Basic rules of writing web {online} content by CyberJournalist.net

                  

By Jonathan Dube
Publisher, CyberJournalist.net
(Also published on Poynter.org and
in the book "Shop Talk and War Stories")

 1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Write and edit with online readers� needs and habits in mind. Web usability studies show that readers tend to skim over sites rather than read them intently. They also tend to be more proactive than print readers or TV viewers, hunting for information rather than passively taking in what you present to them.

Think about your target audience. Because your readers are getting their news online, chances are they are more interested in Internet-related stories than TV viewers or newspaper readers, so it may make sense to put greater emphasis on such stories. Also, your site potentially has a global reach, so consider whether you want to make it understandable to a local, national or international audience, and write and edit with that in mind.

2. THINK FIRST � AND THINK DIFFERENT

Before you start reporting and writing, ask yourself: What is the essence of the story I am trying to tell? Then think about what the best way is to convey that story, whether through audio, video, clickable graphics, text, links, etc. � or some combination. Collaborate with audio, video and interactive producers. Develop a plan and let that guide you throughout the news gathering and production process, rather than just reporting a story and then adding various elements later as an afterthought. 

Look for stories that lend themselves to the Web � stories that you can tell or differently from or better than in any other medium.

3. TAILOR YOUR NEWS GATHERING

Just as print and TV reporters interview differently because they are looking for different things, so must online journalists tailor their interviewing and information gathering specifically to their needs.

Print reporters tend to look for information. TV reporters look for emotion on camera, sound bites and pictures to go with words. Online journalists must constantly think in terms of different elements and how they complement and supplement each other: Look for words to go with images, audio and video to go with words, data that will lend itself to interactives, etc. . . 

Remember that photos look better online when shot or cropped narrowly, and streaming video is easier to watch when backgrounds are plain and zooming minimal. Tape interviews whenever possible in case someone says something that would make a powerful clip. Look for personalities who could be interesting chat guests. And always keep an eye out for information that can be conveyed more effectively using interactive tools.

4. WRITE LIVELY AND TIGHT

Writing for the Web should be a cross between broadcast and print � tighter and punchier than print, but more literate and detailed than broadcast writing. Write actively, not passively.

Good broadcast writing uses primarily tight, simple declarative sentences and sticks to one idea per sentence. It avoids the long clauses and passive writing of print. Every expressed idea flows logically into the next. Using these concepts in online writing makes the writing easier to understand and better holds readers� attention.

Strive for lively prose, leaning on strong verbs and sharp nouns. Inject your writing with a distinctive voice to help differentiate it from the multitude of content on the Web. Use humor. Try writing in a breezy style or with attitude. Conversational styles work particularly well on the Web. Online audiences are more accepting of unconventional writing styles.

At the same time, don�t forget that the traditional rules of writing apply online. Unfortunately, writing quality is inconsistent throughout most online news sites. Stories suffer from passive verbs, run-on sentences, mixed metaphors and cliches. This is a result of fast-paced news gathering, short staffing and inexperienced journalists. This is also a big mistake. Readers notice sloppy writing and they don�t forgive. They�ll stop reading a story and they won�t come back for more. Unlike local newspaper readers, online readers have options.

5. EXPLAIN

Don�t let yourself get caught up in the 24/7 wire-service mentality and think all that matters is that you have the latest news as fast as possible. Speed is important online. But people want to know not just what happened, but why it matters. And with all the information sources out there now, in the end it will be the sites that explain the news the best that succeed. Write and edit all your stories with this in mind.

6. NEVER BURY THE LEAD

You can�t afford to bury the lead online because if you do, few readers will get to it. When writing online, it�s essential to tell the reader quickly what the story is about and why they should keep reading � or else they won�t.

One solution is to use a "Model T" story structure. In this model, a story�s lead � the horizontal line of the T � summarizes the story and, ideally, tells why it matters. The lead doesn't need to give away the ending, just give someone a reason to read on. Then, the rest of the story � the vertical line of the T � can take the form of just about any structure: the writer can tell the story narratively; provide an anecdote and then follow with the rest of the story; jump from one idea to another, in a �stack of blocks� form; or simply continue into an inverted pyramid.

This enables the writer to quickly telegraph the most important information � and a reason to keep reading � and yet still retain the freedom to write the story in the way he or she wants to. 

7. DON�T PILE ON

Another story structure that has evolved online, mostly by accident, is what I call The Pile-On.

A common problem with online writing occurs in breaking news stories. In an effort to seem as current as possible, sites will often put the latest development in a story at the top � no matter how incremental the development. Then, they�ll pile the next development on the top, and then the next � creating an ugly mish-mash of a story that makes sense only to someone who has been following the story closely all day. Unfortunately, the only people who are usually doing so are the journalists. Few readers visit a site more than once a day. Remember this when updating stories, and always keep the most important news in the lead.

8. SHORT BUT SWEET

Most stories online are too long for a Web audience, and few readers finish them. Roy Peter Clark has written a wonderful essay arguing that any story can be told in 800 words � a good guideline for online writing.

But let that be a guideline, not a rule.  Readers will stick with longer stories online if there is a compelling reason for a story to be that long � and if it continues to captivate their attention.

Making readers scroll to get to the rest of a story is generally preferable to making them click. Online news users do scroll. If someone has clicked to get to a page, it's generally because they want to read the story, and thus chances are high that they will. The Poynter eyetrack study showed that about 75 percent of article text was read online � far more than in print, where 20 to 25 percent of an article's text gets read, on average. Print readers have less vested in any given story, because they haven't done anything proactive to get the article.

9. BREAK IT UP

Larger blocks of text make reading on screens difficult, and you're more likely to lose readers. Using more subheads and bullets to separate text and ideas helps. Writing should be snappy and fast to read. Keep paragraphs and sentences short. Like this.

Try reading sentences aloud to see if they�re too long. You should be able to read an entire sentence without pausing for a breath.

It also helps to extract information into charts, tables, bulleted lists and interactive graphics. Even a simple box with a definition or summary can help break up text and convey information in an easy-to-read format.

10. ELIMINATE THE GUESSWORK

People often don�t know what they�re going to get when they click on stuff. And people are not going to click on something unless they know what they�re getting.  When they click on something that�s not worth it, they lose trust in you as a source and are less likely to come back and click on things in the future. So make sure you tell people what they�re going to get.

Studies show online news users preferred straightforward headlines to funny or cute ones. Cute headlines didn't do as good a job of quickly explaining what a story is about and thus discouraged online users from clicking through.

11. DO NOT FEAR THE LINK

Don�t be afraid to link. Many sites have a paranoid fear that if they include links to other sites, readers will surf away and never return. Not true! People prefer to go to sites that do a good job of compiling click-worthy links � witness Yahoo!�s success. If people know they can trust your site, they will come back for more. 

At the same time, journalists have a responsibility to apply news judgment and editorial standards to the links they choose. Avoid linking to sites with blatantly false information or offensive content. Select links that enhance the value of the story by helping readers get additional information from the people behind the news.

And of course, link to related stories on your site, past and present. This is truly one of the advantages of the Web. By linking to other stories to provide context and background, writers have more freedom to focus on the news of the day without bogging stories down with old information.

12. TAKE RISKS . . . BUT REMEMBER THE BASICS

Online journalism is a new and evolving industry and we are writing the rules as we go along. Challenge yourself and your colleagues to question the way things are being done and to stretch the boundaries of what can be done. There are no rules, only ideas. Take risks. Try something different.

But don�t forget the fundamentals of journalism. Facts still have to be double- and triple-checked; writing still needs to be sharp, lively and to the point; stories should include context; and ethical practices must be followed. Don�t let the 24/7 speed trap and the new tools distract you from these basics.

With so many alternative news sources now at everyone�s fingertips thanks to the Web,  it is now more important than ever that we stick to the fundamentals of journalism to produce news people can trust, because in the end that�s what will keep people coming back for more

7 basic rules of writing web content

Do you know what the 7 basic rules of writing website content are? Find them in this post...

Regardless of how long you’ve been writing website content it’s always good to remind ourselves of what the basic rules are. Whether you’re building a new website or just looking to give your content a refresh, bear in mind these points…

1. Forget the Queens English!

When people skim through a web page it’s much easier for them if you say ‘haven’t or ‘you’re’ instead of ‘have not’ and ‘you are’. Throw away the plum in the mouth and shorten those words.

2. Remove the waffle

It can be tempting to add in more words than are really required. What I do is write a first edition and then I’ll go back through and delete any words that are just space fillers.

3.    Avoid long anything

Whether that’s words, sentences or paragraphs anything long will be a chore for people to read. Ask yourself if you really need that comma and turn it into a new sentence. A paragraph of more than ¾ lines is too long and needs breaking up.

4.    Use bullets & numbers

It’s a great way to highlight key information and makes you think more powerpoint than essay. In addition it helps to break up any lengthy copy and gets you to focus on your key messages.

5.    Talk their language

Your site may be targeting senior business decision makers or you may be selling mobile accessories to teenagers. You know how your audience talk to each other so make sure your copy is written in that fashion. It’s easier for them to relate to and makes your site more approachable and less marketing promotion.

6.    Highlight your keywords

Highlighting any keywords that are relevant to the visitor will not only make it easy for them to find the info they want, but it will also help your SEO (SEO robots read your page like a person so like keywords to be easy to find).

7.    Use headings

Another way to break up content and help people find what they need, headings work like highlighters and keep people engaged. Another one for SEO, keywords in headings are a big thumbs up.

Following these basic rules will help your website visitors to understand what you want to say without getting bored and switching off. Of course you need to make sure your content is relevant to them in the first place!

ELEMENT OF NEWS.

            ELEMENT OF NEWS.
1. Timeliness. Based on the idea that news is something you didn’t know before which is significant or interesting to a group of readers, news items are basically timely or immediate. In other words, items are fresh and new as usually indicated in the news by the use of words “today” or “yesterday” or “at present time” and the use of the present tense in news headline as one principle in journalism. Although news is basically timely, it may not be always new or fresh, for it  can be the development of an old event. There are news that are drawn from the historic past and are made to come alive by playing on or reporting the newest angle or latest development of the story. For example: Jose P. Rizal’s death in 1896 will always be presented on its newest angle as readers recall his death anniversary.
2. Popularity. Popular or prominent persons, places, or events make news. persons become popular due to their position, rank, wealth, intellect, talent, skill, personality, and achievement. Well-known places make news due to their tourism value, historical, political, economical, and social significance. Popular events are usually those that involve a multitude of people or some well-known personalities as in the case of the NBA games, Miss Universe Pageant, and film festivals. Most of the events or activities or any gathering that involves the president of the country is newsworthy. Besides, the president of a country is a significant figure and is undoubtedly a popular person. So even if the incident is routinary like the raising of the flag, if the president of a country does it on a certain occasion, it is a page one story.
3. Nearness. What readers consider interesting and important can be news but the degree of interest and importance will vary from place to place and from one set of readers to another. What is news in the province may not be news in Manila. What is important or interesting to high schoolers may not be that significant to professionals or businessmen. Nearness to the event affects readers’ interest. Reports or events that happen nearest to the readers or to those that directly involve them will be most interesting to them. However, nearness is not merely physical, it can also be emotional. As such news in Japan will be more of interest to the Japanese than to the Filipinos. But a report on the life of Filipinos in America will be interesting to the people of the Philippines because of family ties or emotional links. The election of a Filipino-American lawyer, Ben Cayetano, as governor of Hawaii has dramatically touched the Filipino nation as the story was prominently displayed on page one of the local papers.
4. Conflict. Events of ideas that involve physical or mental struggle, though these are not encouraged, would make news. These range from wars, rebellion, crimes, chaos, duel, or fist fight, and from games, competitions and even writing contests. As the various elements or criteria overlap, one event may have two or more elements portrayed as in a “word war” of two prominent personalities on a very significant issue. For this example of event, there are at least three dominant elements reflected: conflict, popularity or prominence, and significance.
5. Significance. Persons, places, events, or things that are of value, use, and significance are necessarily interesting to a set of readers. The reading public has to be warned of an approaching typhoon, an impending war, rise in prices of commodities and services, and bandits at large, even of new tax exemptions or measures. If it is worthknowing, then that must be news. Why should people be informed of such events of significance? It is because the newspapers has to serve the public and make people be more prepared and better equipped to face the trying times and life’s difficulties and tragedies.
6. Unusualness. Anything that deviates from the normal or usual flow of happenings attracts attention and, therefore, to some extent, are of interest to readers. The writer’s watchful eye, nose for news, and keen senses are for catching the peculiar, the special, the odd, the unique, the different, the rare, and the bizarre. Of course, you have heard of the Siamese twins, the mudfish baby with human lips, the three-legged cock, and thing like one for Ripley’s.
7. Emotions. Events, situations or ideas that cater to the emotions of people(not only those that tickle the minds), also make news. The poor, the street children, the disabled, the sick, — AIDS victims, are subject of emotional news reporting. Human interest situations draw various feelings from readers. Such may make the readers do something about some particular tragic events. For instance, reports on the victims of earthquakes influence readers to react to some charitable knocks to their hearts. Dramatic events like suicide, coup de tat, massacre, or hunger strikes appeal to the emotions of people, and are, therefore, newsworthy.
8. Gender. Newspapers cater to different groups of readers due to the varying interests and activities of men, women, and “in betweens”. A news is created when women invade men;s usual territories or vice-versa. Like when women first went into space exploration, or when a woman ruled a nation or when men dominated the cuisine and even reigned the laundering which society considers places for women. Example: When former President Corazon Aquino became the first Philippine woman president and when she was subsequently chosen as Time Magazine’s Woman of the Year, these two instances made big events for newspapers.
9. Progress. Reports on progress, whether physical, mental, economic, emotional, or social, constitute good news. Newspapers carry both good and bad news, for people learn from both events. It is just sad to note that generally speaking, some newspapers if not all the local papers consider “bad news as news”and “good news as no news.” The advent of development communication in the Philippine setting is good news. More developed countries in Asia like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand practised development journalism in such a way that freedom of the press is utilized in support to the economic growth of the country as in writing articles to support government programs aimed at improving the quality of life of the people is a healthy measure for the Philippines media to practice.
10. Change. Changes that affect the majority or certain groups of people make news. Some of these changes are change in administration and policies,  change of name or popular places or events, changes of weather, fluctuating rates of exchange, change of partners of party mates, change of schedule or postponement and other major or even insignificant changes that may pave way for big events.  While some changes are unexpected, there are also expected ones.
11. Names and Numbers. Figures, statistics, numbers, and series of names also make news. Many names would also make many readers. Numbers or figures are parts of reports on a good number of newsworthy events like election results, scores in games, ratings in examinations, and percentage of passing, vital statistics for beauty pageants, number or fatalities  or casualties in catastrophes, accidents, and battles; prices of goods and services, increase in salaries, and other events that deal with figures. Names and numbers usually come together for these are two basic facts that reporters need to complete their news stories.

What is a Web Browser?

                                                                                                                                                        Browser, short for web browser, is a software application used to enable computers users to locate and access web pages. Browsers translates the basic HTML (Hypertext Mark Up Language) code that allows us to see images, text videos and listen to audios on websites, along with hyperlinks that let us travel to different web pages. The browser gets in contact with the web server and requests for information. The web server receives the information and displays it on the computer.
There are different browsers for various things you do on the internet. There's a text based browser. With a text based browser you are only allowed to see text. Graphical material are not displayed. Hyperlinks are accessed by typing it in through the keyboard. An example of a text based browser is LYNX. There's a graphical browser and that allows the user to see all types of multimedia.
There are several types of browsers but the one thing they have in common is that they carry out the same function; they transfer hypertext. Here are some familiar common web browsers:

• Mozilla FireFox
• Netscape Navigator
• Microsoft Internet Explorer

Every browser features a toolbar that allows you to perform various functions like:

• Go back to the first page you started on the internet which is called Home.
• Book your favorite websites
• Print content you find interesting on web pages
• Check your web history, like the websites you visited in the past
• You can go forward and backwards to see the previous sites you viewed

There are two basic ways that you can navigate through the browser:

• You can click on links on different web pages. Those links will lead you to other web pages.
• If you know the URL or the address of the website you can type it in write in the browser's box all the way at the top. There's no need to type in the: http:// part when inserting the address because the browser automatically places it in. Then you have to click enter.

Once you click enter you have to wait for the page to load. While it's loading you will see the browser icon. Usually a little box will appear at the bottom with bars. It's called a status bar. When all the bars are filled you will know that the page has finished loading.
So every time you click or a link or enter a URL your browser will request the information from the web server. If your browser returns to the page with a error message the address you typed in could be wrong on you may not be connected to the internet.
Web pages can look different in various types of browser. It's always important to download the latest version of your browser. Today most web pages are designed to be viewed in updated browsers. By keeping up with the most up-to-date version of your web browser you will be able to get the best of the web for everything that you need.

How to Write a News Lead

 

 How to Write a News Lead

Craft a Lead that Will Hook Readers and Won't Let Go

A well crafted news lead will provide the hook to get readers interested in the story. There are different types of leads and different methods to write leads. A better understanding of news leads will help you grab readers and make them stick around.

Article leads are separated into two categories. Direct and Delayed. Direct news leads share one purpose. Tell me the news! Delayed news leads offer something else. Tell me a story!
Direct Leads
The Summary lead is the most basic news lead, covering all of the essential elements. Simply summarize the 5 W's of news reporting. Who, What, Where, When and Why.
The Analysis lead digs deeper into the ramifications of the news. Put the news into perspective by adding insight beyond the minimum required elements.
Delayed Leads
The Anecdotal lead generally leads into lighter news features. The story is illustrated through an anecdote, scene or quote. News writers tend to stay away from this lead, but it can be an easy hook to attach readers to different types of stories.
A Significant Detail lead is nothing more than it claims to be. A significant detail, fact or statistic that is shocking and interesting. The reader will continue to read to find the background of such a detail.
The Emblem lead is the process of putting a human face on the issue. Typically this means pulling from the person's situation elements that are familiar and identifiable to the reader.
The Round-Up lead is a hodgepodge of anecdotes, illustrations and examples to display how the issue has followed a trend. This wouldn't be used on breaking news, but could be utilized for issues that have a recurring interest for the public.
Any of these news leads can create exciting hooks for readers. The following are tips on how to write a news lead and how to choose the right lead type to use.
Write a Lead
The first step towards writing an interesting news lead is to put you in the role as a reader. What about the story would your reader be most interested in or connect with?
A strong news lead includes the pertinent information about the story. Who could know more about the story at this point than you? After researching the issue and interviewing experts or eyewitnesses, the next best step is to interview yourself. What about this story do you think is valuable? What would make you want to pick up the article and read it?
When you have begun writing your news lead, it is important to know that you should not spend all of your time on it. The rest of the article is waiting for your attention as well. If you are unhappy with the lead, come back to it later with a fresh perspective. Some leads arrive like pleasant doves; others need to be dug out of the ground. Coming back to it later might be the break you need.
Revise Your Lead
Revising your news lead is crucial to making it effective. Several factors should be considered when revising.
Read it Aloud. Make sure to read the lead out loud. If you stumble over words or are unable to complete it in a single breath, go back and clean up the problem words. Your lead should be fairly quick and snappy. You should be able to tell it to someone over the phone and have them completely understood.
Ensure Accuracy and Clarity. Understanding is the requirement of a news lead. If the reader does not understand the story the lead has failed. Easy questions to ask include, Is this accurate? Is there industry jargon that many people are unfamiliar with? Is it full of clichés? Does it make sense?
Count the Words. Unnecessary words can clutter the lead. Count the words and eliminate anything that is not completely necessary. Use very simple but vigorous English. Keep sentences to simple subject-verb-object agreements. A short and snappy lead will engage a reader quickly and easily then flow into the rest of the story.
How to Choose a Lead
A final consideration will be what kind of news lead is appropriate for the situation.
Breaking news, where the time element is critical, should employ a simple and direct lead. If the story is exclusive to your publication, you will have the option of either a direct or delayed lead.
Often, readers will have knowledge on an issue beforehand, and will require a different slant to get them involved in the story. An emblem or anecdotal lead could draw the reader into the story from a different perspective.
Many tools are at your disposal when composing a news lead. With careful consideration and a fresh outlook you can capture readers before the first paragraph is over. Just make sure the rest of the article is just as interesting.