Writing Tips For The Millennial Journalist

I love journalism. I’ve always loved it, and I’ll probably love it for the rest of my life.

One reason for this is because journalists have a special power- the power to inform people about important things that are happening in the world. When we use this power well, we can change people’s perspectives and even change the world itself!

But there’s another reason why I’m so passionate about journalism: It allows me to express myself creatively while also using my skills as a writer.

Writing your articles well matters a lot. You want your articles to be clear and concise, but you also want them to flow smoothly and make sense when read aloud or out of order (or both). That’s why these tips will help you write better articles:

They focus on how much value each word adds without getting bogged down in technicalities like grammar rules or strict formatting guidelines!

In a friendly tone: If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in learning how to write better blog posts. Well, good news:

You’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together an entire list of helpful hints so that anyone with some basic computer skills can start blogging today- no matter what their background might be like!

Journalism Basics- Writing for Media – YouTube

Takeaways
1. Craft relatable stories that resonate with millennial experiences.
2. Leverage visual content to enhance engagement.
3. Embrace concise and clear writing styles.
4. Stay updated on digital trends and platforms.
5. Address relevant topics and issues that matter to millennials.

Table of Contents

Let Your Readers Know What You’re Going To Tell Them

The first paragraph of a story is called the lead. It should be written in such a way that immediately grabs the reader’s attention and tells them what they can expect from your story.

The lead should not be overly long but it should contain enough information to answer these questions:

What are we talking about?
Who is involved?
How did this happen?
When did it happen?

The last thing you want is for your reader to get halfway through your article only to realize that there was nothing new or interesting about it after all!

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Don’t Write “It Could Be” Or “It May Be”

Also, don’t use the phrases “it could be” or “it may be.” Instead, write things in a way that implies certainty.

For example: “It is clear that…” or “It was understood by all involved that…” And if you’re not sure whether something happened in the past or present tense.

For example, if you’re writing about a company’s history but aren’t certain whether an event occurred then use the present tense and make sure to include context clues (i.e., other people were there) to help readers understand what’s happening when.

To underscore this point: it’s okay for journalists to use first-person pronouns like I and we as long as they are referring to themselves instead of making any claims about what others think or feel (like saying “we expected this”).

Avoid Using The Word “You”

“We” is much better to use than “you.” For example: “Instead of saying, ‘I think you should do this,’ I would say, ‘We need to make sure that we have these things done by the end of the day.’ It’s less accusatory and makes it clear that this is something we’re working on together.”

If you are writing about personal experiences, use “I” or even a first-person plural pronoun like “we.” This helps readers relate to your story and take on an active role in it.

If you are writing about general experiences or third parties, use “they” or “it,” not “you.” For example: “‘They’ started talking about how much money they were going to make after getting their degrees from companies like Google.

We both agreed that there were plenty of other opportunities available in our field without having to go through those types of programs.”

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Always Describe People Accurately

As a journalist, it’s your job to accurately describe the people involved in a story. This means you should use gender-neutral language where possible and avoid words like “elderly” or “vulnerable”.

The word “victim” is also a no-go: the person who has been wronged may not see themselves this way at all. Instead of using those words, try writing something like “a person who was assaulted”, or even better still – why not ask them how they feel?

Don’t Describe People As “Vulnerable” Or “Elderly”

There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t use these terms. First of all, they’re medical terms; elderly refers to someone who is 65 years old or older, and vulnerable means susceptible to harm or abuse.

Secondly, these words have legal meanings too a vulnerable adult is someone who needs help with their personal care or financial affairs.

Because they cannot manage on their own and an elderly person is protected by the federal law called Elder Justice Act which aims to prevent elder abuse and neglect (both medical neglect and financial exploitation).

Lastly, generalizing groups of people by labeling them as “vulnerable” can lead to stereotyping which can then lead to discrimination against those individuals based solely on assumptions about them rather than facts about who they are as individuals.

Instead of describing people as “vulnerable”, try using more specific descriptors such as “people in need” instead.”

Similarly, don’t refer to others’ age by saying “elderly/senior citizen” but rather identify them by name or profession instead:

“Betty Smith, 78” instead of just calling her “the elderly woman” – this helps avoid generalizations about any one group being better than another; all humans deserve respect regardless of age!

Avoid Adjectives And Opinions

Adjectives are opinions. They’re opinions based on your subjectivity, which makes them subjective. And as you know, news reporting shouldn’t be subjective; it should be objective and fact-based.

Adjectives don’t convey facts or information; they’re just there to make your writing sound more interesting or pretty in some way.

But as we’ve discussed before, writing that is “interesting” isn’t necessarily good, and there are far better ways to make your content more engaging than by trying to use more “flattering” words (even when those words aren’t flattering).

So avoid adjectives at all costs if you want to write like a millennial journalist!

Avoid “Meta” Language In Headlines

Don’t use the word “you.” It’s an incredibly vague and generic word. Leave it out of your headlines, even if you’re writing a piece that’s meant to be addressed directly to readers.

Avoid using the word “we.” This is just as bad as using “you,” because it implies that everyone has a stake in whatever issue or controversy you’re covering and most people won’t feel that way about whatever you’re covering!

Don’t use the word “us.” This one is similar to “we” but with a bit more specificity; it still implies that everyone has some sort of connection with whatever story you’re reporting on, but at least they have some kind of shared identity (i.e., belonging to an organization).

That said, if someone doesn’t belong to your organization then they probably won’t understand what this means when reading your headline!

Avoid using any personal pronouns such as I/me or my/mine because these can take away from other important elements within your story like facts and statistics which may be more important than how something makes YOU feel about something else happening around us all day long…

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Don’t Use Possessive Apostrophes

The first thing to know is that apostrophes are used in writing to show ownership. So you put an apostrophe after the word “its” when it’s a possessive pronoun (e.g., “The cat ate its food.”). You also put an apostrophe after singular nouns ending in -s, like “James’ father.”

But don’t use them for plural nouns! There’s no reason for a non-possessive plural noun like “boys’ boots” or “girls’ toys” to have an apostrophe at all. And if you want to show possession with these types of words, then just add another s or even use both:

boys’ boots = boys’ boots
girls’ toys = girls’ toys

Use Names Instead Of Titles If You Can

This is a basic rule of thumb for good writing, but it’s especially important when dealing with people and titles. If you’re covering an event, you might be tempted to write “Mayor [name],” or “Congressman [name],” but resist the temptation.

People are more important than their titles, and if your readers have to look up who the congressman is or what his office does, they won’t be able to focus on what he has to say at all.

Write “John Smith,” instead of “Congressman John Smith.” If he uses his title in conversation, then by all means use it in quotation marks; otherwise, don’t call him anything other than John Smith.

Break Up Text With Quotes, Stats, And Blockquotes

Quote: Add personality and humor to your stories

You might not be a writer, journalist, or anyone who cares about the English language but that doesn’t mean you can’t punctuate one of these quotes with an exclamation point and call it your own. Quotes are an easy way to add some color, drama, and emotion to your stories.

They can also help break up text and make things more interesting for readers as they read through your story. There are several types of quotes:

Blockquotes – These allow you to quote a person directly in their own words without attributing them to anything other than the text itself (this is preferred if the person’s name is not known).

Make Sure Your Story Is Newsworthy

While you may be excited to share your story, make sure it’s newsworthy. Your readers want to read about things that matter to them, so make sure your story is timely and relevant.

Is it relevant? Readers should care about what you are writing about. If they don’t, then there isn’t a point in reading it or sharing it with their friends and family (or even on social media).

Make sure the topic of your article matters to people you don’t want anyone getting bored by your work! It should be interesting enough for your readers to keep coming back again and again because they love learning new things from each piece that they read from you!

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Always Put The Most Important Fact First

The most important fact is the one that will make the most impact on your reader. It’s usually the most interesting detail of your story, so putting it first makes it easy for them to understand what you’re trying to say and why it’s important. For example:

When you put this sentence first, your reader knows that there is a specific policy at work here (the one mentioned in the previous sentence).

But when you put it second, your reader has no idea what kind of impact this policy could have on their lives, and thus they are less likely to care about what happens next.

Write Short Paragraphs And Short Sentences

You should use short paragraphs and sentences. You should also break up the text with quotes, stats, and blockquotes this will help to keep the reader’s focus on your story.

If you’re writing about something that happened in the past, then use past tense (for example: “I went to the party last night”). If you are writing about something happening right now or in the future, then use present tense (for example: “I am going to go to a party tonight”).

Use Present Tense If It’s Happening Now

Present tense has one of the most specific uses in journalism. When you write a story that is happening in real-time, you can use present tense to describe it.

Also known as reporting or eyewitness reporting, this style of writing allows you to give your readers an exact idea of what’s happening.

Another way present tense can be used is when describing something that will happen shortly (such as a future event).

Present tense allows us to talk about things that are happening right now or might happen soon but we don’t know for sure whether they will or not yet.

This style is known as predictive writing because it predicts what might happen based on knowledge and evidence gathered by journalists at the time they wrote their articles (or blog posts).

Fact Check What People Have Said Before You Print It

Fact-checking is an essential part of journalism, but it can also be a little intimidating. If you’re writing about a person or group, it’s important to confirm that what you’ve been told is true—and if it’s not, you need to figure out what the truth is.

Here are some ways you can fact-check:

Talk with multiple sources. You want to make sure that all your information comes from reliable sources, not just one person who might have made something up because they wanted their side of the story told or wanted revenge on someone else.

So ask around and talk to as many people as possible before publishing anything (including your subject). This will help ensure that no one winds up saying something that isn’t true and if they do, then at least everyone will know!

Ask them directly! If someone has said something particularly outrageous or unbelievable in your writing (for example), try contacting them directly and asking for clarification on their claims.

This can be especially helpful if their comments were made under anonymity (like online comments). You might find out that what they told you wasn’t true at all but even if it was true once upon a time (i) does not mean now(ii) does not mean forever

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Conclusion

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this article, and we hope you learned a thing or two (or three) along the way. But as we mentioned earlier, the most important thing is to get started. Don’t let any of these tips deter you from putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

The hardest part is getting going, but we promise that after your first writing session, you’ll be eager to come back for more.

FAQs

How can I tailor my travel writing for millennials?

Adapting your travel writing for millennials involves incorporating relatable experiences and addressing their interests, ensuring your content resonates with their preferences.

What are some essential tips for millennials who want to write a book?

If you’re a millennial with aspirations of writing a book, consider setting clear goals, staying disciplined in your writing routine, and seeking feedback from trusted sources.

What strategies can I use to write compelling content for millennials?

To create content that appeals to millennials, focus on authenticity, visual elements, concise communication, and addressing topics that are relevant to their lifestyles.

How do I effectively capture the millennial audience’s attention in my writing?

Engaging millennials in your writing requires attention-grabbing headlines, relatable anecdotes, and an understanding of their digital habits and preferences.

What role does storytelling play in millennial-focused content?

Storytelling is paramount in millennial-focused content, as it helps establish emotional connections, presents information in a relatable manner, and holds their attention more effectively.

Costantine Edward

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.