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How journalists find stories and write articles

Blažej Kupec
23 min readDec 19, 2019

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Photo by Mohammed Suhail from Pexels

I still remember my first day in the newsroom. It was a fairly large office with 25 journalists with lots of opinions and very little self-restraint. The place was noisy, chaotic, and intimidating.

I’ve got the job in an audition without any prior formal education in journalism. They thought I was a good fit, but I struggled at first.

The outlet (as most others) didn’t have any space where the newcomers would learn the practicalities of the media business.

This is especially discouraging for young people who are not necessarily journalism graduates but are still interested in working in the media — just as I have been.

The following guide might help cross that knowledge gap. It includes:

  • ways to find ideas and inspiration for stories
  • differences between articles and why they are important
  • questions that will help you find out what is newsworthy
  • tips on constructing a solid plan for writing
  • even more tips on how to write good looking sentences and find appropriate words
  • what to read and which tools to use to master your skills

Although the guide contains some journalistic jargon, it might prove useful to anybody that writes for a living — or fun. This includes profiles, such as:

  • marketing specialists
  • bloggers
  • social media managers
  • copywriters
  • web writers
  • speechwriters
  • editors
  • PR specialists
  • translators
  • content strategists
  • film critics
  • ghost-writers

I. Where to find ideas and contacts

Journalists operate with an arsenal of distinct sources that help them harvest stories and news items. In some cases, the ideas come from personal contacts, but mostly they hail from public sources, accessible to anyone. Good journalists, however, will look for small details and create novel angles that will give their work added value (exclusivity, usefulness, …).

Below are sources journalists often use to dig out stories. I can, however, easily imagine marketing or PR manager perusing the same material, looking for ideas for the next company exposure.

(a) Agency news

A news agency is an organization (either public or private) that gathers, writes and distributes news from around the country and the world. The three most prolific are Reuters News, Associated Press (AP) and Agence France-Presse (AFP) which employ more than eight thousand people and have made a combined 1.3 billion dollars of revenue in 2018.

See this Wikipedia article for an (almost) exhaustive list of news agencies around the world. Most of them have English websites that provide an incredible source of localized information. Often, access to some articles is free-of-charge.

The articles, that the agencies prepare, are distributed to the subscribing media outlets. Some of them simply re-publish the news, others might adept headlines and leads to their format and third will take only the news itself and construct an article around it.

Agency news is a great source of possible ideas. You should peruse them carefully since they often contain pieces of information that are hardly noticeable but have all the potential to evolve into great stories.

Here is a real-life example: a news agency has published an article that summarized an annual gathering of stockholders of a larger manufacturing company. The agency’s article drew an average amount of attention, but it contained a less exposed golden nugget of an “explosive” nature.

It read that the company, highly publicized as one of the most successful in the region with a media-darling CEO, has been planning to stop certain investments because of “high taxes and uncertain business environment”.

This piece of news — once discovered — has made headlines all over the media, generating thousands of comments and opinions. Your job as a perceptive journalist is to notice these overlooked, but valuable bits and find out where the rabbit hole will eventually take you.

(b) Media

As a journalist you’ll “have to” read/watch/listen/subscribe to:

  • newspapers
  • magazines
  • online outlets
  • radio news
  • TV news
  • newsletter
  • podcasts
  • Twitter lists
  • forums
  • comment sections
  • subreddits
  • blogs

It is essential to understand how the news cycle works. This might be overwhelming at first, but once you’ll narrow down your professional interests (find your specialization or a “beat”), you’ll discover a rewarding feeling that comes with mastering the information stream.

One powerful way to organize articles and customize preferences are the so-called news aggregators. Among the most popular apps and websites are:

  • Feedly
  • Panda Newsfeed
  • Flipboard
  • Google news
  • All Top

A bonus tip: don’t ignore local media (in case you don’t work in one already) which has been — until recently — the single most common source of news in the U.S. Think how you can expand on local stories by giving them a national or global dimension.

(c) Press releases

PR industry proclaims their death every second year, but press releases are still relevant in the media world. True, their existence is partly depended on public companies that still use press releases to disclose information to the general public.

Regardless of press releases’ reputation as boring and useless don’t ignore them. The company might want to sell you a new product or a hire that nobody outside the company cares about, but you can still find a different angle to expand on. Try to look beyond the promotional clutter and instead give the message your own voice.

For example, a press release from eToro, a trading platform that acquired a crypto wallet provider, is a typical promotional material. Under closer inspection, it still contains several interesting cues. Before you continue reading, try to think of some.

Here are some possible ideas framed as questions:

1. What are the most profitable fintechs in our country and globally?

2. Are cryptocurrencies still popular?

3. How to set up a crypto-wallet and what are the best options on the market?

4. What is the story of eToro founders?

5. How to move your company to Cyprus?

(d) Events

Conferences, festivals, meetups, and lectures are another way to get relevant material and contacts. Many tech and start-up journalists, for instance, attend CES or Web Summit, health journalists don’t want to miss Medica trade fair while members of auto media fly in droves to Frankfurt, Geneva, and Shanghai car shows.

Although mass events attract big names, smaller gatherings are just as useful. Attend a local hackathon to capture the spirit of entrepreneurship in the city or visit a book presentation of a reputable climate scientist which could make for an interesting interview.

In any case, make sure to do your homework in advance:

  • set your goals and clarify intentions
  • do a background check on the speakers
  • get in touch with organizers
  • arrange meetings or interviews

(e) Rankings & Research

Journalists often use research and rankings to either back assertions, fact-check quotes or create news out of interesting findings and lists themselves. Business Insider is a great example: they pick up almost any research and deliver it in a “top n list” form. Just take a look at 20 of the best US neighborhoods for trick-or-treating this Halloween or Top 10 brands in the world.

There is a wealth of sources a journalist can tap into. For instance:

  • national statistics agencies
  • academic organizations
  • research companies
  • international organizations
  • media

Approach the sources critically though. Public agencies might have their agenda while companies know that data is valuable leverage in pursuing PR exposure; reports and rankings with dubious methodology are therefore not uncommon. Your job is to question the results and ask for clarification.

Below, I’ve listed some oft-cited sources:

(f) Social media

A vast majority (73 percent) of the journalists say they use social media at their work, according to the research from Lars Willnat at Syracuse University and David Weaver at Indiana University.

Twitter, especially, is a powerful weapon in the journalist’s arsenal. If used wisely it can broaden the pool of sources beyond traditional gatekeepers of information. (The feed, however, might appear chaotic at times. One useful tool for giving Twitter more clarity is Tweetdeck application. Journalists often use it to sort people and media they follow.)

Other social media platforms are potentially useful as well. One can find contacts and experts in niche Facebook groups, insights on Quora (very useful for interview preparation), or the latest public announcements of celebrities on Instagram.

Social media, especially Twitter, should still be used with a grain of salt. Otherwise, it can distort the way the story is reported, affect news judgment, and even lead to “pack mentality in which a story is seen as important because other journalists on Twitter are talking about it, rather than because it is newsworthy”, as some researchers suggest.

(g) Contacts

Journalists are expected to develop and cultivate a network of people they can tap into when needed. A source might provide information ahead of public announcements, an insider tip or a useful suggestion for a story that is worth exploring further. Many news companies also maintain a network of “stingers” — freelance journalists or well-informed citizens who provide information from smaller towns, third countries or war zones.

Sources are in a vast majority of cases cited with full names and relevant descriptions. Sometimes, however, their identity is not revealed because otherwise they might get fired, harassed or threatened.

Anonymous sources make reporting less credible, and many news organizations have strict rules on when and how to use them. The same applies to other forms of reporting that do not reveal the full identity of the source, such as off-the-record citing (nothing can be used for publication) or reporting on the background (parties agree in advance what can be published). The New York Times has an article that explains the terminology more in detail.

(h) (Almost) everything else

Potential news can come from everywhere. Consider a real example of a promotional catalogue of a supermarket chain featuring a sale on grave candles with a clumsy copy “Only for retired people”. Clearly not a content for “serious” newspapers, but it just might make an impression on a tabloid editor.

Ebay, Craigslist and online forums also provide ideas, interesting contacts or content. Gizmodo, for instance, picked up this “story” of a fake Craigslist ad.

Corporate reports are a potential gold mine for business journalists. I personally find the CEO’s letter especially useful as they often talk about industry trends not necessarily publicized yet.

In some countries, private companies have to disclose their financials as well. Another great resource for journalists to write about businesses that the public is interested in.

(i) Your Boss

In most cases, novice journalists are told what to do. This way the editors test their understanding of what is newsworthy and assess their writing skills. Of course, all journalists in the newsroom are expected to collaborate and exchange ideas, expertise, and contacts. Very often, a journalist receives a great recommendation for an article from a fellow colleague or is assigned a project on daily/weekly meetings.

II. Types of articles and differences between them

Not all articles in the media look and “feel” the same. The format depends on the medium (daily newspaper, weekly magazine, supplements, online or offline), readership, and content. Most frequently journalists use the following three formats (or their variations) to convey messages:

  • News article: they give answers on what, where, when, who and why. News articles are often used, especially when reporting on time-sensitive events. Here is one of many examples from The Guardian: Brazil’s former president Lula walks free from prison after supreme court ruling.
  • Editorial: an opinionated article that you typically find on the first pages of the (online) newspaper. It is written by an editor or journalist (or a group of them) and it presents a newspaper’s opinion on a current issue. The Wall Street Journal’s Meritocracy’s Waterloo is a nice example. Their conclusion is very typical of an editorial as it tries to influence public opinion and stimulate debate.
  • Feature story: unlike news articles, which have a sense of urgency, features are not as time-sensitive. They are usually longer and use narrative, background information, and scene-setting to develop the story. The lead might not be as straightforward as with “hard” news articles — it can start with a quote or an anecdote. Features stories can be divided further into different categories, such as interview, profile, analysis, and review. A great example of a feature story (more specifically, a profile) is the New Yorker’s piece on Irani General Qassem Suleimani. Note how the author uses three long paragraphs to set up the scene before it introduces the person the story is centred around.

III. Newsworthiness

The best way to assess newsworthiness (what is interesting enough to publish) is to ask yourself some pointed questions. They are pretty standard as you will find similar advice in most textbooks on journalism.

(a) Timing

Typical “hard” news is supposed to be delivered as fast as possible. Events that happened more than 24 hours ago (not a set-in-stone time frame) are usually already deemed as old news.

Feature stories usually allow for more time, but they should still consider if they are relevant at a particular point. For example, see Economist’s analysis of the elections in German states Brandenburg and Saxony. Although the article has been published six days after the elections, it is still relevant, because the format (an international weekly magazine) allows for a longer time frame — its readers care more for an added value they receive and are less time-sensitive. The same article, on the other hand, would probably not pass after a month from the event.

Questions:

  • How much time did it pass since the news broke out?
  • Considering the characteristics and internal rules of our media, what is the time frame to publish this particular piece of news?
  • Has the news already been published by the media with similar readership? If yes, how long ago?

(b) Localization or proximity

Localization or proximity is defined by both geographical and emotional closeness to a particular event. A natural disaster, political turmoil or a sporting success will obviously resonate more with people that are affected by them.

A good journalist will also look for local elements in seemingly unrelated stories. For instance, an Italian journalist might expand his article on student debt defaults in the U.S. with similar data on Italian students.

Questions:

  • Is the news important to people in my locality or country?
  • Is the news too local and specific and might not resonate with our average reader?
  • What can I do to give the news a local dimension?

(c) Impact

Impact looks at the consequences of a certain event has on people. A worker’s strike of a local company is less important for the general public in the country as a nation-wide power outage, but it might be more important to people living in the community affected by the strike.

Questions:

  • Does the news affect my readers?
  • How can I credibly assess the impact and who could help me with that?
  • What are all the consequences of the event and how would I rank them according to importance?

(d) Conflict

Conflict is another element of assessing newsworthiness. Readers are drawn to disagreements, fights and arguments since they make stories more compelling and exciting.

One way to convey conflict is by sensationalistic elements (strong words, typeface, exclamation marks) mostly used in tabloids. This kind of media, however, often uses sensationalism to create or enhance drama where there objectively isn’t any. If you work in “serious” media, rather think of conflict as a way to engage readers.

Questions:

  • Where is the conflict in the news?
  • How can I appropriately articulate the conflict?

(e) Prominence

Prominence is also a useful guiding principle. It identifies people who are in the public interest and, therefore, newsworthy. Politicians and other people who hold public offices are especially scrutinized. Consider a car crash of an Austrian politician Jörg Heider — his death made international headlines due to his prominence as controversial leader of a far-right party.

Questions:

  • Is the person of public interest and why?
  • What and when has already been mentioned about the person or related events?
  • Is it relevant to write about his or her private life?

IV. Make a plan

Most journalists (not all though) write beautifully articulated and pointed articles not by chance, but rather by design. They have a system in place that provides guidance, a source inspiration and it simply allows them to get things done faster.

There is no universally effective technique. Rather, journalists come up with their own preparation process by testing what works. I’ve still tried to distill some of the more fundamental methods that most journalists (and other writers) use to some degree.

Let’s look at the possible techniques with the below exercise:

The European Environment Agency just published its annual report on the cleanliness of natural swimming spots in the EU. Since the summer season is about to start your job is to combine the report with some additional sources for people who are planning trips to the rivers and lakes and are concerned about the water quality.

It is important to first…

(a) Clarify intent: think who you are writing for and what are you trying to achieve. In our case, you might think of people who are making holiday plans and want to have all the details under control. Your intention is to provide them with information on water quality so they can make better decisions.

(b) Brainstorm: try to think of questions that reflect your intention. You might come up with something similar as:

  • Where is the water the cleanest?
  • Where can I check the information myself?
  • Who conducts the measurements and what are they based on?
  • Is the quality of water improving or declining?
  • How do our lakes and rivers compare to other countries?
  • Is it dangerous to swim in less clean water?
  • Are children more susceptible to water quality?
  • What pollutes the water the most?

(c) Research: the most common sources are already written articles on the topic (local and international), researches, statistics, and interviews with experts. Observe the angles and questions other journalists have used in their work. If relevant to you article, use them!

In our case, you’ll find a plethora of resources. Here are just some of them:

Don’t forget forums, Quora and Facebook groups for contacts, anecdotes, and insights. Also, visit the local bathing spots yourself and look for signs that indicate the quality of water. Talk with the visitors and ask them if they have any reservations swimming in the lakes and rivers.

Write down facts, stats, and quotes of everything relevant to the intention of the article.

(d) Group ideas: Think again of the intention you have set at the beginning. It will guide you in grouping facts, numbers, and quotes that you’ve come across while researching the topic from different sources.

In our case, we want to give advice to people that are planning local holiday trips to the rivers, lakes and sea beaches. Therefore, it makes sense to first give some general information on the water quality followed by advice on how the readers can find specific information by themselves.

Water quality in the country

  • 95 percent of rivers, lakes and sea beaches are suitable for swimming, according to the report from EEA
  • Our country is among the top five in the EU in water quality
  • 20 percent more bathing spots are appropriate for swimming in comparison to the year 1990

Water quality sources

  • EEA portal provides an interactive map of all bathing spots in the European Union and the corresponding levels of cleanliness; annual information
  • National agency for environment updates information on water pollution every 24 hours; the limited scope of bathing spots
  • Local municipalities provide additional information in their bulletins and websites based on reports from people
  • Official bathing spots measure water quality every day in the summer
  • Wild beaches: ask locals if the water is OK for swimming or use water quality instruments for personal use

Below is an example of how the article might end up by putting the pieces together. Of course, you could expand the article further, answering other questions that we have come up while brainstorming:

V. Putting words down

In this section, I will dive deeper into the mechanics of article writing. This is a very well explored topic already. My ambition is to, therefore, give some clear and concise guidance without going into too much detail. If you want to give your writing extra nuance, I’ve listed additional material that you can use as further reading.

The best advice for good and fast writing is to let go of the need for perfection. Writers often find themselves correcting and polishing words and sentences as they write, losing focus and flow in the meantime. I speak from experience. I’ve been obsessed with nailing the perfect version the first time and lost hours arguing with the panel of internal critics. Since I let myself to embrace that monstrous first draft, I sleep much better at night.

Polishing articles and giving flair to your writings is an essential part of a (self)editing process. Some even suggest that you should dedicate half of your time just revising and improving the article. Professional writers agree:

“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” Stephen King

“I’ve found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living shit out of it.” Don Roff

“When I’m writing, I make words my b*tch. But when I’m editing, the words make me their b*tch. It all equals out in the end.” Richard B. Knight

I’ve divided this chapter into four parts, each containing practical tips on how to write better headlines, leads, paragraphs, and sentences & words.

(a) Headlines

I don’t believe template headlines (such as the one used for this blog post) work all the time (I hope it does in my case though). Writers should rather think of how to best articulate the value their piece brings to the readers — not how to mathematically design the “perfect” headline.

However, certain rough guidelines do exist and they are worth mentioning as good headlines are usually:

  • shorter as statistics show that headlines with eight words have 21% higher clickthrough rate
  • powerful, meaning they include “emotional” words such as “hate”, “poison”, “crisis”, “sensational”, “victory”, “intense”, “unexpected” or “little-known”.
  • specific and preferably contain numbers. For example, The New York Times has experimented with two different titles for the same article. They found out that “$2 Billion Worth of Free Media for Trump” received 297 percent more readers as “Measuring Trump’s Media Dominance”
  • accurate which means they don’t trade clicks for correctness, nor they oversell and distort in any way
  • use the active voice (start with a subject) and present tense even if the story is about past events
  • don’t repeat the lead (first paragraph). The headline, at least in “hard” news, should get to the main point while the lead introduces new information or a character

(b) Lead

Lead or lede is the opening paragraph of the story. It is also the second and last opportunity to capture the reader’s attention. Make it fast-paced, specific, and concise. It has to be an easy buy-in. Don’t use it for background information or old news, deliver what is new, relevant and interesting. Your lead will set the tone for the rest of the article.

The opening of the article does not have to be necessarily short, but it rather depends on the type of the article. You might want to build the attention with a surprising fact, quote or a humorous anecdote. Many feature stories start with a rich and immersive description of the scene that often evolves into an introduction of the story’s characters. There is no hard rule on how long the first paragraph should be. However, shorter first paragraphs (3–5 sentences) are usually the norm.

Here are some examples of great headlines and opening paragraphs:

(c) Paragraphs

There is no set-in-stone rule on how long the paragraphs should be. The best advice is to use as many sentences as you need to develop and bring home an idea or a thought. This might require only one sentence or ten. Still, aim for a shorter version which usually makes the text more appealing and easier to read.

Paragraphs are also a great opportunity to set the rhythm for the readers. Think of them as points in the text where you would like the readers to catch a breath for a split second before moving to another section.

See how the author has broken down her article on wild turkeys “terrorizing a town in New Jersey”. She uses paragraphs to split the story into well-rounded sections:

  • an introductory paragraph that sets the tone
  • explanation of the event
  • personal account
  • quote
  • conclusion

(d) Sentences & Words

1. Make them short and sweet

In writing (especially online) short sentences are preferred but there is no absolute rule on the optimal length. Some say that 25 words is a good reference point and that longer sentences hinder readability and clarity.

Here are some tips on how to shorten sentences:

1.1. Break them down into individual thoughts or ideas

Try it on the following sentence:

Survey results showed 71% of global respondents said trying to complete everything on their to-do lists actually distracts them from focusing on what is really important, suggesting to-do lists might be holding travelers back instead of propelling them towards success which is especially true amongst US respondents, with 77% agreeing with this statement.

One possible way how to break it down into several thoughts that can stand by themselves:

Survey results showed 71% of global respondents said trying to complete everything on their to-do lists actually distracts them from focusing on what is really important.

They suggest to-do lists might be holding travelers back instead of propelling them towards success.

This is especially true amongst US respondents, with 77% agreeing with this statement.

1.2. Eliminate redundant words

Replace:

  • “period of five days” with “five days”
  • “ask a question” with “ask”
  • “collaborate together” with “collaborate”
  • “they arrived one after the other in succession” with “they arrived in succession”
  • “small in size” with “small”
  • “past history” with “history”
  • “finished completely” with “finished”

1.3. Avoid wordy phrases

Instead of:

  • “has the ability” use “can”
  • “similar to” use “like”
  • “with the exception of” use “except”
  • “in the course of” use “during”
  • “make an effort” use “try”
  • “prior to” use “before”
  • “has the ability” use “can”
  • “in some cases” use “sometimes”
  • “in the event of” use “if”

1.4. Recognize and avoid words that imply something that is obvious or has already been explained

Consider this example: “The worlds’ top skiers have competed in Flachau, Austria. Marcel Hirscher, skiing on his home slope, won the race. This is the fourth podium for the Austrian in the season.”

You can shorten the last sentence to “It is his fourth podium in the season” since “home slope” already implies Hirscher is Austrian. A small change but that can add up if the rule is applied everywhere in the text.

1.5. Avoid unnecessary introductions

Common examples are:

  • “This article will explain”
  • “In the attempt to”
  • “To my way of thinking”

2. Longer sentences still have a role

They are a powerful tool in setting a slower pace — as long as they are thoughtfully crafted and considerate of the context. Think of them as a boat cruise on a river that meanders through the city centre. People expect a slower ride to enjoy the sights; an experience that one wants to avoid on a daily commute. There are numerous examples of beautifully crafted long sentences in literature, but they can fit well in (online) articles or blogs too.

3. Start sentences with known words

How would you, for instance, improve the following sentence:

“Polyphenols, including large amounts of a catechin called EGCG, can be found in green tea”.

It assumes that the reader knows what polyphenols and catechin are. It sounds unwelcoming and confusing. Instead, start with what is already common knowledge and reformulate the sentence into something more inviting:

“Green tea contains polyphenols, including large amounts of a catechin called EGCG”.

4. Use the active voice

Write sentences that include a subject (actor or doer). They give your writing more clarity and flow. Passive voice sentences, on the other hand, almost always add words and are generally harder to understand.

One “trick” to convert passive sentences into active ones is to find the “buried” subject that follows the word “by”:

PASSIVE: The war in the Middle East has been waged by the red and blue armies.

ACTIVE: The red and blue armies have waged war in the Middle East.

In case the “doer” is not explicitly written down, it is most probably implied, as in the following case:

PASSIVE: The tomb of Ramses has been thoroughly examined.

ACTIVE: Archaeologists have thoroughly examined the tomb of Ramses.

5. Use descriptive verbs and avoid abstract nouns

Strong and precise verbs make writing assertive and colourful. These verbs are powerful enough to stand on their own without any extra nouns and adjectives. Compare the examples below:

a. The home team has been completely surprised by the resistance they’ve received.

b. The home team has been shocked by the resistance they’ve received.

a. The old man walked aimlessly in the forest.

b. The old man wandered the forest.

a. Her dog has hungrily eaten the leftovers from the last night’s dinner.

b. Her dog has devoured the leftovers from the last night’s dinner.

a. This company has made promises to deliver changes in the logistics sector.

b. This company has promised to change the logistics sector.

a. He has been hired to facilitate the growth of the business in foreign markets.

b. He has been hired to grow the business in foreign markets.

6. Look out for ambiguity

Here is an example of an ambiguous sentence: “Visiting relatives can be exhaustive”.

It is not completely clear what is “exhaustive”: when relatives visit you or when you visit relatives. Be careful of these kinds of ambiguities and try to avoid them.

7. Avoid generic phrases, clichés or buzzwords

Common examples are “innovative”, “substantial”, “state-of-the-art”, “holistic approach”, “bespoke”, “paradigm” or “disruptive”.

Instead, give more specific information and examples that prove your point without meaningless jargon.

For instance, replace “substantial growth” with a more concrete “78 percent annual growth” or change “innovative” to “their enterprise application will save ten percent of the manufacturing costs”.

8. Avoid starting sentences with date and place

In most cases (but not always) it is not the most vital information you need to communicate. Use it appropriately in the sentence or paragraph and try to use whole words instead of numbers, such as

  • yesterday
  • last Friday
  • this year

9. Bonus

Useful tools for writing

  • Hemingway App helps you improve the style of your writing. The tool highlights where the text is too dense and recommends splitting the sentences or changing/removing needless words.
  • Grammarly identifies grammar and spelling mistakes; it also provides you with writing enhancements focused on clarity, conciseness, and tone.
  • Readability test tool gives a score for the most used readability indicators, such as Flesch-Kincaid test and SMOG index.
  • Headline Analyzer lets you know how good your headlines are. They look at the length, type, sentiment, grammar, and readability of the headline and give you an overall score
  • Drivel Defence will help you write in plain English and make your writing easier to read
  • Writer’s diet counts the verbs, nouns, prepositions, adjectives/adverbs, and other words and lets you know if your writing is lean or flabby.
  • Plain English campaign provides plain English alternative to the pompous words and phrases. For instance, “attempt” becomes “try”, “disclose” becomes “tell” and “if you do not” is a better alternative to “failure to”.

Sources & further reading

Journalism
Writing
Writing Tips
Blogging
Copywriting

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Blažej Kupec

Written by Blažej Kupec

45 Followers

Content strategist and journalist based in Berlin

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