using short subheadings
· Also use as a method to break up text, ideally using a subheading every 2 -3 paragraphs
Bitesize bullet points
· Avoid listing in long form. Always use bullet points or numbered lists where you can.
“I like good strong words that mean something…”
Louisa May Alcott,Little Women
Use content creatively
You’ll have often heard, a picture paints a thousand words. This is more relevant now than ever. In the world of online news an arresting picture or video can prompt a thousand shares.
Consider whether your news story could be supported by shareable content such as:
Imagery
· Pictures of people tend to work better than landscapes or objects. Think how you can make your imagery people-focused
· Can an infographic help tell a complicated story in a visual way?
Video
· Online video should be short and snappy, ideally under one minute. For platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, the average viewing time is a mere 15 secs
Interactive elements
· Can you invite your reader to actively engage?
o It is now possible to create simple polls and quizzes to support news stories. Everyone loves to test or measure themselves against the population. Can you create an element of competition or personal insight linked to your story?
Personality
· Can you use individual’s quotes or case studies to bring news to life?
· Is there anyone external who can back up your story? E.g. a charity
Provide direction
Your news story should invite the reader to do something. Provide a strong call-to-action, ideally to pages with the College’s website. For example:
· Read more about our expertise in xxx – direct readers to subject specific college pages using hyperlinks
· Find out how to xxx – direct readers to practical advice
· Learn more about xxx – direct readers to supplementary materials such as research papers, event details
· Always check your links work!
SEO and You
SEO, Search Engine Optimisation is the practice of making your web pages easily found, and more prominent in online search results. A few quick tips on how to achieve this:
· importance of headline and subheads – what search engines index first
· The easiest way to achieve strong SEO is to make your content useful and relevant to readers, following the steps above. The more user-friendly, the better
· Use hyperlinks to direct to other sources of information (ideally within our own site), but make sure that information is relevant
· Make web page addresses descriptive. Rather than naming your news item ‘/news-item-about-physics-research’, use keywords, ‘/new-flexible-graphene-screen’
· Give your images a good description
Finally… think socially and share
Making content shareable is the easiest way to gain readers. Following the above guidance only gets you halfway. Make your content work hard:
· Share your link on appropriate social media and with colleagues/contacts
· Can your news work across mediums?
o Can a news piece be used on the intranet, or student comms, Facebook or Linkedin? If so, share with the relevant teams.
For more info:
Visit the BBC Journalism Academy style guide
Check out the quick news copy checklist overleaf
Quick copy checklist
Key points / Notes/Check500 words or less?
Subheadings?
Hyperlinks?
Have you considered?
o Images
o Infographics
o Video
o Interactive Content
o Personality
o External support
Have you provided direction?
Have you named links and images for SEO?
Have you shared it? Consider:
o PR and press office
o RH social channels
o Internal Communications
o Students’ Union
o Alumni & Development