To be kept in mind when writing an article

✍ The communication model: sender  (writer in this case) - message - receiver (reader)

• writer has an intention and in this special case a commissioner, a newspaper, magazine ... he is writing for, 
• writer shares information 
• that is presented in a certain way  (register, use of technical terms...)
• and intends to awaken the readers interest by informing, entertaining, shocking or prompting the receiver to do sth. or to react in a certain way ➛ the writer needs to keep in mind the reader's disposition (what kind of readers will be reading the article? ...)

✍ Start with the most important information

• but not all agencies and writers apply that to the whole article and for each paragraph, this principle is most important for the lead

German

English

characteristics

Überschrift/ Schlagzeile

headline

➛ needs to catch attention and to sum up the 

    information

Unterzeile

byline

➛ gives information about the writer

placeline

➛ names the place, where it happened

Zwischenüberschrift

cross heading, subheading

➛ structure articles, classically used for articles 

    comprising more than 300-500 words

Autorenzeile

authorline

➛ names the writer often also the position or speciality

Lead

lead

➛ 1st sentence: who, what, when, where, 

Einleitender Absatz

introductory paragraph

➛ 2nd sentence: how and why

➛ the information that is new, most important and   

    most interesting

Lauftext

body

➛ main part of the article

Zitat

quotation

➛ makes the news / the information more credible and 

    serves as a verbal illustration

Schlussfolgerung

conclusion

➛ sums up, presents a final quotation, or  (depending           

    on the type of article, reveals the author's opinion).

Bildunterschrift

caption

➛ gives information about the photo , cartoon, 

    picture ... and the photographer or cartoonist ...

German

Englisch

characteristics

Nachricht

news (article)

➛ newsworthy

➛ hierarchically structured (who, whom, what, when, where, 

    how, why)  => structured like an inverted pyramid

Bericht

news report

➛ newsworthy

➛ hierarchically structured (who, whom, what, when, where, 

     how, why) 

     => structured like an inverted pyramid

➛ presents more details than the news article

Leitartikel

editorial

➛ expresses the position the magazine, newspaper etc. 

    adopts concerning a certain topic

Interview

interview

➛ short and precise questions, no comments

➛ the interviewer plays the role of an advocatus diaboli, the 

    interviewer adopts a critical attitude

Feature

feature

➛ newsworthy

➛ contains facts! no comments or personal opinion

➛ interesting and more lively than the news (adorned with 

    background information and anecdotes...)

➛ easier to read and more entertaining, but based on factual 

    information

Reportage

reportage

➛ the first sentence introduces the topic but also the 

     point of view and the tone of the narration 

➛ it typically starts by depicting a scene that is 

    exemplary for the story that is told

➛ subjective concerning the point of view and the 

     choice of information

➛ but no work off of personal feelings 

➛ the narrator is still expected stay in the 

     background, offering the reader the opportunity to 

     experience what the reportage is written about... 

    (there are exceptions, especially if the writer is 

    telling about a personal experience ...

➛ it's narrative

Kommentar

commentary - opinion piece

➛ reflects the author's view on a topic

Kolumne , Glosse

column, polemic commentary

➛ it is a humorist or satirical comment on a topic

Harte Nachrichten

hard news

➛ late-breaking news

➛ politics, economy, up-to-the-minute events

=> focus on information

➛ short and precise

Weiche Nachrichten

soft news

➛ entertainment, lifestyle, art, culture ...

➛ giving background information and stories of 

    human-interest

=> focus on entertainment and advise