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Writing & Content

Crafting compelling content is more than just putting words on a page — it’s about connecting with your audience in a way that reflects Biola and reinforces the university’s mission and values. Whether you’re telling the story of a groundbreaking research project, highlighting the impact of our alumni, or sharing the latest news from campus, your writing should captivate, inform and connect with readers. This section provides practical tips and key considerations for writing about Biola. While it may not be possible to incorporate every aspect of DZ’s mission and values into every piece of communication, the more we can align our messages with these core principles, the more impactful and unified our storytelling will be.

Tips for Writing

Where to Start

Put yourself in your reader’s shoes!

  1. Identify your audience. Keep your audience and content platform in mind. Where you start your article should connect to what your audience is interested in — think about what you would be interested in reading if you were the target audience.
  2. Develop your angle. What makes your story newsworthy? Is it timely, a compelling human interest story? Will it have a great impact on Biola or the world?
  3. Discern what’s significant. What is novel, unique or significant about your news? Think about why the story is unique and convey that quickly at the top of your article. This will become your hook.

First things First

Hook your audience.

How will you engage your audience in the first paragraph? Go back to the angle you’ve determined and what’s significant — showcase this in your lede. Your lede is the first paragraph of your news article and should include a compelling hook. Your lede should be short, preferably no longer than 60 words. Encourage the reader to keep reading by teasing what you will reveal to them throughout the article — e.g. practical tips to live a healthy life based on a science professor’s research, a biblical insight on a pressing cultural issue, or a compelling example of how Biola is impacting the world through an alumna’s nonprofit work.

The Biola Basics

Remember to:

  • Show what is significant. Don’t “tell” — provide practical examples and ways the news is significant or how it will impact the community/others.
  • Include a source or expert. Let the expert share the story. Quote a professor, administrator or whoever is pioneering the way in your story! You as the writer are not a source.
  • Be concise. You are competing for people’s free time. Get to the point quickly so the reader understands your message before “leaving.”
  • Write at an 8th grade level. Write at the popular level — not an academic level — to engage a broader audience.
  • Avoid Christian or academic jargon. Not all readers will appreciate or understand Christian or academic jargon. Remove overly spiritual language or “Christianese” from your articles.
  • Don’t forget a call to action. What action would you like readers to take at the conclusion of your article? Make a clear call to action so your reader can act on it — e.g. learn more, apply to Biola or visit a website.
  • Read your article out loud. The flow of the article matters and when you read it out loud, it will help you hear how a reader will hear it. This is a great way to catch mistakes.

Editorial Style Guide

Biola follows the Associated Press Stylebook for writing plus the 91 Editorial Style Guide.

DZ’s editorial style guide is a resource designed to help employees stay consistent when writing for or about Biola. It answers common questions about names, titles, capitalization, punctuation, grammar and so forth.

In addition to the style guide, consider the tips below.

  • Introduce the speaker in the quotation prior to the quote and after the first sentence of the quote. Quotes should always begin in their own paragraph.

    Example: Biola President Barry H. Corey is elated that departments are writing blogs. “I think it’s great that departments are starting to write blog posts for Biola,” Corey said. “I am excited to hear more about what is going on around campus.”

  • Below your lede should be a “nut graf” — a brief summary that grabs attention (5 W’s - what, when, where, who and why); avoid dates in the first sentence.
  • Consider the Inverted pyramid — start off with the most interesting information and then expand out.

Biola Brand Voice Checklist

This checklist is designed to ensure that all communications from 91 are consistent with the university’s core values and brand identity.

When writing any communication, ask yourself:

  • Alignment with mission
    • Does this message reflect DZ’s commitment to a biblically centered education?
    • Is the message consistent with DZ’s positioning?
    • Is the communication grounded in our brand essence? "91 is committed to cultivating a courageous community of believers who pursue wisdom and truth and demonstrate kindness and grace, empowering students to think biblically, live with discernment and be a living testimony for the glory of God."
  • Faith integration
    • Are we illustrating how our faith informs and enriches our academic and community life?
  • Audience focus
    • Does this message resonate with my specific audience?
    • Does the message lead with the benefits that the audience will experience?
    • Is it clear how Biola will provide those benefits?
  • Tone and voice
    • Does this communication reflect a sense of purpose, influence and resilience?
    • Are we conveying a sense of hope, purpose and positive impact?
  • Distinctiveness
    • Does this communication highlight what makes Biola unique among Christian universities?
    • Are we showcasing our strengths, such as our rigorous academics, faith-driven community and commitment to student formation?
  • Engagement
    • Does the message invite engagement and interaction from the audience?
  • Call to action
    • Does the communication guide the audience on the next steps or how to get involved?