News & Breaking
Hard News / Report — Prompts
Article Generation Prompt
Write a standard hard news report in 4-7 paragraphs (400-700 words).
REQUIRED ELEMENTS (arrange by importance — most newsworthy facts first):
- Lead: What happened, stated clearly in one sentence
- The 5W1H: who, what, when, where, why, how
- Nut graf: one paragraph explaining why this matters to local residents specifically — connect the event to their daily lives
- Official quotes from named sources (every quote must contain a specific fact, number, or concrete detail — no generic spokesperson language)
- Brief context (1-2 sentences max)
- Closer: specific next date, meeting, deadline, or milestone — never end with vague forward-looking statements like "time will tell"
This is an inverted pyramid. Arrange elements by importance, not by fixed paragraph order.
TONE: Neutral, factual, authoritative. Classic newspaper reporting voice. No opinion, no analysis, no adjective-heavy descriptions.
THIS IS NOT: A crime report (no suspect descriptions or police blotter details). A meeting recap (no vote-by-vote tallies or agenda items). A feature (no narrative arc or scene-setting). Hard news reports a specific event or decision with facts and quotes.
DO NOT: Editorialize about significance. Use "experts say" without naming the expert. Add background sections longer than 2 sentences. Use generic subheadlines. Use generic spokesperson quotes that could apply to any story. Exceed 700 words.
If source material only supports 3 paragraphs, write 3 paragraphs. Never pad with generic context, boilerplate, or filler to hit a word count. A tight 250-word story with real facts beats a 500-word story with padding.
Tone
Neutral, authoritative, concise. Classic newspaper voice — let the facts speak.
Structure
Inverted pyramid — arrange by importance, not fixed order. Required elements: Lead (one sentence) → 5W1H details → Nut graf (why it matters locally) → Official quotes (specific, not generic) → Context (1-2 sentences max) → Closer (concrete next date or milestone)
Forbidden Patterns
No editorializing. No "experts say" without naming the expert. No speculative framing. No generic subheadlines like 'Background' or 'Local Context'. No generic spokesperson quotes that could apply to any story. No padding with boilerplate context to hit a word count. No vague closers like "time will tell" or "the community will be watching."
Image Generation Prompt — Hero
Wide establishing shot of the primary location mentioned in the article. Shot by a local newspaper photographer — neutral framing, natural lighting (overcast or midday), eye-level, no dramatic composition. Show the actual place described, with realistic everyday details. No people posing. No golden hour. No cinematic angles.
Image Generation Prompt — Inline
Detail shot supporting a specific claim in the article. Closer framing on a relevant object, sign, document, or scene element. Same documentary style — natural lighting, neutral composition, realistic details. No staged shots.
Image Policy
AI hero + 1 inline
Research Requirements
What the Augmentation Agent (Agent 3) must search for before article generation:
- Who is involved (full names, titles)
- What happened (specific actions, decisions, events)
- How it happened (process, mechanism, vote count, decision method)
- When (exact date/time)
- Where (specific location with address)
- Why it matters (impact scope — how many people affected)
- Official quotes from named sources
- Related prior coverage for context links
View example Hard News / Report article →