Mastering the Essentials of UIL News Writing
In UIL news writing, success hinges on mastering a few essential principles that set your stories apart. Whether you’re just starting or looking to fine-tune your skills, these tips will help ensure your writing is concise, clear, and compelling.
1. Lead with Timely Information
The lead is the most critical part of your story. Always start with the most timely and important information—something that grabs your reader’s attention immediately. Outdated or irrelevant details should never lead your story. Your goal is to make your audience care from the first sentence.
2. Present Information in Descending Order of Importance
Once you’ve hooked your reader, continue with details that descend in importance. This structure, known as the inverted pyramid, ensures that the most crucial facts are front-loaded, making your story easy to follow and ensuring that nothing critical gets buried.
3. Ensure Smooth Transitions
Transitions are the glue that holds your story together. When shifting between quotes and facts, use the transition/quote formula—introduce your quote with a transition that provides context, ensuring the flow between paragraphs is logical and seamless.
4. Accurately Identify People
Accuracy is key in news writing. Always fully and accurately identify individuals by their full name and title, and make sure all names are spelled correctly. This builds credibility and ensures your audience understands who is involved.
5. Use Active Voice
Using active voice makes your writing more concise and engaging. Active sentences are clearer and easier to read. Avoid the passive voice whenever possible—it adds unnecessary words and weakens your message.
6. Be Concise
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short and to the point. Don’t overload your story with unnecessary details. Every word should serve a purpose and contribute to the story.
7. Omit Unnecessary Information
Only include information that is relevant and important to the story. Readers should leave your article feeling informed, not bogged down by extraneous details.
8. Answer All News Questions
Your story should address the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Readers should have no unanswered questions after reading your article.
9. Write in Third Person, Past Tense
UIL news writing is strictly objective. Write in third person and past tense since the events you’re reporting have already occurred. Avoid using first or second person to maintain professionalism and objectivity.
10. Follow AP Style
Using Associated Press (AP) style is essential for correct grammar, punctuation, and formatting. Adhering to AP style will give your writing a polished, professional edge.
11. Maintain Objectivity
News writing is about facts, not opinions. Keep your writing objective, and ensure that all opinions or judgments are attributed to sources—not yourself.
Mastering these elements will elevate your news writing, helping you excel in UIL competitions and produce stories that resonate with your readers.
Grammar, spelling, and neatness are also considered, but they are secondary to the criteria listed above.