A quick summary of the article:
1. Know Your Audience
· Basically, when writing, keep in mind the audience you’re trying to reach, and know who you’re talking too and what you want to get across to your readers.
2. Think First and Think Different· This tip tells you that before writing, you should really think about what message you would like to come across in the story you are telling or reporting and then how you can best portray that. Considering that there are different forms of media to aid you in this process, it’s also best to take that factor into consideration as well.
3. Tailor Your News Gathering· This tip suggests the use of online interaction such as photography, and videos, to further convey the information you are trying to display. This way you will grab he interest of more online readers and keep it more interesting and professional.
4. Write Lively and Tight· It is suggested that online journalists write with attitude or in a conversational form, however it is still very important to keep to the point and on topic, avoiding run-on sentences, or ‘sloppy’ writing.
5. Explain· In writing, be sure not to tell just the story but to explain the reasons behind the story and why it’s important. Therefore giving readers the answers they seek.
6. Never Bury the Lead· This tip implies that when writing online, it’s important to inform the readers what you’re talking about and why they should keep reading, or else they could quickly loose interest.
7. Don't Pile On· This basically informs writers not to add developing news onto the same story in the hopes that readers have been following the story for however long it had come into focus. It’s important to separate each update to some extent and keep the most important information at the top.
8. Short but Sweet· It’s best to keep it short because readers could genuinely loose interest and may decide not to finish reading the article if it begins to become to wordy, however if the topic is something of great interest to both the author and reader, than it may be all right to add more.
9. Break It Up· This basically suggests that online journalists should pay attention to the appearance of the article or story they are writing and insure that it is broken up, and more visually appealing to readers. The more broken-up and simplified it looks, the more people will stop and take the time to read all that you have to say.
10. Eliminate the Guesswork· Let people know what they’re reading before-hand. Keep headlines simple and clear so that readers know what they’re about to read.
11. Do Not Fear the Link· Links could help enhance your article by giving more information on the story at hand, however the links must be reliable and must contain trustworthy information that will enhance your own writing.
12. Take Risks... But Remember the Basics
· This is pretty straight forward. Take risks in your writing, but always remember the basics, insuring that what you’re writing is the truth and that there are other sources that will back you up.
My Opinion:
I agree with all of the tips Dube covers in this article. To me, this is common sense. In order to keep readers happy and satisfied, you must follow the majority of these tips. It’s the only way to be successful and to ensure that you are doing your job properly. It’s not so much about you as a writer, rather than the audience you are speaking too, and the people who are hearing your words. Therefore I find these online writing tips to be valid and useful to anyone aspiring to be a successful online writer or journalist.
If you're interested in reading the entire article by Jonathan Dube, feel free to follow the link below:
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000118.php
Until next time,
Ali (:
No comments:
Post a Comment