Basic Newswriting & Reporting

Journalism 30

Course Description | Grading | Reading | Course Requirements | Links | Weekly Assignments | Profile Assignment

Do's and Don'ts in Newswriting Style

Do not include your own opinion

Fort Worth star political columnist and best selling author Molly Ivins was no disappointment in her speech at CSUS on Thursday.

Leave it to Ivins to cut through the crap and tell it like it is, which is far more than most do, and just about what our country needs right now.

So and So has had a rewarding and satisfying career...

He is successful for a guy his age.

After taking spending 30 minutes with him, he reveals several intrinsic flaws.

Attribution goes AFTER the direct quote.

Ivins said “Politics particularly in Texas Is greater than entertainment, better than the zoo, and better than a circus.”

“Politics particularly in Texas is greater than entertainment, better than the zoo, and better than a circus,” Ivins said.

Punctuation with quotes

“I worked for this all my life.” Horta said.
“I worked for this all my life,” Horta said.

"My shift doesn’t have a time.” Said Horta.
"My shift doesn’t have a time” Horta said.

Smith stated, “I have definitely had to pay my dues in order to be successful”.
“I have definitely had to pay my dues in order to be successful,” Smith said.

YOU cannot be in the story

He also told me that many of his high school friends are still hanging around.
He also said that many of his high school friends are still hanging around.

Don't use when asked

"I've got one brother and one sister," Smith said when asked about his family.
When asked about his family, he said he had one brother and one sister.

He said he had one brother and one sister.

"I've got one brother and one sister," Smith said.

We, Us, Our

She believes that we have an extraordinary brave resource, our military forces.

She said America has an extraordinary brave resource, its military forces.

Ivins said that it is our responsibility to learn as much as we can about our country.

Ivins said that it is everyone's responsibility to learn as much as they can about the country.
Ivins said that it is everyone's responsibility to learn as much as they can about the United States.

Saunders said when we get so hung up on getting our own way that we will not concede on any point, we are doing ourselves a real disservice.

Saunders said when people get so hung up on getting their own way that they will not concede on any point, they are doing themselves a real disservice.