© 2026 Patsy McCrory

Newspaper writing is not usually a high-paying job (unless you have a journalism degree and break into a large newspaper), but it can be an exciting way to earn a few extra dollars as a writer.

Being out in the community is important for finding newsworthy information, but it often involves the happenstance of being in the right place at the right time. I often accompanied a writer friend who did backstage interviews at concerts. One night during an unexpected snowstorm, we were forced to stay in a Holiday Inn where the folk-singing group, Peter, Paul, and Mary, were also stranded. We ended up getting an ad hoc interview thanks to the storm.

Here are a few more tips that can help put your byline in a local newspaper:

• News stories need to be timely. Tie your article into popular current events that are already drawing attention.
• Editors like to have a choice of photos or other illustrations to go with your articles. Offer some photos that are horizontal and others that are vertical to allow for a varied layout. Be sure to identify the people in photos from left to right, from front to back rows, etc. If photos are taken at a public meeting or event, you do not need permission to publish them in a newspaper.
• Research background information to go with the article. Attribute sources within your article indirectly with terms such as “according to…” Some magazines require a bibliography of sources with footnotes in a specific style such as Modern Language Association (MLA), Chicago (CMOS), or Associated Press (AP).
• Balance facts and quoted dialogue.
• Learn to use the “inverted pyramid” style of writing. Put the most important information first in your article. Often in layout, the last part of the article is cut to fit into the layout space available. Do not save the most important information until the end.
• Most manuscripts should be double-spaced in an 11 or 12 pt. font such as Times News Roman.
  Freelance writing can involve a variety of subjects such as religion or political opinion pieces, travel articles, personal memoirs, instruction articles, historical events, scientific subjects, and even humorous recollections. Topics are boundless. Be creative and use your imagination.
• Don’t let rejection prevent you from continuing to submit your work.

Give newspaper writing a try, and you just might be able to add “reporter” to your list of credits.
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Patsy Bowden McCrory retired from Desoto County, MS schools after teaching English, creative writing, and photography teacher for 42 years. She and her husband Gene reside in Horn Lake, MS, and enjoy living on a lake, watching the wildlife, and gardening together. Originally from Ashland, MS, she is a freelance writer for newspapers across MS after also serving as a reporter, photographer, and news editor for the DeSoto Times in Hernando.