A Web writing bootcamp for business journalists

Writing solid stories for the Web doesn’t involve a complicated formula or a new flashy set of rules.

At the core, what’s important to remember are the most basic principals, the fundamental skills that serve as a backbone for quality journalism: A commitment to accuracy, storytelling and effective writing.

“There is no difference or mystery of what’s good online writing,” said Martin Wolk, msnbc.com’s executive business editor . “Good writing is good writing anywhere.”

Wolk and Lex Haris of CNNMoney.com led an afternoon SABEW session on writing for the Web. Although strong writing is key no matter the forum, the veteran online journalists offered other tips that, when combined with quality prose, will enhance your stories on the Web.

Here’s some online writing suggestions from Wolk:

• Seek character-driven narratives: Make sure your story includes the trusty nut graph and that you clearly explain complicated topics to readers without dumbing the information down. Wolk cited a example from his publication that encompasses these qualities entitled,  “The Elkhart Project: Struggle and Recovery is America.” The series was the result of a year spent reporting inside one our country’s hardest hit communities in the economic downturn.  “It basically boiled down to finding the human stories of people affected by the recession,” Wolk said.
• Don’t see the Web as a dumping ground: Edit for the reader. Long or short will work on the Web as long as you aren’t just tossing your unused material from your print story online. “Does everything on the Web have to be short?” Wolk said. “I think that’s an artificial constraint. Long stories can work well on the Web if they are compelling.”

And here are some Web writing tips from Haris:

• Breaking news in a Web-centric world: “We drill into people’s heads, ‘be the first to get it right.’ When you are wrong, it dogs you for so long. It’s not worth it,” Haris said. He mentioned that many news outlets published a story on Toyota’s Prius last week that was inaccurate.
• If you can break the news, find a angle into it: “We can’t all be the first to hear about a new government merger. But there’s a lot of value in shining lights on existing trends,” Haris said.
• Write stories that resonate with readers: “It’s a complicated world. Make it easy on your readers,” Haris said. An example of this kind of coverage would be a story on how to claim the homebuyer tax credit. “It’s stepping back and saying what’s the deal,” he said.
• You can have fun with stories too: “But be smart and have the reporting back it up,” Haris said. One example is CNNMoney.com’s recent piece called, “AT&T: The Most hated company in iPhone land.”