Here are some tips to help you in writing your article for the Young Journalist Award.

The type of writing

Your article may be based on your research or an interview. The tips here concentrate on interviews as these frequently lead to more interesting and detailed articles. 

The purpose of the writing

Keep in mind that your main purpose is to interest readers by telling them about an interesting person.

It is most likely you will have additional purposes such as: to entertain, to amuse, to give information, to stimulate discussion, or to show a different side of an issue or topic.

Being confident in your purpose will help you conduct your research, write the questions for an interview and decide on the tone of the writing.

Research

The more you know in advance about the topic and anyone you plan to interview the better the interview and the article will be. Find out all you can from the internet and other sources.

Questions for an interview

Work out questions that:
•    show you know something about the topic
•    are short and to the point
•    are most likely to head to answers that relate to your purpose in writing the profile
•    are open-ended, allowing the interviewee to offer information you might not have thought to ask about
•    are not likely to lead to ’yes/no’ answers
•    do not suggest the answer within the question.

Conducting the interview

Decide on the purpose of the interview

Prepare your questions

Prepare for the interview:
•    will it be in person or over the telephone?
•    will you write down the person’s answers or tape them?
•    have you noted the date, time and place of the interview?

If you wish to use a tape recorder:
•    ask permission first
•    use an unobtrusive recorder if possible
•    check if the recorder is working and check the batteries
•    practise using the recorder
•    afterwards, check the recording and add to your notes while details are fresh in your mind.

Writing up the interview

The style
Interviews are written up in different ways. The journalist’s written words and quotations from the interviewee’s spoken words are used in varying proportions.

A profile is a word-picture of a person, usually written after an interview with the journalist. It combines facts, the writer’s ideas about the person and the person’s own words which are used to make or illustrate a point.

The length
Generally only a small part of the material from the interview appears in print. This allows you to structure the profile well by leaving out irrelevant material and over-wordy expression.

Make a plan. Arrange your material in a way that is logical for the topic: for instance, in order of time, place, people involved, causes and effects, problems and solutions.

Select enough material from your interview for the planned article and write your first draft.

Reread the draft carefully and remove padding and repetition.

Check that the tone of writing is right for your purpose.

Prepare a finished draft of the article and check it carefully before submitting it.

Keep in mind these qualities of good writing:
•    accuracy
•    clarity
•    conciseness
•    connectedness
•    relevance
•    simplicity
•    style

Compiled by Mary Manning for Jesuit Communications 2008.