Newspaper Article Assignment

Newspaper Article Assignment

For this assignment you need to write a newspaper article about an important event from the novel The Outsiders. You need to complete a rough copy, edit it, and write a good copy for this assignment.

Your story should follow the classic newspaper story outline, of the 5W's and 1H, in an inverted paragraph.

The first line of your story is called a lead, because it leads the story. Unlike other kinds of stories, which develop gradually, the newspaper article gives everything in the lead. other kinds of stories, bury the lead, or hide it further down the story. Newspaper writers don't bury the lead, because readers like it at the top.

This is because newspaper readers skim the tops of articles to see if they interest them. If the lead catches their attention, they continue to read, if it doesn't, they don't. The lead gives the 5W's and 1H, more completely understood as the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the story.

The inverted paragraph refers to the rest of the story. The sentences following the lead become increasingly detailed and more specific as the story continues. The focus narrows as the story goes along. Readers can decide when to stop reading when they feel they have learned the information they want to know.

Here is an example.

Lead: The Toronto Maple Leafs won their game last night in Chicago, beating a dull Blackhawk's team 3 to 1 at the United Center. 

The Leaf scorers were Sundin, Domi and Lumme, 

tallying their scores in the second period,

after the Hawks jumped out to an early lead. 

Lumme scored his first goal in 2003,

bulging the back of the twine

on a nice low wrist shot,

coming on a power play.

Lumme is in his 2nd year

with the Leafs.