Many news stories are about action. You want to capture that in your writing and seize the attention of your audience. One of the ways is by choosing the active voice.

Strong verbs are the best words for suggesting action: run, leap, hit, accuse, rescue, build, explore, kick, ride, catch, etc. And verbs have two “voices”: the active and the passive.

In the active voice: I wrote this module.

In the passive voice: This module was written by me.

In the active voice, somebody is doing something. In the passive voice, something is being done.

They are both perfectly correct, grammatically, but the active voice is shorter, stronger and more direct. It works much better in news stories. There are exceptions, which we will come to later, but in the vast majority of cases, the active voice gives your story impact and vitality.

Here are two ways of writing the same story:

Passive voice: After several months of better trading conditions, the annual bonus to staff at the Fred Smith store group will be paid for the first time in four years.

Active voice: Staff at Fred Smith stores will get their first annual bonus in four years, after the group reported better trading conditions.

The active voice works better – it is less wordy and it puts the human interest angle first.

So the active voice is a basic part of a journalist’s toolkit. It is the default way of writing an interesting story. But the passive voice is not all bad! Sometimes it is the right choice.

“A lion has eaten the president” is much less effective than “The president has been eaten by a lion”.

This is because the overwhelmingly important subject of the story is the president, not the lion, and you want the president mentioned at the beginning of the story. The passive voice serves better in this case.

So the starting point for news writing is to favour the active voice – and to recognise the comparatively rare occasions when it will be better to use the passive.

But there is another reason to understand the use of the active and passive voices. They do not just affect style and impact, they can also affect meaning.

People in the public eye, particularly politicians, sometimes use the passive voice to obfuscate, confuse and mislead.

The classic example is “mistakes were made”.  From the politicians’ point of view that is better than “I made mistakes” because it sets up uncertainty about what happened.

“I made mistakes and I’m sorry” is a very different statement from “mistakes were made and I regret them”.

In the latter case, the politician leaves open the possibility that the mistakes were made by someone else and his regret could easily be about someone else’s error. Because of the way he has phrased his statement, we cannot tell.

It is the skilful use of the passive voice to evade accountability.

Notice that when politicians describe their successes, they say “We took swift action to deal with the situation”. But when they talk about things that have gone wrong, they use words like “it was considered that…”, or “it was felt necessary….”, distancing themselves from the decision-making process through use of the passive voice.

I remember a philandering politician was asked at his latest wedding whether he would now be a faithful husband. He replied: “When a man marries his mistress, a vacancy is created.”

He was saying, in effect, that he would continue to have extra marital affairs – but in his choice of the passive voice, “a vacancy is created”, he was implying that some external force was creating the new opportunities for infidelity that he would no doubt later take up.

Again, the passive voice suggests the politician is an observer of what is happening, rather than the author of it.

So when you are quoting some public figure, make sure to point out any ambiguities created by his use of the passive voice.

You might want also to look at these thoughts on use of  the passive voice by David Poulson at the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.

by Bob Eggington

The choice between active and passive voice significantly impacts clarity, conciseness, and the perceived objectivity of news reporting. While both voices have their uses, understanding their nuances is crucial for effective communication.

Understanding active and passive voice

• Active voice

  • Subject: performs the action.
  • Structure: Subject + Verb + Object (e.g., “The reporter interviewed the witness.”)
  • Characteristics: Direct, clear, and emphasises the actor.

• Passive voice

  • Subject: receives the action.
  • Structure: Object + Verb + Subject (e.g., “The witness was interviewed by the reporter.”)
  • Characteristics: Emphasises the action or the recipient of the action, can obscure the actor.

Applications in news reporting

• Active voice: Best practices

  • Clarity and directness: Active voice promotes clear and concise writing, making news easier to understand.
  • Accountability: It clearly identifies who performed an action, holding individuals or entities accountable.
  • Emphasis on the actor: When the actor is essential to the story, active voice is preferred.
  • Examples:
    • “The police arrested the suspect.” (Clear and direct)
    • “The CEO announced the company’s new strategy.” (Emphasises the actor)

• Passive voice: Appropriate uses

  • Emphasis on the action or recipient: When the action itself or the recipient is more important than the actor.
    • Example: “The museum was vandalised.” (Focus on the vandalism)
  • Unknown or unimportant actor: When the actor is unknown, obvious, or irrelevant.
    • Example: “The road has been closed.” (Actor is implied or unimportant)
  • Avoiding blame or accusation: In sensitive situations, passive voice can soften the impact of a statement.
    • Example: “Mistakes were made.” (Less accusatory than “Someone made mistakes.”)
  • Formal or technical writing: Passive voice is sometimes used in formal reports or scientific writing.
    • Example: “The data were analysed.”

Pitfalls of overuse of passive voice:

• Obscuring accountability: Passive voice can hide who is responsible for an action, leading to a lack of transparency.
• Vagueness and ambiguity: It can create unclear or confusing sentences.
• Weak and impersonal tone: Overuse can make writing sound distant and detached.
• Example of bad passive voice: “It was decided that the budget would be cut.” This phrase does not say who made the decision.

Suggested best practices

1. Prioritise active voice: The active voice is usually the better choice for clarity, directness, and accountability.
2. Use passive voice strategically: Employ passive voice only when it serves a specific purpose, such as emphasising the action, hiding the actor, or softening a statement.
3. Avoid unnecessary passive constructions: Review your writing to eliminate passive sentences that weaken the narrative.
4. Identify the actor: When using passive voice, consider whether the actor should be revealed to provide context and accountability.
5. Maintain consistency: Choose a voice and stick to it within a paragraph or section, unless there’s a specific reason to switch.
6. Read aloud: Reading your work aloud can help you identify awkward passive constructions.
7. Consider your audience: Who is your audience, and what is the best way to present the information to them.
8. Training and review: Regularly review news copy for excessive or inappropriate use of passive voice and provide training to journalists on effective writing techniques.
9. Ask “who?”: When reviewing a passive sentence, ask “Who performed this action?” If the answer is important, rewrite the sentence in active voice.

Conclusion

Mastering the use of active and passive voice is essential for producing clear, accurate, and impactful news reporting. By prioritising active voice and using passive voice strategically, journalists can enhance their writing and ensure they are effectively communicating information to their audiences.

Questions

1. What is the primary advantage of using the active voice in news writing?
2. Provide an example of a sentence in the active voice and then convert it to the passive voice.
3. Why might a journalist choose to use the passive voice in a news story?
4. How can the use of passive voice affect the meaning of a statement?
5. Explain how politicians might use the passive voice to their advantage.
6. Compare the impact of the sentences: “A lion has eaten the president” and “The president has been eaten by a lion.” Why is the passive voice more effective in this case?
7. Discuss the role of strong verbs in conveying action in news writing.
8. Analyse the sentence: “Mistakes were made.” What ambiguity does the passive voice introduce here?
9. How does the choice between active and passive voice influence the reader’s perception of responsibility in a statement?
10. Reflect on the statement: “When a man marries his mistress, a vacancy is created.” How does the passive voice shape the interpretation of this statement?

Answers

1. The primary advantage of using the active voice in news writing is that it is shorter, stronger, and more direct, which helps capture the attention of the audience and gives the story impact and vitality.
2. Active voice: “The journalist wrote the article.” Passive voice: “The article was written by the journalist.”
3. A journalist might choose to use the passive voice to emphasise the subject of the story or when the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.
4. The use of passive voice can obscure who is responsible for an action, creating ambiguity and potentially misleading the audience.
5. Politicians might use the passive voice to evade accountability by distancing themselves from actions or decisions, as it allows them to avoid directly stating who is responsible.
6. In the sentence “The president has been eaten by a lion,” the passive voice is more effective because it places the focus on the president, who is the more important subject of the story.
7. Strong verbs are crucial in news writing as they suggest action and help convey the story’s dynamics, making it more engaging for the reader.
8. The sentence “Mistakes were made” introduces ambiguity because it does not specify who made the mistakes, allowing the speaker to avoid taking direct responsibility.
9. The choice between active and passive voice influences the reader’s perception of responsibility by either clearly identifying the doer of an action (active) or obscuring it (passive).
10. The passive voice in the statement “When a man marries his mistress, a vacancy is created” implies that the creation of a vacancy is an external event, distancing the speaker from personal responsibility for his infidelity.

Lesson plan for trainers

If you are a trainer of journalists we have a free lesson plan: Using the active or passive voice in news writing which you can download and adapt for your own purposes.

The post The active and passive voices in news first appeared on Media Helping Media.

The conclusion is at the bottom with all the supporting arguments and information above. News writing is the opposite.You start with the essence of the story, for example, let’s imagine the following headline which reads: “The price of cotton has fallen by 15 per cent”.

You then add extra information such as the impact on producers, the textile industry, the economy, consumer prices, employment, etc.

Details such as whether it was expected, what is being done about it, whether it is short- or long-term, and how people are reacting to the news are then added.

A reader or listener can stop after the headline and summary knowing the basic facts.

The person who wants to know more can continue for added information.

Some journalists refer to this method as the inverted pyramid journalism, as set out in the graphic above, others refer to it as the inverted pyramid. But no matter how you look at it, the headline is at the top, and more information is added according to its relevance and newsworthiness.

Those who need to understand the essential information will be able to access it in the first few lines, while those who are fascinated by the story can continue reading background information that supports the main thrust of the article. And those who are not that interested will have moved on to another news item.

It’s a simple but effective technique that relies entirely on how well focused you are.

You, the journalist, must decide what the top line is, what comes second, third, and so on.

And you must alway keep in mind that you risk losing your audience if you get too bogged down in detail and offer too much of one kind of information at the expense of other aspects of the story.

By John Allen

Analysis

Let’s explore the nuances of the inverted pyramid structure of news writing in greater depth.

The fundamental principle remains: prioritise the most crucial information at the beginning, followed by progressively fewer essential details. This structure caters to readers with varying levels of interest and time constraints.

Imagine the headline: “Local Council Approves Funding for New Park.” This concise statement immediately conveys the core news.

A reader stopping here grasps the essential fact. However, the inverted pyramid allows for layers of additional information for those who want a more complete understanding.

The next paragraph might elaborate on the “What, Why, When, How, Where and Who”

• What exactly is being funded? Is it just the land purchase, or does it include playground equipment, landscaping, and ongoing maintenance?
• Where will the park be located?
• Why was this decision made?
• When will construction begin?
• How will it be paid for?
• Who is involved? Perhaps it’s the local council, specific council members, and community groups advocating for the park.

Subsequent paragraphs can then delve into the specifics.

Perhaps the article details the budget breakdown, outlining how much money is allocated for each aspect of the project.

It might include quotes from council members explaining their rationale for the decision, or from residents expressing their opinions on the new park.

The article could also explore potential challenges, such as environmental concerns, zoning regulations, or community opposition.

Consider the impact of this structure.

A reader skimming the article gets the gist from the headline and first paragraph.

Someone with moderate interest might read a few more paragraphs to learn about the project’s scope and timeline.

A highly engaged reader can continue to the end, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making process, community perspectives, and potential challenges.

The inverted pyramid isn’t simply about organisation; it reflects a deep understanding of audience behaviour.

Readers often scan headlines and the first few lines before deciding whether to invest more time.

Journalists, therefore, must craft compelling leads that grab attention and convey the most important information concisely.

This requires careful consideration of what constitutes “news.”

• Is it the mere fact of the funding approval, or is it the potential impact on the community?
• Is it the political manoeuvring behind the decision, or the environmental considerations?

The journalist must make these editorial judgments, prioritising the most relevant and impactful aspects of the story.

The inverted pyramid forces journalists to be economical with their language. Every word counts, especially in the early paragraphs.

There’s no room for meandering introductions or lengthy explanations. The focus must be on delivering information clearly and efficiently.

This disciplined approach to writing benefits both the reader and the journalist, promoting clarity and conciseness.

However, while the inverted pyramid is a valuable tool, it’s not a rigid formula.

Journalists must adapt it to fit the specific story.

Some stories might lend themselves to a more narrative approach, while others might require a more analytical structure.

The key is to always prioritise the reader’s needs, ensuring they can quickly grasp the essential information, regardless of how much of the article they choose to consume.

The inverted pyramid, at its core, is a reader-centric approach to storytelling, designed to maximise information delivery and engagement.

>Questions

1. What is the primary difference between traditional writing for school projects and news writing as described in the text?
2. How does the pyramid structure benefit readers who are only interested in the essential information?
3. What is meant by the term “pyramid journalism,” and how does it relate to the structure of a news article?
4. Why is it important for a journalist to determine the “top line” of a story?
5. How does the pyramid structure help maintain a reader’s interest in a news article?
6. In what ways can the pyramid structure impact the way a journalist presents information about the economy, consumer prices, and employment?
7. Analyse how the pyramid structure might affect the reader’s perception of the news story’s importance.
8. Evaluate the effectiveness of the pyramid structure in conveying complex news stories. What are its strengths and potential weaknesses?
9. Synthesise the information given in the text to propose an alternative method of structuring a news article. How might this method compare to the pyramid?
10. How might the pyramid structure influence the way journalists prioritise different aspects of a news story?

>Answers

1. Traditional writing builds up to a conclusion, while news writing starts with the essence of the story and adds details in order of relevance.
2. It allows them to get the basic facts from the headline and summary without reading further.
3. “Pyramid journalism” refers to the pyramid structure where the most important information is at the top, followed by additional details.
4. Determining the “top line” ensures that the most crucial information is presented first, capturing the reader’s attention.
5. It provides essential information upfront, allowing readers to decide if they want to continue reading for more details.
6. It allows journalists to present the most critical economic impacts first, followed by less crucial details, ensuring clarity and focus.
7. It emphasises the most important aspects first, potentially shaping the reader’s perception of the story’s significance.
8. The structure is effective for clarity and quick understanding but may oversimplify complex stories or omit nuanced details.
9. An alternative could be a narrative structure that weaves details throughout, offering a more engaging but potentially less clear presentation.
10. It encourages journalists to prioritise information based on newsworthiness and relevance, potentially affecting the depth of coverage for less critical aspects.

Lesson plan for trainers

If you are a trainer of journalists we have a free lesson plan: The inverted pyramid which you are welcome to download and adapt for your own purposes.

The post Essential elements of a news story first appeared on Media Helping Media.

A journalist writing a news story is the author, organiser and decision maker. Without them the story may never be told.

They assemble the material they have at hand and which they have researched and uncovered, and then they make the most important decision of all by asking the question – is there a story?

Thousands of possible stories disappear each day because they fail to make it through this first stage of the production process, let’s try to make sure that yours don’t.

If you decide that there is a story, you then need to think through which part or parts of it are of potential interest.

This affects how you should tell the story, what angle you should take and the main points you should try to get across. Perhaps even more importantly, what you can leave out.

There is almost never enough time or space for all your material. Something usually has to go, and it’s best to start thinking about this sooner rather than later.

Despite what you may hear about the objectivity of news, you as the writer cannot help being subjective because you are applying your own judgement and values.

The important thing is that your judgement is not just a personal preference. It is guided and based on journalistic principles.

If you are knocked down by a car and break a leg, a limited number of people will be interested – your family and friends, of course, your employer, your insurance company, and just about nobody else. The incident is unlikely to make a news item.

If the president of your country is involved in a road accident, that is front-page news and probably even the lead item in broadcast news bulletins.

Is a story newsworthy?

The different responses to these two events are a matter of judgement, of news judgement.

A range of considerations comes into play every time you have to decide if a story is newsworthy or not. Here are some of them:

• The source: Is it reliable, trustworthy, independent, honest, believable? If you have doubts, can you carry out checks?
• The subject: Does it fit my output? If you are writing for a sports magazine, you will probably not be too interested in finance, crime, science, international trade or health, unless there is a sports angle.
• The people: What interest is there likely to be in what the individuals in the story are doing? If it’s a choice between you and the president, you lose every time.
• The audience: Will this story appeal to many of my readers, viewers, or listeners? There’s not much point in carrying serious financial news in a celebrity-centred popular newspaper.
• The surprise: How unusual is this event or development? Something unexpected is more likely to make the news than a routine happening.
• The knowledge: Is this story new or has it been published before? If so, by whom? Will it have been widely circulated, or will most people be learning about it for the first time?
• The timing: Even if the story is not recent, and the event is many years old, it can still be worth running if the information has only just come to light.
• The yawn: Have we just had too many stories on this subject? Let’s look for something else before we lose our audience through boredom?
• What next? You have decided to run a story. One of the key stages in preparing it for publication comes next – how do you organise and structure the material?

Questions

1. What is the primary role of a journalist when constructing a news story?
2. Why is it important for a journalist to determine if there is a story before proceeding?
3. How does a journalist decide which parts of a story are of potential interest?
4. What factors influence a journalist’s decision on what to include or exclude in a news story?
5. How does subjectivity play a role in news writing, despite the aim for objectivity?
6. What are some key considerations in determining the newsworthiness of a story?
7. How does the source of information affect the credibility of a news story?
8. Why might a story about a president’s road accident be more newsworthy than a similar incident involving an ordinary citizen?
9. How can the timing of a story impact its newsworthiness?
10. What are the next steps after deciding to run a story, according to the text?

Answers

1. The primary role of a journalist is to be the author, organiser, and decision maker of the news story.
2. It is important to determine if there is a story to ensure that the journalist’s efforts are focused on newsworthy content that will engage the audience.
3. A journalist decides which parts of a story are of potential interest by considering the angle, main points, and what can be omitted due to time or space constraints.
4. Factors influencing what to include or exclude include the story’s angle, the main points to convey, and the available time or space for the story.
5. Subjectivity plays a role because journalists apply their own judgment and values, guided by journalistic principles, in deciding how to present a story.
6. Key considerations for newsworthiness include the source’s reliability, the subject’s relevance, the people’s interest, the audience’s appeal, the element of surprise, the novelty of the information, and the timing.
7. The source affects credibility because a reliable, trustworthy, and independent source enhances the story’s believability.
8. A president’s road accident is more newsworthy due to the individual’s prominence and the potential impact on a larger audience.
9. Timing impacts newsworthiness because even old events can be newsworthy if new information has just come to light.
10. After deciding to run a story, the next steps involve organizing and structuring the material for publication.

There are two main models for news writing. One the pyramid, the other involves ‘six honest men’. We will deal with this in our next module titled ‘Essential elements of a news story‘.

The post News writing for beginners first appeared on Media Helping Media.