An article discusses current or recent news of either general interest (i.e. daily
newspapers) or of a specific topic (i.e. political or trade news magazines, club
newsletters, or technology news websites). A news article can include accounts of
eye witnesses to the happening event. It can contain photographs, accounts,
statistics, graphs, recollections, interviews, polls, debates on the topic, etc.
Headlines can be used to focus the reader’s attention on a particular (or main)
part of the article. The writer can also give facts and detailed information
following answers to general questions like who, what, when, where, why and
how. Quoted references can also be helpful. References to people can also be
made through written accounts of interviews and debates confirming the
factuality of the writer’s information and the reliability of his source. The writer
can use redirection to ensure that the reader keeps reading the article and to
draw her attention to other articles.
While a good conclusion is an important ingredient for newspaper articles, the
immediacy of a deadline environment means that copy editing often takes the
form of deleting everything past an arbitrary point in the story corresponding to
the dictates of available space on a page. Therefore, newspaper reporters are
trained to write in inverted pyramid style, with all the most important information
in the first paragraph or two. If less vital details are pushed towards the end of
the story, the potentially destructive impact of draconian copy editing will be
minimized.
A column is written weekly, monthly or bi-monthly, and must be focused on one
particular topic. You have to be consistent in what you write, maintain the same
tone of voice, and stay focused on the issue at hand. If you’re writing a column
for the writing parent, don’t delve into issues of parenting in general. You’re
readers will probably be parents who write, and they will be more interested in
learning how to find time for their writing, rather than how to take care of their
children.
When you decide to write a column, make sure that the topic you choose is of
interest to readers and will keep them coming back for more, week after week.