Program Overview
Course Structure
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Week 1: The Inverted Pyramid
Understanding why this structure dominates news writing. Analyzing effective examples. Writing your first basic news story.
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Week 2: Lead Writing Workshop
Crafting strong opening sentences. Common lead types and when to use them. Practice session with immediate feedback.
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Week 3: Story Development
Building out from the lead. Adding context and background. Managing quotes and attribution.
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Week 4: Clarity and Precision
Eliminating ambiguity. Choosing specific verbs. Cutting unnecessary adjectives and adverbs.
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Week 5: Working Under Deadline
Time management techniques. Prioritizing essential information. Editing your own work quickly.
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Week 6: Final Assignment
Writing a complete news story from provided materials. Peer review and instructor feedback. Revision exercise.
Detailed Information
Most news stories fail because they bury the point or lose readers in the first paragraph. This course teaches you the specific techniques working journalists use to write stories people actually read.
You will learn the inverted pyramid structure, which sounds simple but takes practice to execute well. The most important information goes first, then supporting details, then background. This approach lets editors cut from the bottom when space is tight and helps readers get the facts quickly.
What the course covers
Lead writing gets significant attention because your first sentence determines whether anyone reads paragraph two. We analyze successful leads from major publications and identify what makes them work. You will write dozens of practice leads and get specific feedback on clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.
The course also addresses common structural problems. Many beginning writers include unnecessary attribution, use passive voice when active is clearer, or fail to provide adequate context. We work through real examples of weak news writing and discuss how to fix these issues.
You will practice writing under time constraints because deadlines are non-negotiable in journalism. The exercises simulate real newsroom conditions where you have limited time to gather facts, verify information, and produce clean copy.
Skills you will develop
- Writing leads that deliver the news immediately
- Structuring stories using the inverted pyramid
- Eliminating unnecessary words without losing meaning
- Attributing information correctly and consistently
- Meeting tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy
By the end, you should be able to produce publishable news stories that editors can work with and readers can understand. The focus is entirely practical: you write, receive feedback, revise, and repeat until the fundamentals become automatic.