Author: Peter Martey Agbeko, APR
If you dream of making your mark in journalism, here’s a truth you can’t afford to ignore: good writing is your superpower.
During my time teaching news and feature writing at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), now UniMac, in the 2017/2018 academic year, I hammered this point home to my students. In every newsroom, in every corner of the media world, strong writing separates the average from the outstanding.
In the past two years, working through a fellowship on fisheries and mentoring young writers from UniMac, I’ve seen firsthand that while technology evolves, platforms change, and audiences shift, the demand for clear, engaging storytelling remains as strong as ever.
If you want to stand out, master your writing. Respect the basics. Embrace rewriting. Stay curious. Read everything you can get your hands on. Journalism needs your voice — but it needs your best writing even more.
Here’s why it matters so much.
Good journalism starts with the simple things: a deep comfort with words, and an unwavering respect for the rules of language. Spelling, grammar, punctuation — these aren’t optional extras. They’re the tools you need to wield with confidence. The best writers are always readers. Every story you read sharpens your instincts and deepens your understanding of what makes words work.
Yes, you can teach yourself to write better — but only if you’re open to tough critiques and the humbling process of rewriting. Writing isn’t magic; it’s practice, patience, and persistence.
And when it comes to news writing, everything rides on the lead — your first paragraph. If you lose your reader there, you lose them for good. A strong lead is sharp, compelling, and honest. It doesn’t waste words. It pulls readers in and promises them that what follows is worth their time.
Traditionally, news stories followed the inverted pyramid style — putting the most important facts at the top, and less critical details below. It’s a brilliant structure for busy readers and even busier editors because it gets to the point fast and allows easy trimming. Even though today’s media landscape leans more toward feature storytelling and softer news, understanding the pyramid still gives you an edge.
But don’t be fooled: just knowing about the pyramid doesn’t make you a great writer. You need to learn how to find the right news angle, how to make a story flow naturally, and how to prioritise what matters most to your audience.
And it all starts with the lead.
A great lead makes readers want to know more — not by being flashy, but by being sharp, clear, and interesting. Forget worrying about technical labels like “summary lead” or “staccato lead.” What matters is this: Is your lead smooth, concise, and irresistible?
Bad leads are everywhere — too slow, too long, packed with irrelevant details, or full of the writer’s personal opinions. Don’t fall into those traps. Instead, aim to hook readers from the very first line and hold them with every paragraph that follows.
Finally, remember the golden rule: Every story must answer the five W’s and the H — who, what, where, when, why, and how — but not necessarily all at once, and definitely not all in the first paragraph. Your job is to find the strongest, most engaging elements and build your story around them.
In a noisy, fast-moving media world, good writing will always make you stand out.
So invest in your craft. Read like your career depends on it. Rewrite until your fingers hurt. Be curious. Be fearless.
Here are some interesting quotes to inspire you.
Good writing is your superpower. Master it, and journalism will open its doors to you.”
“In a noisy world, clear writing is your loudest voice.”
“Every great journalist was once a relentless reader and a fearless rewriter”
The world will always need great journalists — and great journalists will always need great writing.
