newspapers - article structure

Newspapers article structure

- most articles follow the simple structure of beginning with:

•  5Ws (who, what, when ,where, why)
• further details
• quotes
• background
• opinion
• future

old values:

• headline - all stories have a headline, which gives the reader an idea of what the article is about. tabloid headlines often use puns or other techniques, such as alliteration, to captivate their audience.
• introduction - as the first paragraph in an article, the introduction is very important. research suggests that people read thew headline first, followed by the first paragraph of the story. if intro isn't thrilling enough then they will not continue reading the article. first paragraph is known as the stand-first, printed in a bold font.
• elaboration - the next few paragraphs tell the reader more about the story that is outlines in the intro. 5ws
• quotes - almost all stories have comments from those involved or from a voyeurs (onlookers). their function is to make the article more objective by keeping a balanced view point.
• projection

news values:

1. negativity - bad news is good news!
2. familiarity - local news is most relevant!
3. immediacy - new news is news!
4. continuity - people want to find out about things in the public eye. they want updates on existing news stories
5. amplification - is it a big event? involves a lot of people? plane crash kill ones or plane crash obliterates city- which is more exciting?
6. unambiguity - is it clear and definite?
7. uniqueness - 'man bites dog' is more exciting than 'dog bites man'
8. simplicity - a simple story is easier to read
9. personalisation - human interest draws on heart strings
10. predictability- did people think there would be a riot and there was? people love knowing they were right!
11. unexpectedness - surprise!
12. elite nations/people - celebs, royals, US & UK