Did you know that the so-called lead is the most important thing in a news? It is the very hard core of the information. Usually these are answers to the who and the what. The second sentence is called the detail sentence and answers the remaining W questions, i.e. the details of what happened. In any case, the detailed sentence answers the where from.

The third sentence is called the background sentence. It often provides information on contexts, the previous history and the analysis of what happened. The sparse three-rule report from the agencies usually leaves out any information about future events. The answers to these questions are simply attached to the lead, detail and background sentence.

The structure of the magazine report

Magazine reports do not have to be structured according to the strict structures of agency and newspaper reports. The magazine report is often introduced with a drag sentence that quickly leads the reader to the thesis. The most important thing about a magazine report is: tell a story! One topic to talk about is property management.

Structure of a message

• Title – headline
• Signature – Subheadline
• Marker
• Rest of the message

Language of a message

• Short and on point
• Avoid long sentences
• Write clearly
• Syllables count
• Write pictorially
• Good language images
• Articles are not made figurative by adjectives
• Write aloof

Assistance for news writers

Before each message, think for a moment and ask yourself:

• What do you want to sell me, what should I write?
• What do those involved want to hide from me?
• What else do I have to research?

Checklist for successful markers

• Does the marker read like a slide in the article?
• Does the marker make you curious and does it look interesting?
• Does the marker provide a clear overview of the item?
• Do the marker and headline complement each other or is information given twice?
• Are there unnecessary generalizations and abstract terms in the marker?
• Did you use strong and expressive verbs?
• Does the marker create an image in your head?
• Is the length of the marker correct and does the layout of the marker text harmonize with the image displayed next to it?

Whatever genre you want to write, it is always important to produce a quality news story.