Proofreading a Newspaper Article

“A good newspaper is never nearly good
enough but a lousy newspaper is a joy forever.”
—Garrison Keillor (1942- ) American novelist,
essayist, scriptwriter, and short story writer.

A newspaper article by Emile Zola, the great French novelist, appeared in a Paris literary newspaper, L'Aurore (The Dawn) on January 13, 1898 which, according to historian Jean-Denis Bredin was "an essential date in the history of journalism." Written in the form of an open letter to the President of France, the 4000 word article entitled J'Accuse! (I Accuse!), has been judged a "masterpiece" in polemical discussion and a literary achievement "of imperishable beauty."

No other newspaper article has ever provoked such public debate and controversy or had such an impact on law, justice, and society. While the opportunities to emulate Zola’s remarkable achievement may not be so readily available in today’s society, the journalistic ethics of impartiality, accuracy and accountability remain. These standards are reflected in the general approach to preparing newspaper and magazine articles and makes the writing of them fairly straightforward so long as a few basic conventions are observed.

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"Truth is on the march; nothing can stop it now."
—Emile Zola, manifesto, Le Figaro

All articles usually open with a headline that is designed to capture the attention of readers, and gives them an indication of what is to follow. For larger and more complex reports it may be necessary to provide a succinct sub-headline that reveals a little more detail. The story then follows with a timeline pointing to the location and timing of the incident; the central issues of the story being reported, and a conclusion that effectively recaps the entire article.

Key Questions for Newspaper Articles

In order to bring the reader fully into the picture, the first paragraph of a newspaper article — the one that details what the article is about — should address the crucial questions of:

Who
What
Where
When
Why
How

How WordsRU Can Help

Whether your need for editing and proofreading involves academic, business, conference, publishing, electronic books, how-to manuals, technical bulletins and updates, templates and document design, manuscripts (all genres) or a newspaper article as is being discussed here, our online editorial service offers you experienced professional help with a service that ensures compliance with the exact submission requirements that apply to your document. In addition to checking for correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation and typographical errors, our proofreaders and editors will review for structure, balance, clarity, consistency and readability so you can relax and move on to the writing of your next feature article.

Newspaper Articles and WordsRU

In editing newspaper articles, the experienced, professional editors and proofreaders at WordsRU are especially aware how easy it is for authors to overlook addressing one of more of the basic questions of who, what, where, when, why and how. To avoid your readers shaking their heads at an incomplete report because a salient point or two is not available, let us give your article the benefit of a fresh pair of eyes. If you are writing a follow-up report some of these key details may not need to be restated, but oversights in the initial coverage of an incident quickly impacts upon the credibility of both reporter and newspaper. Yet these are the aspects that are so easily detected by skilled professional editors and proofreaders.

Some Tips On Writing Newspaper Articles

Be clear about the purpose of your article.
Ascertain relevant copy submission requirements.
Decide on the tense for your article and stay with it (present tense is usually best).
Your article will usually appear in columns — keep paragraphs short.
Focus on the human interest implications.
Use active voice.
Accuracy is crucial – interpret but do not create or fabricate.
Know your audience.
Personal interviews work better than phone, and result in more detail.
Use both direct quotes as well as anecdotal material.
Talk with more than one person in order to gain a broader picture.
Do not rely on computer spell-checkers.

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The editing and proofreading of newspaper articles prior to submission can greatly enhance their clarity, consistency and readability.

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ASSESSMENT AND DETAILED QUOTE NOW!

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