how do you write an article for a newspaper?

Fuinseog

how do you write an article for a newspaper like The times or The Indo?
I know you don't necessarily have to be a journalist, but do you have to be someone?
sometimes I read articles in these papers about places and events and think to myself i know more than the writer does and could possibly do a better job.
is it a matter of luck and knowing the right people?

weiming

I hate to see your question just sit here unanswered, but I really have no idea. Have you considered just calling the paper for which you would like to write?

Fuinseog

weiming wrote: »

I hate to see your question just sit here unanswered, but I really have no idea. Have you considered just calling the paper for which you would like to write?

Thanks for the response.
writing is a hobby of mine and I don't need it to survive, but i do enjoy it.
I rang the Indo once, but i don't think they were terribly impressed by the other publications i had written for.
smaller newspapers appear to be more approachable. it is rare that the bigger ones even acknowledge you. I am convinced its who you know that counts.

pickarooney

Have you tried simply submitting something unsolicited? Worst thing that can happen is they ignore it.

edanto

Make a pitch to the editor. Some people I know have had articles published that way. Google will give you some tips on writing a pitch to an editor. Publish it here if you like, people might help you with it.

bravo

Hi Fuinseog,
I used to freelance years ago, based down the country, locals and nationals, mostly general news stuff, no features, although did cover some "good news" stories. I'm not sure if its news reporting or columnist work you are chasing, but on news coverage good local contacts were the key to getting decent stories they were interested in - fatalities (crashes etc where you were able to find out who was killed), controversial statements from local politicians, industrial disputes, crime and major local events. All the stories for the nationals needs some type of regional/national slant.
Direct contact with the newsdesk was the best approach - "are you interested in....?" - usually whoever was on the newsdesk had the authority to approve, then it would be an email, or in earlier years you would dictate your story to a typist, punctuation and all.
I did some magazine work for a time which involved generating the idea/compiling the piece and then approaching a number of magazine editors to see if they were interested, sometimes with just the idea.
When it comes to payment, its usually an invoice (copies of your printed pieces help) and wait for payment. Local papers are notorious for late payments/non payments, but the nationals usually pay on a monthly cycle.
Another option for creative works might be local radio, where they are obliged to provide a certain no. of hours of chat/current affairs/features under their contracts.
Hope this helps

pumasmhug

Thanks so much 4 sharing with us,bros
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pog it

The guy that wrote the local notes for my local county newspaper 'publicly' resigned a couple of weeks ago. He actually wrote in his Irish bit about how there was little money to be gained from it, and that is was very time consuming. And it's a shame, he was brilliant.

How much would you get for doing the notes?

I got 25euro once for an article in one of the bigger regional papers. I just went into the office with it there and then and he said he'd take it

Should have framed that cheque! he he he

EileenG

Fuinseog wrote: »

how do you write an article for a newspaper like The times or The Indo?
I know you don't necessarily have to be a journalist, but do you have to be someone?
sometimes I read articles in these papers about places and events and think to myself i know more than the writer does and could possibly do a better job.
is it a matter of luck and knowing the right people?

Start with an idea. If you are just starting, I'd actually write it out and see how it looks. Then ring the relevant editor of the paper, talk about your idea, ask what length they want, when they want it, and how much are they prepared to pay you. You can always ask for more if the story will need a lot of research or travel.

Once you have any sort of tentative go-ahead, rewrite to to specification (and if they ask for 800 words, that's what they want. No matter how brilliant, they don't want 2000 words) and get it in on time.

Even if they don't use it (which of course means you are free to pitch to a different paper), you have still showed yourself as a professional writer, so you can try again with a different idea.

And yes, of course you might know an area better than the journalist who wrote the piece. Most journalism is done from a desk, where you ring the people involved and talk to as many as possible. Very few real journalists go the Lois Lane thing of becoming part of the action. This is an advantage for you, you've got a telephone too.

Fuinseog

EileenG wrote: »

Start with an idea. If you are just starting, I'd actually write it out and see how it looks. Then ring the relevant editor of the paper, talk about your idea, ask what length they want, when they want it, and how much are they prepared to pay you. You can always ask for more if the story will need a lot of research or travel.

Once you have any sort of tentative go-ahead, rewrite to to specification (and if they ask for 800 words, that's what they want. No matter how brilliant, they don't want 2000 words) and get it in on time.

Even if they don't use it (which of course means you are free to pitch to a different paper), you have still showed yourself as a professional writer, so you can try again with a different idea.

And yes, of course you might know an area better than the journalist who wrote the piece. Most journalism is done from a desk, where you ring the people involved and talk to as many as possible. Very few real journalists go the Lois Lane thing of becoming part of the action. This is an advantage for you, you've got a telephone too.

thanks for that. its disheartening when I research a topic and spend hours writing it, only to have it rejected.

EileenG

Check with the paper first, they may have already asked someone else to do something similar. Nothing to do with you or your writing, they just don't need it.

For your first couple of articles, try writing something that you know well and can adapt. For instance, one of my first was based on a blind friend who kept being barred from places because they wouldn't let in his guide dog. So I just followed him for a day round Dublin and noted the reactions of the various places, from the cinema which wouldn't let the dog in because he was a fire hazard, to the cinema who gave my friend a special discount. Then I got a statement from someone offical about how guide dogs were exempt from the normal "no dog" rule. It was easy to write, and turned into a two page spread with lots of photos.

not bakunin

"Newswriting" by Anna Mckenna.

Anouilh

Fuinseog wrote: »

how do you write an article for a newspaper like The times or The Indo?
I know you don't necessarily have to be a journalist, but do you have to be someone?
sometimes I read articles in these papers about places and events and think to myself i know more than the writer does and could possibly do a better job.
is it a matter of luck and knowing the right people?

The important thing is to find a congenial editor.

Then, ask for the parameters of the piece and get cracking. If there are rewrites, the subs will do them quickly and within the guidelines needed.

It's quite straightforward and there used be a joke about not making sentences longer than 8 words.

Black Swan

Depends on the type of article you plan to write for the paper? News reporting is structured very differently from human interest stories or guest editorials.