There are certain guidelines that every journalist should follow when writing news stories. If the process is done correctly, the journalist will effectively entertain and educate readers from all walks of life.

Here are the guidelines that need to be followed:

1. The lead paragraph of your article should provide concise and clear overview of the main points that your readers need to know. In here, it’s a must that you answer the why, how, where, when, who, and what questions of your audience. Make sure that your readers will fully understand the gist of your content even if they choose not to read the rest of your article. Remember, these people are pressed for time and they usually read articles from start to finish.

2. Stick with facts. Your articles should always be unbiased, balanced, and completely fact-based. You must clearly cite the sources of your information and they must be integrated into your content.

3. Keep it simple. All the sentences that you use must be concise, clear, and worded in such a way that they are appropriate for your target audience. It’s important that you use simple terms all throughout or those words that your readers can easily identify with.

4. Keep it short. As I said a while ago, the audience you’re serving are usually pressed for time. So, do them a favor by making your article short and to the point. Do not use lengthy introductions and by all means, do not beat around the bush. Deliver the information that you’ve gathered upfront. Your readers will surely appreciate you for doing so.