There are others, primarily specific to the type of news story that you are writing, and some of the items on this list should be de-emphasized based on circumstance — depth, for example, is not as important on a breaking news story, though I would argue that is true more often than we might think.
This is, in all honesty, my list. Your list might be completely different.
What’s Important
10 Things To Look Out ForAuthoritative voice
If NPR was covering the issue on air, would they call you up? Be the definitive source on the subject.
Concise and precise writing
Are you writing what needs to be written or are you padding for inches? Can that extra info be dropped or transformed into a story told in an alternative manner?
Context and perspective
Compare apples to apples, but also look at orchards. And then compare orchards to orchards.
Relevancy
Why does this matter to our readers? Is it relevant to our area? Is it old news?
Depth
Be concise, but plumb what depths need to be plumbed. Ask questions even if you think you already know the answer. A song with one note isn’t a very good song.
Sense of place
These communities are unique -- treat them as such. Give every story a scene.
Time management
Is the story taking too long? Set a deadline and meet it -- maybe you need more than a deadline, maybe you need a timeline looking forward -- a coverage plan.
Varied formatting
How can this story be told in another way? Be creative -- there are tools to be used both online and in the manner in which the story is told.
News peg
A hard news lede might not always be the best course of action, but pegging a feature to something actually happening in the world is preferable.
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