When you’re a writer, your work is going to be out in the public eye. That means that it’s important to make sure that what you write is truthful and accurate.
It’s not just about publishing; if something goes wrong with your story or article, people can get mad at you for it! So here are some tips on how to make sure your writing is as good as it can be:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Lifestyle journalism is a challenging form of writing that covers diverse topics like fashion, food, travel, and health. |
| 2. Stay updated with the latest lifestyle news and trends through Indian Express’ Lifestyle section. |
| 3. Associated Press (AP) offers a wide range of lifestyle-related content, providing valuable insights into various aspects of life. |
| 4. Lifestyle journalists find stories by researching trends, attending events, and interviewing experts and celebrities. |
| 5. Lifestyle journalism is essential in keeping audiences informed and entertained about cultural shifts and lifestyle choices. |
| 6. Successful lifestyle journalists need strong writing skills, an eye for detail, and adaptability to cater to a diverse audience. |
You Need To Be Objective
You should never get emotionally involved in the story you are writing. You have to be fair and balanced in your writing, regardless of whether you agree with one side of the argument or not.
If there is an emotional component to a situation, take it out of the article or at least try to present both sides in an unbiased way.
It may be hard for you to stay neutral when something really bothers you, but it’s important that readers trust that their emotions won’t get in the way when reading your work.
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Make Sure You Don’t Misquote Your Subject
It’s important to ask permission before you quote your subject or use their recording. You should also ask permission from the company that made the product being reviewed, if it’s a commercial entity.
If you don’t have permission to quote or publish, don’t do it! If someone says “No,” there’s no point in asking again they won’t change their mind just because you’re persistent (at least not without legal repercussions).
Be Firm About Deadlines
When you’re a freelancer, it’s very easy to get lost in the shuffle and not receive payment for your work. This is especially true if you’re just starting out and have no track record yet. One way to avoid this situation is by setting deadlines.
Make sure you’re clear about how much time your client needs to give you before they need the story done, as well as how much time they should allow themselves for editing.
If possible, include this information in both contracts and emails so there’s no confusion on either side of the transaction when deadlines are set, and keep track of those deadlines!
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If You Don’t Understand Something, Ask For Clarification
Asking questions is one of the best ways to show that you’re invested in your work. If you don’t understand something, ask for clarification.
As a writer, it’s important that your editor and audience are able to understand what you have written. If there’s any doubt about whether or not this is the case, it’s always better to ask than assume everyone else knows what you meant.
This includes asking yourself if there might be another way of saying something (e.g., “I’m not sure how much research should go into this”) or clarifying any ideas with someone else (e.g., “I’m not sure what they mean by ‘trending stories’).”
Make Sure You Get Your Facts In Order Before Writing The Piece
When you’re writing a piece, make sure you get your facts in order before writing the piece.
Doing so is important for two reasons:
It helps ensure that the information you use will be reliable and useful to readers. They’ll trust your sources and take future advice from them more seriously if they know you’ve done due diligence on this front.
And it also gives them confidence in whatever conclusions or recommendations come out of the article itself (which leads me to…).
It makes it easier for readers to follow what’s going on when reading through their copy later on if they don’t have an idea where one thing ends and another begins.
Then suddenly everything looks like one big block of text rather than distinct parts that make sense together! And nobody likes those types–they’re always such a pain
If You’re Interviewing A Lot Of People, Keep Careful Notes
One of the most important things you can do as a journalist is keep accurate and detailed notes. You’re going to be tempted since you’re smart enough to go into this field, I’ll bet that you have a pretty good memory.
But don’t trust it! It’s easy to forget details about something that happened hours ago, especially if you were busy doing other things or talking with other people.
And if your source is going to give you information that could be really useful in writing your article (like where they got their dress shoes).
Then it might be worth taking a few minutes after an interview has ended just so you can make sure everything is right before moving on with your day.
Here are some basic guidelines:
- Write down anything they say verbatim
- Write down what they’re wearing (down to their socks!)
- Write down what they’re eating or drinking during the interview (even if it’s just water or coffee)
- Write down what they’re doing while speaking with us maybe tapping fingers together nervously.
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Cross-Check Your Quote With The Recording Or Notes From The Interview
Once you’ve written your article, check it with the audio file or notes from the interview. If you don’t have the audio file to hand, ask the person who interviewed you if they can send it to you.
Check that your quotes are accurate – check that they have used exactly what was said by their source (or whether they have paraphrased). Check that their quote is consistent with what happened during the interview – in particular:
- Who spoke these words? Are these correct names?
- What was this person saying at this moment? Were they speaking at a specific time and place, or were they talking generally about something else when these quotes were recorded?
- What tone did this person use when saying these words? Was there any emotion involved (strong anger, sadness etc.) at this moment of speaking?
Get More Than One Perspective On A Story If You Can
When you’re writing a story, it’s not enough to just get one side of the story. You need to get more than one perspective on the events that happened.
This is especially important when you’re writing about something as complex and emotionally charged as politics, social justice issues, and so on.
To do this:
Contact multiple sources who have different takes on the events in question (i.e., if one person says they think something is happening, contact another person who disagrees with them).
Ask questions from different angles (i.e., ask how they feel about an event rather than what happened).
Ask for their opinion regarding a controversial issue based on politics or personal experience (i.e., “How do you think this will impact women?”).
Don’t Sacrifice Integrity For Success
Success is not a destination. It’s a journey and sometimes it can be a bumpy one. When you’re in the middle of that journey, it can be easy to let success blind you to the truth. Don’t let success make you compromise your integrity.
When faced with tough decisions or situations where there are no easy answers, don’t let success make you compromise your morals or values for the sake of getting ahead or looking good in front of others.
Stay true to yourself and remember why you started out on this path in the first place: because it was something YOU wanted to do, not something someone else told us we should be doing as part of getting ahead (or making more money).
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Defend Your Work, But Also Be Willing To Change Things When Necessary
This step is important because it’s easy to get attached to your work and be unwilling to change it. If you’re writing an article and find out that someone has published something similar, don’t freak out. It doesn’t mean that you have to throw away what you’ve written and start over.
Instead, look at the ways in which their work differs from yours. What do they have that yours doesn’t?
What do they have that yours does? Look at how these other publications are doing things differently than yours, but also take note of what they’re doing in common with each other and with yours!
If there are any areas where the other publications’ arguments seem stronger or more persuasive than yours (and this will happen often), consider changing your own article accordingly.
But only if the reason for changing is backed up by facts and data (see “Read about your subject before starting”). For example:
You wrote a piece about how vegetarian diets are healthier than omnivorous diets because vegetarians tend to eat less meat; however, a study showed that vegetarians tend not only not eat less meat but also eat more plants than omnivores do.
Therefore, based on this new information (which came out after publication), the argument against vegetarianism becomes weaker while its pro-vegetarian counterpart becomes stronger so now all three pieces contain identical arguments regarding diet type healthiness!
Do Some Research To Deepen Your Understanding Of The Topic You’re Writing On
You should also do some research to deepen your understanding of the topic you’re writing on. This can mean looking for statistics, research and studies that are relevant to your subject.
It can also mean finding out what others have written on the topic and finding other sources of information like interviews with experts or people involved in the story, for example.
The best way to find out more perspectives is by reading other articles about similar things that have happened in different parts of the world.
But still, have something in common with yours (e.g., if you’re writing about an earthquake that devastated Nepal last year, it might be useful to read up on another earthquake that happened in Haiti a few years ago).
Finding these sources will help you learn about new angles and perspectives on your topic so that when it comes time to write your own article later on down the line, it has more depth than just one person’s point of view or experience alone!
If You’re Reporting Live From An Event, Take Detailed Notes While It’s Happening And Record Audio If Possible
Take notes in shorthand on your phone or in a notebook or both! You’ll want to jot down facts, quotes, and names of people who are particularly interesting or significant.
If you’re recording audio or video of the event (we recommend doing this in addition to taking written notes!), use the voice memo function on your phone to capture what is being said out loud by speakers, panelists and other speakers at panels (including yourself).
Then transcribe that onto your word processor later so that it’s easier for readers to follow along as they scan through the article.
Try Not To Let The Comments Section Of Your Work Confuse You Or Make You Lose Focus
If a reader comments on your work, it’s important that you keep your focus on the task at hand. Don’t let comments affect your work.
While there is always criticism in any industry, it’s important not to let negative feedback from readers distract from the desire to write well. You need to stay focused on your work and perform at the best of your abilities every time.
It’s easy for some people to get caught up in reading what others think about their work and losing sight of their own goals along with them.
It can be difficult for anyone who writes professionally; we want everyone else out there reading our words but sometimes this isn’t possible because people don’t understand what good writing looks like or how hard it can be!
Rely On Primary Sources As Much As Possible, And Cross-Check Information From Secondary Sources With Them As Much As Possible!
As a journalist, it’s important to rely on primary sources as much as possible. Primary sources are the original documents or artifacts that directly pertain to an event or topic in question.
If you’re writing about the California wildfires, for example, your research should involve interviews with experts and people who have lived through or survived these disasters.
While secondary sources are also useful and can be found in articles, news stories, and academic papers they are not always reliable. Cross-checking information from secondary sources with primary ones will help you avoid errors that could ruin your article!
You may be wondering where to find all of these primary documents? Well there are plenty of places online where you can find them:
Books, journals and other documents that have been published by reputable organizations like government agencies or academic institutions will likely provide good information if they were written correctly!
Be Wary Of Pseudoscience; Remember That Just Because Something Is Said By An Authority Figure Doesn’t Mean It’s True Or Credible!
Be wary of pseudoscience. Just because someone says something, doesn’t mean it’s true or credible! A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you’ve heard it before. If so, did anyone ever confirm it? Do any other sources agree on this?
Also be sure to consider the source itself: if the person who said it sounds like they know what they’re talking about (i.e., they have credentials), but there are no other sources backing up their claims… well… maybe that’s because there isn’t any evidence for them!
It can also help to keep in mind that just because an authority figure says something doesn’t mean it’s true or credible! Think about politicians, celebrities, and scientists they can all be wrong sometimes too!
So don’t let yourself be fooled by someone who sounds confident when speaking; instead look for facts from multiple reliable sources supporting those claims before deciding whether or not to believe them yourself.
Always Check Your Facts And Be Open To Extra Information That Could Change How You Present Them!
Before you publish anything, always check your facts. If you’re writing a lifestyle piece about how to pick the perfect summer salad, make sure you know what ingredients are in the recipe and that they are available at your local grocery store.
If you’re writing about politics or current events, check that information as well. A good rule of thumb is: if it’s on social media, it might not be true!
Always double-check information before using it in your writing especially if someone else says something seems off (this is especially important when dealing with satire sites like The Onion).
Not only can this help ensure that everything is accurate and factual but also makes sure readers will have confidence in what they read when they see it published on other sites or shared via social media channels.
With these tips in mind: don’t be afraid of changing your mind once new information comes out! Consider how this could change how we think about some topics…
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Conclusion
We hope this brief overview of the life of a journalist has given you some insight into what it really means to be one. It’s not easy work, but it’s also very rewarding.
We know that when we read an article or watch a news report about something we care about and know little about, there are probably many others out there who feel just like us. If you have any questions about becoming a journalist yourself, please leave them below!
Further Reading
Lifestyle Journalism: One of the Most Challenging Forms of Writing: Explore the intricacies and challenges of lifestyle journalism in this insightful article.
Indian Express – Lifestyle Section: Stay updated with the latest lifestyle news, trends, and stories on Indian Express.
Associated Press (AP) – Lifestyle Content: Access lifestyle-related content from the Associated Press, covering a wide range of topics.
FAQs
What is lifestyle journalism?
Lifestyle journalism focuses on topics related to the way people live and the cultural aspects of life. It covers subjects like fashion, food, travel, health, and more.
How do lifestyle journalists find their stories?
Lifestyle journalists often find their stories by researching current trends, attending events, interviewing experts and celebrities, and keeping an eye on social media and popular culture.
What are the challenges faced by lifestyle journalists?
Lifestyle journalism comes with its challenges, such as maintaining a fresh perspective on well-covered topics, meeting deadlines for timely content, and striking a balance between entertainment and informative writing.
How important is lifestyle journalism in today’s media landscape?
Lifestyle journalism plays a crucial role in keeping the audience informed and entertained about the latest trends, cultural shifts, and lifestyle choices. It helps people navigate their daily lives and explore new interests.
What skills are essential for a successful lifestyle journalist?
A successful lifestyle journalist should have strong writing and storytelling skills, the ability to spot emerging trends, an eye for detail, good networking abilities, and adaptability to cater to a diverse audience.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.