EVERY news story is built a bit like a puzzle. Each part has a job to do — helping readers quickly understand what has happened and why it matters.
The headline is the big title at the top of the story. Its job is to grab your attention and tell you the main point as quickly as possible.
Headlines are usually short and punchy because they need to fit into a small space.
A good headline should make you want to read more.
The subheading (sometimes called a standfirst) sits underneath the headline.
This gives a few extra details and explains the story more clearly. Think of it as a quick preview of what’s coming next.
The byline tells you who wrote the article. Sometimes you might see a joint byline, which means two or more journalists worked on the story together.
The first paragraph of a news article is called the lede (pronounced “leed”).
This is one of the most important parts of the story because it answers the five big questions: who, what, where, when and why?
Unlike in a storybook, where the big reveal might come at the end, journalists usually include the key facts straight away so readers quickly understand the story.
Quotes are the exact words spoken by a person involved in the story. These help bring articles to life and let readers hear different opinions directly.
You can usually spot a quote because it has quotation marks around it, like this:
“This is what a quote looks like,” she explained.
Sometimes, things people say are paraphrased. This means the exact words are changed slightly, but the meaning stays the same.
Photos help readers picture what happened. Captions — the small lines of text next to pictures — explain who or what is shown in the image.
Being able to understand news stories helps you spot facts, ask questions and learn more about the world around you.
And next time you open a newspaper or news website, you’ll know exactly how the story has been put together.
