Writing e-news
Write short, sharp e-news that people actually read.
E-news plays a critical role in organisational communication, yet many bulletins are ignored or skimmed without impact. This course equips participants with the skills to write clear, credible and engaging e-news articles that capture attention quickly, communicate key messages and prompt appropriate action.
-
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Understand the purpose and role of e-news in organisational communication
Identify what makes e-news credible, effective and engaging
Write clear and purposeful e-news articles for different audiences
Avoid common pitfalls that reduce engagement
Use AI tools appropriately to polish and refine e-news content
-
Introduction to e-news
Types of e-news
The purpose of e-news, including:
Information to support people to do their job
Maintaining connection and engagement
Routine operational updates
Policy or compliance announcements
Crisis or urgent communications
Executive messages
Change-management updates
The communication process
Identifying the readers of the e-news
How long you have to capture attention before it is ignored
How readers scan and read e-news
The psychology of attention, including scannability, clarity and cognitive load
How long readers typically spend on e-news
Current engagement metrics and what they mean
Structure
The ideal bulletin structure:
Headline
Lead
Body
Call to action
Writing for skim-readers using formatting and hierarchy
Crafting effective subject lines and preview text
Using a spidergram to plan strong structure
Principles of effective writing for e-news
Editing techniques to enhance quick readability:
Sentence length and structure
Main message first using the inverted pyramid
Active versus passive voice
Using verbs to drive action
Plain English and appropriate word choice
Eliminating excess words
Formatting techniques, including:
Headings
Chunking information
Bullet points for scanning
Two-thirds text and one-third white space
Pairing text with images, videos, hyperlinks or infographics
Ensuring legal, regulatory and reputational clarity
Tone and accessibility
Using tone strategically, including formal, conversational, urgent or reassuring
Using pronouns to connect with the reader
Avoiding clichés and vague language
Accessibility considerations
Using AI to polish e-news
Appropriate use of AI tools
Dos and don’ts for AI-assisted editing
The final edit
Reviewing content before distribution
Seeking peer review to improve clarity and accuracy
Course snapshot
Duration: 1 full day or 2 half-day virtual sessions
Delivery: Face-to-face or virtual
Suitable for: Anyone required to write short informational articles for websites or e-news bulletins
Facilitator: Steedan writing facilitator
How the course is delivered
Participants work with real workplace examples and current e-news content. Exercises focus on writing, editing and refining short articles that can be used immediately.