50 common terms in news writing

Here are 50 common terms used in news writing:

  1. AP Style: A style guide used by many news organizations, which dictates how to write and format news stories.
  2. Angle: The unique perspective or spin given to a story.
  3. Attribution: The source of information or quote in a story.
  4. Beat: A specific area of coverage, such as politics or sports.
  5. Brief: A short summary of a story.
  6. Byline: The name of the journalist who wrote the story.
  7. Caption: A description of a photo or graphic.
  8. Cutline: A brief description of a photo or graphic.
  9. Dateline: The location where the story takes place.
  10. Deadline: The time by which a story must be filed.
  11. Exclusive: A story that is only available to one publication or outlet.
  12. Fact-check: Verifying the accuracy of information in a story.
  13. Follow-up: A subsequent story that updates or expands on a previous one.
  14. Headline: The title of a story.
  15. Hook: A catchy opening sentence or phrase that grabs the reader's attention.
  16. Inverted pyramid: A structure for writing news stories, with the most important information first.
  17. Lead: The opening sentence or paragraph of a story.
  18. Lede: Another term for the lead.
  19. Link: A connection or relationship between two or more stories.
  20. Lede-in: A story that is written in a more narrative style, with a focus on storytelling.
  21. Media alert: A notification sent to journalists about an upcoming event or announcement.
  22. News hook: A timely or relevant angle that makes a story newsworthy.
  23. News peg: A specific event or development that makes a story timely.
  24. Obits: Short for obituaries, which are notices of deaths.
  25. Pitch: A proposal or idea for a story.
  26. Quote: A direct statement or quote from a source.
  27. Raw copy: Unedited or unproofed text.
  28. Rewrite: A revised version of a story.
  29. Scoop: A story that is exclusive or has not been reported by others.
  30. Sidelight: A secondary or supporting story.
  31. Slug: A brief description or summary of a story.
  32. Source: A person or organization that provides information or quotes for a story.
  33. Standalone: A story that is self-contained and does not require additional context.
  34. Story idea: A concept or proposal for a story.
  35. Style guide: A set of guidelines for writing and formatting news stories.
  36. Subhead: A secondary headline or title within a story.
  37. Summary: A brief overview of a story.
  38. Timeline: A chronological account of events.
  39. Trend: A pattern or direction in which something is moving.
  40. Update: A revised version of a story that includes new information.
  41. Verbatim: A direct quote, often used to convey the exact words spoken by a source.
  42. Wire service: A news organization that distributes news stories to other outlets.
  43. Word count: The number of words in a story.
  44. Zinger: A catchy or memorable quote or phrase.
  45. Attribution line: A line that credits the source of a quote or information.
  46. Boilerplate: A standard or generic statement or description.
  47. Buzzword: A popular or trendy term or phrase.
  48. Caption writer: A person who writes captions for photos or graphics.
  49. Copy editor: A person who reviews and edits written content.
  50. Stringer: A freelance journalist who contributes to a news organization.

These terms are commonly used in news writing and are essential for journalists to know in order to effectively communicate with each other and produce high-quality news stories.