A news item must be both topical and interesting. There should be an element of something novel, unusual, exciting or sensational that will grab the attention of a reader.

Having identified a news angle, the next step is to assemble the necessary information from which to write the story. The source should be reliable – a press release from an organisation, or even another news source is often a good starting point.

A well-told news story will start with an opening paragraph that contains the key points of the story. it will have the main shock or interest value in summary form.

In the next section the story will unfold, with subsequent paragraphs containing more information relevant to the issue.

Any information about further details or where a publication can be obtained from should be left to the end.

• With any story it is essential that you CHECK THE FACTS. People often remember what they read first, not what is retracted or corrected later.
• Quotes should not be over-long. The quoted person must be clearly identified, and the reason for them being quoted should be obvious.
• If a comment is made then it must be clearly attributed to a person or organisation.
• Make sure that if any part of the story poses a question, that this is answered later on (unless the question itself is the story).
• Is a report or other publication is mentioned? Then give its title and refer either to the organisation that wrote it, and/or the actual authors.
• Keep sentences and paragraphs short.