Reuters News Writing Guide

REPORTING AND WRITING BASICS

Home > A Guide to Reuters Operations > Text > Reporting and Writing basics Accuracy and fairness are the hallmarks of Thomson Reuters journalism. Neither accuracy or nor fairness must ever be sacrificed for speed. If we lose our reputation for accuracy and fairness we lose everything. We reinforce to readers our commitment to accuracy and fairness by being totally honest about rectifying errors promptly and openly. Double-check facts, figures, names, dates and spellings. Watch for typographical errors. And make sure there is enough context in the story to ensure balance and fairness. Accuracy in Reuters includes accurate, "coding", the proper use of "slugs and slugging", using the most appropriate "headline tags" and consistency of style (see the Reuters Style Guide). Accuracy is also more than just getting the facts right it is getting the right facts, and backing up our interpretation of the facts with authoritative and unimpeachable sourcing. We need to let the reader know how we know what we know.

CONTENTS [hide]

1 Who do we write for? 2 Basic story structure 3 Targeted writing 4 Tips for good story writing 5 Get the first two paragraphs right 6 Make the headline strong 7 Dont neglect the slug 8 The 10 key words approach 9 How long before you reach a crucial word? 10 Count the words in your first sentence 11 Tricks of the trade 12 Some checks for error-free copy 13 The Attention Editor flag

Who do we write for? Think about your readership when you are digging for the news as well as when you begin to write. Know the Reuters client base. Reuters is usually writing local, national or international news for a national or international readership. Usually we are writing for an international politically and financially aware demographic, but our readers may not have specialist knowledge of all markets or industries or regions. The kinds of readers we write for usually obtain news, analysis and commentary from agencies like Reuters and its financial market competitors, as well as major national and international newspapers, recognized news websites and national television channels. Alerts or snaps are usually written for specialist readers interested in corporate news, or economics and markets, as are some bullet point and other items. But most Reuters stories have to travel beyond your own market, or industry or country, and should usually be written so that a single version of the story can be sent to most relevant wires or products. This does not mean you need to dumb the story down, but it does mean that you will usually need a phrase of explanation of technical terms, and you will usually need context and background to help the reader understand the significance of the story. Sometimes we write for a more specialized readership but even then we need context to help explain the significance of the story and ensure fairness and balance. Basic story structure A good Reuters story gets straight to the point and has all the main elements including some context, analysis, human interest, and color woven in from the top, not just tagged on as an after-thought.

The tried and tested inverted pyramid method ordering the elements of the story in declining order of importance is the usual format for hard news. We always need to answer the basic journalistic questions - Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? So What? The story should be written so it is self-contained, no matter where the reader stops or the copy editor makes the cut. Make sure the story explains the significance of the event or speech or development. It needs to answer the so what? question. Usually this is done high up in the story by means of some context and is often called a "nut graph". Does the story spell out the risks for those exposed to the news ? Does it identify potential winners and losers from the event or change in market trend? Generally, the inverted pyramid approach works with leads or first paragraphs too, with the most important, or newest elements presented first, followed by the supporting details, such as the source. A simple example: a profit result would be presented as rising to x from y not from y to x (new information first). Make sure sourcing is clear and precise (see The essentials of Reuters sourcing) Keep it simple. Use clear, simple language; verbs in the active voice rather than the passive (the bomb killed 10 people rather than left 10 people dead). Omit needless words (e.g. 21 different countries); that can often be dropped (e.g. He said that). Use short words instead of long (e.g. about instead of approximately). Generally, its better to add detail and color, using nouns and verbs, rather than with adjectives. Ensure the story is fair and balanced. Watch for phrases that might suggest we are taking sides (e.g. fears or hopes). Be careful with words like claimed and phrases such as according to which suggest we doubt what is being said. STORY LENGTH Reuters uses a series of story formats (Alerts or Snaps, Newsbreaks/Urgents, Updates and Wrapups) to meet the differing speed needs of its readers, ranging from intraday traders in banks and funds through to news websites, television and newspapers. As a result we need to abide by line length guidelines to enable reporters and editors to move the copy quickly to meet readers speed needs. NEWSBREAKS or URGENTS should be no more than TWO or THREE paragraphs, or about 100 words or 10 lines in Lynx Editor software, if the news is unexpected. Newsbreaks that include pre-written material may run longer, provided this does not compromise the time gap between the alerts ("snaps") and the newsbreak, sometimes called the "snapgap". UPDATE 1s should be no more than about FIVE paragraphs or 200 words or about 20 lines in Lynx Editor. Longer update1s may be cut by desk editors in order to move the copy quickly. Update 1s that include pre-written material may run longer, provided this does not delay the story. The update series or "trunk" story format is designed to allow the reporter and editor to add information and analysis incrementally as the news breaks. Short, quick updates help meet the readers needs. Adding another 100 words or 10 lines to an update1 for an update2 and moving it quickly is more helpful on breaking news than waiting for a full write through. Desks should try to fix and move problematic early updates quickly by cutting the story and asking the reporter for a better version for the next update. ALL OTHER STORIES: While we are not constrained by space like newspapers, readers prefer short, easy-to-read stories and analyses, so newspaper story length guidelines are still useful. Most stories in newspapers are between 300 and 800 words (30 to 80 lines in Lynx Editor) and most Reuters stories should be about the same. Desks will be tough on overwritten copy, even if the word count falls within the rules. If a story cannot be cut easily because it is poorly structured, it may be sent back for a rewrite. This will delay publication. Most breaking news updates, sidebars, and intra-day market reports should be no more than about 500 words or 50 lines in Lynx Editor. The final update or wrap up on a top news story that is likely to appear on a top news webpage or media wire news schedule, may run to about 800 words or 80 lines. This includes closing market reports for major markets, and also applies to most analyses. Features and Analysis may run to 800-1000 words (80-100 lines in Lynx Editor) while special analysis pieces tagged INSIGHT may run to 1500 words (150 lines). Special Reports run to magazine length of about 2500 words (250 lines in Lynx Editor)

Targeted writing Good writing must be pitched correctly at its readership. This is at the heart of how we structure a story file, where we put our emphasis, and where we can reduce our effort, while still producing a news file that makes its mark. This is particularly true for major global stories, where reaction to a news event breaks from multiple datelines. To ensure the leanest, most targeted file, we must focus our efforts in two areas. First, we must provide a well-written, cross-market trunk story. Second, we must provide quick, insightful market reaction in the form of merited alerts and newsbreaks. A rolling format, such as an INSTANT VIEW may sometimes be the quickest way to provide market reaction. This will save reporters time, allow the desk to focus on the news rather than the reaction, and help readers navigate through the file. Tips for good story writing Tell me something I dont already know" Thats what clients want. Look for a new fact, angle, interpretation, reaction and explain the implications, whether you are covering politics, economics, corporate affairs, financial markets, sport or any other news. News does not happen in a vacuum often the story is outcome versus expectations or outcome versus comparisons. In other words, its the context that makes the story. For a scheduled news event, make sure you know whats expected and what the risks might be if expectations fall short, or are exceeded. For a scheduled event preparation should start well before the actual news or announcement. This could involve pre-writing of the context, perhaps as a curtain-raiser story that you can use as the basis of your story when the time comes. Get the first two paragraphs right The first two paragraphs of a news story are crucial. Tell the reader immediately what has happened and why its important. If you havent told the story in the first two paragraphs its too late. A reader of one of Reuters proprietary online products will often read no further than the first paragraph assuming he or she gets past the headline. A newspaper may well cut the story to a couple of paragraphs to make it fit a news-inbrief column. An online service will put just those first two paragraphs on its main page. The lead, or first paragraph, is the key. If you get the lead right, the rest will follow. Make the headline strong Financial terminal clients and online readers trade, search and click open on the strength of the headline. If you can write the headline, you can write the lead. If you can write the lead you can write the story. Give headlines the attention they deserve. Too many are dull, and fail to do their job which is to catch attention and draw the reader into the story. Headlines must be sharp and informative. Use short words and an active verb and avoid unfamiliar abbreviations. Make sure it makes clear where the news is happening e.g. Central Bank cuts interest rates Which central bank? It is better to convey one idea crisply and clearly than to cram in two ideas awkwardly. Stick to the one main point. Dont try to fit in too much or be clever with words and abbreviations. Headlines have only 50 characters, including spaces but excluding tags like UPDATE 1 or ANALYSIS. Dont neglect the slug Slugs are made up of two parts - a packaging slug that is the same on all the pieces of a story that belong together and a wild (or flying) extension that describes that particular item. Media customers may use slugs to search for items, so the packaging slug should quickly describe the story in one or two words. A good story slug catches the eye, and should provide a strong pointer to what should appear in your headline and in your first paragraph. For example BC-PHILIPPINES-HOSTAGES/ is a very strong pointer that both Philippines and hostages will appear in the headline and the lead. The format indicates that the entire package of news will be about PHILIPPINES-HOSTAGES and that this item is the lead story, or trunk. Other breaking news items carry an extension to distinguish them from the main story, eg. BC-PHILLPPINESHOSTAGES/SHOTS. The 10 key words approach Try making a list of 10 key words without which you simply could not write the story. They dont have to be the exact words you will use in the story. Think more of the facts or concepts which must be there. So a story about oil prices would definitely have the key words "oil' and "prices". Once you have that list of keywords you have the essence of the story. Most or all should appear in the first sentence or two. How long before you reach a crucial word?

This is a variation of the 10 key words approach. Read your lead and then count the number of words you use before you reach the one that is strong and essential and cannot be the thrown away. This is very often the news point. If you go beyond three or four words before reaching that must have word then stop and rewrite. You should be hitting strong, essential words very quickly after you start to read the first sentence. Try this one: A Baldonian woman who appeared to be in very poor health while held hostage by Philippine rebels for 12 weeks is remarkably well despite reports that she had contemplated suicide, a doctor said on Tuesday after her return home to Baldonia City. Thats a 42-word intro, and you have to count 13 words before you reach the first word that grabs you: hostage. You get there much sooner this way: A Baldonian woman held hostage for 12 weeks by Philippine rebels is remarkably well despite reports she was ill and had contemplated suicide, a doctor said after she returned home on Tuesday. The attention-grabbing word hostage is the fifth word and the news point that she is well is reported sooner in the sentence. Count the words in your first sentence If there are more than 25, start to get nervous. If there are more than 30 then get very nervous. By the time you reach 40 its time to break the sentence in two and reach for a full stop. If you reach 50 youve definitely gone too far. Simply breaking the sentence can be a very useful way of shortening your lead. Dont get weighed down by too many details in the lead Shorten and summarize titles and positions. You can be more specific further down. Dont be too specific about geography. Think about whether the reader needs to know this detail this soon. Use only the most telling detail in the lead and give the broad picture. Every story must say when events described occurred. This time element usually, but not always, should be in the first paragraph, but try not to put more than one time element in the lead. Support your lead with a quote Direct quotes add color and strength to your story and prove you have spoken to someone who knows what happened. Try to support your lead by a direct quote by the third or fourth paragraph, and be precise about who said this and where it was said. Listen for that golden quote the one that will best illustrate the main point of the story. People rarely speak eloquently or succinctly. They do not order their facts in a way a journalist would. So use one or two short quotes in a story rather than several long ones. Make sure your quote pushes the story forward rather than simply echoes what youve just written. Do not write: The hostage was released on Sunday and was in remarkably good health, the doctor said. "She is in remarkably good condition," Joseph Smith said. That is called a "parrot" quote or "echo" quote and bores the reader. Rather, look for a quote that is different and strengthens the lead while pushing the story forward: The hostage was released on Sunday and was in remarkably good health, the doctor said. "Im very satisfied with her health, but shes tired and suffering from the tension of recent weeks. That reinforces the lead but pushes the story forward. Avoid broken quotes unless the words are unusual, contentious or highly colorful. Bloggs said she was delighted to be working with such a great boss does not need the words between quotes. Bloggs said she was "angry enough to kill" because she was working with a pathetic excuse for a boss does need the words between quotes. Quotes can also be used to:

Catch distinctions and nuances in important passages of speeches and convey some of the flavor of the speakers language. Document and support third party statements made in the lead and elsewhere. Set off controversial material, where the precise wording can be an issue, as in legal contexts.

When using indirect (or reported) speech, instead of direct quotes, sources either say something or they dont. Innuendo is rarely acceptable in news reporting. You should never guess at what a source means. To write in a news story that someone hinted, implied, indicated, suggested, or signaled is to interpret someones actions, words, or thoughts. This is rarely acceptable. Tricks of the trade

Dont leave holes. Dont mention an element without explaining it. If you have just said that a merger will create the second-largest widget maker in the region, dont make the reader wait five paragraphs before revealing who is the largest.

Build blocks. Try to group all the information relating to one element of your story in one block of paragraphs. Do not touch upon an issue in the third paragraph and then come back to it in the eighth. Write sequentially. Each sentence should connect to the next like a link in a chain. You make a statement, expand on it in the next paragraph, illustrate it with a quote in the third paragraph, and give some figures or background in the fourth paragraph. Then you move on to the next block by using a signpost sentence. Use signposts to let readers know you are moving to the next theme. A signpost or marker can be as simple as a but or it can be a short sentence which summarizes what follows. Use cross-heads to break up the story. Every 200-250 words is a reasonable pace.

Some checks for error-free copy Many corrections can be prevented by checking simple things. Here are some tips to keep errors down before you send your story to the desk:

Confirm the day of the week and the date. Check all the numbers do all the components add up to the total, do individual percentages add up to 100? Double check the period covered, conversions, whether the figure is up or down. Watch for confusion between millions and billions, misplaced decimal points, transposed conversions. Check share prices. Watch the spelling of proper names and ensure names are spelled consistently throughout the story. Make sure there is a quote to back up a contentious lead. Ensure the story gives full company names, full and proper titles, and RICs or ticker symbols in both the text and header field. Check that unfamiliar RICs and web site addresses mentioned in the story actually work. Does the story make clear how we got the information, e.g. newspaper pickup, interview, news conference? Ensure information in the story agrees with the headline, and if appropriate, the Alert (Snap or Bulletin). Are the headline tag and slug correct and appropriate? Ensure the Unique Story Number (USN) matches that of the Alert (if any). Check for balance and legal dangers. Is the story balanced and fair? Does the story cast a slur on the good name of an individual, company or organization? Does it expose anyone to ridicule, hatred or contempt? If so it could be libelous and you may need to mark it ATTN EDS to get it legalled. Ensure tabular material carries tabular formatting in the header field. If you file the story to clients, MAKE SURE IT HITS THE SCREEN.

The Attention Editor flag The warning flag ATTN EDITOR (or ATTN EDS) should be included in the slug line or the first line of the text field if you think your story may be legally dangerous or may affect the status or reputation of Reuters. When a story is flagged ATTN EDITOR the reasons should be explained to the editing desk in a separate message. The desk receiving such a story should refer it to the editor-in-charge. All reporters must clearly understand when and how to use the ATTN EDITOR flag. See Attention Editor items and Hoaxes for full details.