Checklist for writing a UCalgary News article
What are the requirements of a UCalgary News article? Here’s a checklist for faculty communicators and other contributors
Length
Around 500 words preferred, longer if warranted. Caution: Most busy readers of UCalgary News spend about two minutes with each article
Job titles
Be specific when identifying job titles and departmental affiliations
Timely
Readers (and editors!) appreciate stories filed soon after an event
Link, link, link
Embed links to more information. Include contact information, registration details, calls to action, etc.
In their own words
Verbatim quotes add credibility and colour, especially for a non-specialist audience
Third person
Write in the third-person point of view, like most news reporting
Sign-off from your sources
UCalgary News writers are required to fact-check stories and quotes with each story’s sources
Photo too
A photo helps illustrate the story and attract readers, especially when it portrays people and emotion, is unusual in some way, or captures a defining moment
How users read on the web
They don't read — they scan. When you write for the web, consider the advice of Nielsen Norman Group, a global expert in research-based user experience