Don’tpileon. In an effort to
seem as current as possible with breaking news, sites will often put the latest development in a story at the top — no matter how incremental the development.
Writetightandlively. Good broadcast writing uses
primarily tight, simple declarative sentences and sticks to one idea per sentence. It avoids the longer clauses of print writing. You’re writing for the ear. How can you help the listener to see what you’re saying?
Writetightandlively. Writing for the web,
tablet and mobile should be a cross between broadcast and print -- tighter and punchier than print -- more literate and detailed than broadcast writing
Putthepowerattheend. This is a broadcast
tip. It’s also magical for print. Powerful stories have powerful sentences. Identify the most important or surprising part of every sentence and order the information accordingly.
Writesearchableheadlines. Most people don’t go
to your homepage to find what they want to read, they use RSS feeds, etc. Be realistic about what people will search for. Use unique, proper nouns: places, people, things.
Bestraightforward. When people click on
something that’s not worth it, they lose trust in you as a source and are less likely to come back and click on things in the future.
Writetheinvisibletext. Use the words that
your audience will look for most. Use free keyword help services like Google. https://adwords.google.com/o/Targeting/Explorer?__c=1000000000&__u=1000000000&ideaRequestType=KEYWORD_IDEAS
Don’tfearthelink. Studies suggest that links
to supporting information improve the credibility of your content. People go to sites that do a good job of compiling click-worthy links.
“I remember a police story
in the St. Pete Times. It was an oppressively hot, humid Florida day, and things started to go badly for a family who lived in town. “First the air-conditioner broke down, making it unbearably sticky for the husband, wife, and mother-in-law. The mother-in-law’s irritation increased when the TV went on the blink.” Saturday, March 22, 2014
“The reporter didn’t tell me,
but I wanted to know … what was the woman watching at the time? Was it Jeopardy? Wheel of Fortune? Maybe One Life to Live? “The older woman complained to her son-in-law that the TV wasn’t working. So the son-in-law did what any Florida man would do under such circumstances: He shot out the screen of the television set with a handgun.” Saturday, March 22, 2014
“What followed was a stand-off
with police and the man’s eventual surrender. “The reporter, does tell us, bless her, that the man’s foul mood and subsequent violence were influenced by the fact that he drank 24 cans of beer that day. Black Label beer. “Not Heineken or Budweiser or Coors. But Black Label. Saturday, March 22, 2014
“What followed was a stand-off
with police and the man’s eventual surrender. “The reporter, does tell us, bless her, that the man’s foul mood and subsequent violence were influenced by the fact that he drank 24 cans of beer that day. Black Label beer. “Not Heineken or Budweiser or Coors. But Black Label. “No wonder he shot out the television.” Saturday, March 22, 2014
Roy Peter Clark Poynter Vice
President “Always get the name of the dog.” (Or, the beer.) Saturday, March 22, 2014