Written journalism provides the public with a vital source of information on a wide range of topics. Not only does journalism and good storytelling keep people informed about what is going on around the world, but it can also allow individuals to make informed decisions and create change.
By following these tips, you can effectively convey environmental issues and inspire readers to engage with the pressing challenges facing our planet:
Start by conducting thorough research and gathering relevant information about your environmental topic. Dive into scientific studies, reports, interviews, and news articles to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.
Determine the unique perspective or angle from which you want to approach your environmental story. Consider the specific issue or aspect you want to highlight and how it relates to the broader environmental context. This angle will give your story focus and make it more compelling to readers.
Craft a captivating and concise opening paragraph, known as the lede, that immediately grabs the reader’s attention. Introduce the most important and intriguing aspect of your story, highlighting why it matters and why readers should continue reading. The lede should be 1-2 thin paragraphs of 30-45 words that introduce the main point of the story and set things off in that direction.
Purdue University lists accuracy, treatment of sources, avoiding bias, avoiding distortions, gathering information, minimizing harm, and avoiding conflicts of interests as tenets of ethical journalism.
Structure your story using the inverted pyramid style, which places the most critical information at the beginning and gradually provides additional context and details as the story progresses. Start with the “who, what, where, when, why, how, and so what?” to provide a clear overview, and then delve deeper into the body where important facts, figures, or data should go and extra information at the end or the tip. However, the end should not simply summarize the story – instead try to find information that advances the story in the conclusion.
Additionally, many journalists follow the Associated Press Style Guide, which can help you remain consistent and accurate in your reporting in regards to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage.
Purdue University has an excellent guide to help you understand the AP Style:
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