1. The News Story

2. Newswriting Format in a Nutshell
A short, one-sentence lede of no more than 40 to 45 words that summarizes the most newsworthy and important aspect of the story.
Short paragraphs of just one or two sentences each that follow the lede.
The inverted pyramid structure, meaning that the most important information in the story goes at the top, the least important at the bottom.
Think of it this way:
The lede focuses on Topic A, the most important aspect of the story.
The paragraphs that come right after the lede should also focus on Topic A, since that's what the lede deals with.
After you've adequately dealt with Topic A, you can move on to Topic B. Deal with Topic B for as many paragraphs as you need, then move on to Topic C, and so on.
Remember:
The lede should be one sentence.
The paragraphs that follow the lede should be just one or two sentences each.

3. Inverted Pyramid

4. The Basics #1
The lede should be a single sentence of roughly words that summarizes the main points of the story - not a seven-sentence monstrosity that looks like it's out of a Jane Austen novel.

5. #2
The lede should summarize the story from start to finish. So if you're writing about a fire that destroyed a building and left 18 people homeless, you need to include that information in the lede. Simply writing something like "A fire started in a building last night" isn't enough.

6. #3
Paragraphs in news stories should generally be no more than 1-2 sentences each - not seven or eight, like you're used to writing in English class. Short paragraphs are easier to cut when editors are working on tight deadline, and they look less imposing on the page.

7. #4
Sentences should be kept relatively short, and whenever possible use the subject-verb-object formula.

8. #5
Along these same lines, always cut unnecessary words in your stories. Example: "Firefighters arrived at the blaze and were able to put it out within about 30 minutes" can be cut to "firefighters doused the blaze in about 30 minutes." The second sentence is half as long as the first.

9. #6
Don't inject long, complicated-sounding words into your stories when simpler ones will do. Remember, a newspaper or news website should be understandable to everyone.

10. #7
We don't use the first-person "I" in news stories. Again, this isn't English class, and you're not writing an essay.

11. #8
In Associated Press style, punctuation almost always goes inside quotation marks. Example: "We arrested the suspect," Detective John Jones said. (Note the placement of the comma.)

12. News stories are generally written in the past tense.#9
News stories are generally written in the past tense.

13. #10
Avoid the use of too many adjectives. There's no need to write "the white-hot blaze" or "the brutal murder." We know fire is hot and that killing someone is generally pretty brutal. The adjectives are unnecessary.

14. #11
Don't use phrases like "thankfully, everyone escaped the fire unhurt." Obviously, it's a good thing that people weren't hurt. Your readers can figure that out for themselves.

15. #12
Never inject your opinions into a hard-news story. Save your thoughts for a movie review or editorial.

16. #13
When you first refer to someone who's quoted in a story, use their full name and job title if applicable. On the second and all subsequent references, use just their last name. So it would be "Lt. Jane Jones" when you first mention her in your story, but after that it would simply be "Jones." The only exception is if you have two people with the same last name in your story, in which case you could use their full names. We generally don't use honorifics like "Mr." or "Mrs." in AP style.

17. #14
Don't repeat information. Say something once, then move on. There's no room for repetition in a news story.

18. #15
You don't need to summarize the story at the end by repeating what's already been said. That's another English-class habit you need to get out of. Once you've conveyed all the information you have, stop writing. You're done.

19. Subject-Verb-Object
Try to always use the subject-verb-object format in newswriting. This simply means putting the subject at the start of the sentence whenever possible.
Look at these two sentences:
She read the book.
The book was read by her.
The first sentence is in S-V-O format, the second isn't. What's the difference?
The first sentence is an "active" construction, the second is passive.
The first sentence has a direct connection between the subject and the action she is taking, making the sentence punchy and vivid.

20. Cut Unnecessary Words
BEFORE: All the residents managed to escape in time without being injured. AFTER: The residents escaped unhurt. BEFORE: It is suspected that drug dealers were the cause of the blaze. AFTER: Drug dealers may have set the blaze. BEFORE: According to fire Capt. Bill Jackson, the fire started at about 9:45 p.m. and was brought under control by the fire department within approximately 30 minutes. AFTER: Fire Capt. Bill Jackson said the fire started at about 9:45 p.m. It was under control in about 30 minutes. BEFORE: Mayor John Smith says there is a $20 million gap in the city budget between how much money there is and how much money is needed. AFTER: Mayor John Smith said the city budget has a $20 million deficit. BEFORE: You should cut out all the extra and unnecessary words from every story you edit. AFTER: Cut unnecessary words from stories.