Newspaper

The newspaper is a great location to share your message because it can be free or low cost, and multiple people will likely read one printed newspaper. Think about the people that read the newspaper in your community. Is it an older generation or people of all ages? Do low income families have access to the newspaper?

Planning

1. Choose your topic.
2. Determine the type of newspaper article your message is best suited for:
   1. Editorial – informs the reader on a topic
   2. Op-Ed – an opinion piece that declares a position on an issue from a professional working in the topic area
   3. Letter to the Editor – also an opinion piece (usually shorter than Op-Eds) from a general newspaper reader
   4. Local News – covers an event or activity
   5. Educational Article – shares facts related to a topic
   6. Paid Advertisement – a visual or graphic on an issue or event
3. Make an outline for the article:
   1. Headline – Briefly grab the reader’s attention.
   2. Introduction – Begin with a sentence that tells what the article is about, then support the lead sentence with more detail to engage the reader.
   3. Body – Break down main ideas into paragraphs and include relevant data.
   4. Conclusion – Tie together main ideas and summarize the entire article.
4. Share your article with a few others to review and edit.
5. Submit to the newspaper.

Action

Rather than wait for a newspaper reporter to cover your topic of interest, write your own article and submit related photos! Small newspapers are especially appreciative of submitted articles.

Resources

• Learn tips on writing a news article from Wikihow.com.

Hints

• Be concise and to the point. Put your main points in the first sentence of each paragraph so a reader who only skims can still follow the overall ideas.

Čaŋlí Coalition Example