It is necessary to read a story before editing it. One should not start editing it without fully understanding. There is no hard and fast rule as to how many times a news item is to be read, but normally the first reading is done to understand, second to edit and third to recheck. You should check the spellings, punctuation, grammar, expression, smoothness, accuracy and clarity.
The most important part of a story is the first paragraph. It is called the intro of the story. Traditionally, it was assumed that the intro would answer five YVs and one H. What, When, Who, Where and Why while H stood for How. These days not all newspapers follow this style in all the news.
Many of them try to create a drama to arouse the curiosity of the reader. Generally a reporter struggles as how to begin a story. Well, there is no standard rule. The idea is to inform and hold the interest of the reader.
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After the first paragraph, begins the body of the story. The body tells the remaining story. It in fact expands and qualifies the facts given in the first paragraph. No paragraph should be more than 30 to 40 words and in no more than three sentences.
Many a times an intro could be one line only to create the desired impact. But it depends upon the contents of the story. In any case it should be brief, simple and straight. It should give the operative part of the story. Details can follow.
Let’s take an example: Ramesh mixes an aspirine in his whisky for an extra kick. He may live long.
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This is an example of brevity in an intro. It tells all and holds interest to know more. The reader might like to know for how long he has been taking it. What have been the side effects etc?
The most important part of the story will come in the first Para and after that the importance will keep on decreasing. It is called the inverted pyramid style of subbing the story.
The idea is, if because of the space constraint, the story has to be cut, the paras could be deleted from the bottom without disturbing the importance of the preceding paragraphs.
The technique is that the story should remain complete after every Para including the first one. That way even a reader in a hurry will not miss anything and a sub-editor can cut the story wherever he wants. That way a sub-editor can also change the order of the paras, add or delete information.
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Lastly, there may be two equally important to a story. A subeditor can always decide which angle will form the intro and which will come second.