A good news article should be clear, concise and effective. This ensures that your research, event or news reaches your target audience.
The most important principle is the ‘inverted pyramid’ style: the most important information comes first, followed by the details.
The basics: content and tone
Before going into the structure, here are a few guidelines for your content:
- Write for the reader: Put yourself in your audience's shoes. What is interesting and relevant to them? Avoid focusing on internal processes and write from the perspective of the news itself.
- Be clear and accessible: Avoid jargon and bureaucratic language. Write in an active voice (e.g., 'The team is researching...' instead of 'Research is being conducted by the team...').
- Introduce people correctly: State a person's job title next to their name. Do not use abbreviations like 'Prof.' but write out the full title, such as 'Professor of Archaeology' or 'Assistant Professor of Law'.
The structure of a news article
1. The headline: short and catchy
The headline is the first thing people read and should immediately convey the core message.
- Keep the headline short and informative (max. 2 lines).
- Ensure the headline stands on its own and makes sense without the body text.
- For additional tips on headlines and intros, please visit the C&M Academy on our website.
2. The intro: the crux in 40 words
The intro is a summary of the key information. Many readers decide whether to continue reading based on the intro.
- Summarise the most important news in a maximum of 40 words. This is essential to readability on mobile devices.
- Write in a timeless manner: avoid words like ‘yesterday’ or ‘last Tuesday’. Instead, use the date or a more neutral description.
- Do not start with a time reference (e.g., "On 15 May..."), but with the news fact itself.
3. The body: the details
In the rest of the article, you elaborate on the information.
- Keep the total text (including the intro) concise, ideally no more than 450 words.
- Use informative subheadings to make the text scannable.
- Write short paragraphs (no more than 100 words per paragraph).
Making your article more engaging
A picture is worth a thousand words
A good photo attracts attention and can enhance the news.
- Use an appealing, sharp photo in landscape format (horizontal). The first photo is the most important, as it appears on overview pages and in newsletters.
- If you can't find a suitable photo, you can always publish your article without an image. Alternatively, the Strategic Communication & Marketing (SCM) department may be able to help you purchase a stock photo. More information can be found on our [link to Images page].
Links: add context to your content
Links offer the reader more depth and context.
- Use meaningful links. So not: ‘<u>Click here</u> for more information’, but: ‘Read more about the <u>Archaeology programme</u>’.
- Whenever possible, link to other relevant pages on the university website (internal links).
- For an event (like a PhD defence or inaugural lecture), link from your news article to the corresponding item in the calendar and vice versa.
The final step: publishing in the CMS
Before publishing your article, check the details on the right-hand side of the page.
- When you add people under 'Related researchers', the website will display the default title 'Researchers'. Edit this title if not everyone on the list is a researcher (e.g., to 'People involved' or 'Speakers').
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