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How to Write a Business Report: A Step By Step Guide with Examples

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With so much experience under your belt, you already know a lot about business reporting.

So, we don’t want to waste your time pointing out the obvious because we know what you need.

Secrets. Tricks. Best practices.sales rep drilldown business report

The answer to how to write a mind-blowing business report that you don’t need to spend hours and days writing.

A business report that will immediately allow you to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

A report that’ll help you learn more about your business and do more accurate forecasting and planning for the future.

We believe we have just that right here.

With this comprehensive guide, you’ll create effective sales, analytical, and informative business reports (and business dashboards ) that will help you improve your strategies, achieve your goals, and grow your business.

So, let’s dive in.

What Is a Business Report?

Importance of creating business reports, types of business reports, what should be included in a business report, how to write a business report: an 11-step guide.

• Business Report Examples

Although there’s a variety of business reports that differ in many aspects, in short, a business report definition would be the following:

A business report is an informative document that contains important data such as facts, analyses, research findings, and statistics about a business with the goal to make this information accessible to people within a company.

Their main purpose is to facilitate the decision-making process related to the future of the business, as well as to maintain effective communication between people who create the reports and those they report to.

A good business report is concise and well-organized, looks professional, and displays the relevant data you can act on. The point is to reflect upon what you’ve achieved so far (typically, over the past month, quarter or year) and to use the data to create a new strategy or adjust the current one to reach even more business goals.

Business reports should be objective and based on the data. When stating the facts, people rely on numbers rather than giving descriptions. For instance, instead of saying “our conversion rate skyrocketed”, you would display the exact percentages that back up that claim.

Business reporting matters for several reasons, among which the most important ones are:

Recognizing Opportunities to Grow

Detecting issues and solving them quickly, evaluating a potential partner, having a paper trail, keeping things transparent for the stakeholders, setting new company goals.

In fact, over half of the companies that contributed to Databox’s state of business reporting research confirmed that regular monitoring and reporting brought them significant concrete benefits.

If you never look back at what you’ve achieved, you can’t figure out what you’ve done well and what you can leverage in the future for even better results.

When you analyze a specific aspect of your business over a specific time period and present the data you gathered in a report, you can detect an opportunity to grow more easily because you have all the information in one place and organized neatly.

Is it time to introduce new products or services? Is there a way to enhance your marketing strategy? Prepare a report. Can you optimize your finances? Write a financial business report . Whatever decision you need to make, it’s easier when you base it on a report.

Reports are essential for crisis management because they can introduce a sense of calmness into your team. Putting everything on paper makes it easier to encompass all the relevant information and when you know all the facts, you can make a more accurate and effective decision about what to do next.

Writing business reports regularly will also help you identify potential issues or risks and act timely to prevent damage and stop it from escalating. That’s why monthly reporting is better than doing it only once a year.

Having an insight into your finances , operations and other business aspects more regularly allows you to have better control over them and mitigate potential risks more effectively.

Different types of business reports may be accessible to the general public. And if they’re not, specific situations may require a company to send them over to the person requesting them. That may happen if you’re considering a partnership with another company. Before making the final decision, you should learn about their financial health as every partnership poses a certain risk for your finances and/or reputation. Will this decision be profitable?

Having an insight into a company’s business report helps you establish vital business relationships. And it goes the other way around – any potential partner can request that you pull a business report for them to see, so writing business reports can help you prove you’re a suitable business partner.

In business, and especially in large companies, it’s easy to misplace information when it’s communicated verbally. Having a written report about any aspect of your business doesn’t only prevent you from losing important data, but it also helps you keep records so you can return to them at any given moment and use them in the future.

That’s why it’s always good to have a paper trail of anything important you want to share with colleagues, managers, clients, or investors. Nowadays, of course, it doesn’t have to literally be a paper trail, since we keep the data in electronic form.

Writing business reports helps you keep things transparent for the stakeholders, which is the foundation of efficient communication between these two sides.

You typically need to report to different people – sometimes they’re your managers, sometimes they’re a client. But your company’s stakeholders will also require an insight into the performance of your business, and relying on reports will help you maintain favorable business relationships. A business report shows you clearly how your company is performing and there isn’t room for manipulation.

Once you set business goals and the KPIs that help you track your progress towards them, you should remember they’re not set in stone. From time to time, you’ll need to revisit your goals and critical metrics and determine whether they’re still relevant.

When you write a business report and go through it with your team members or managers, you have a chance to do just that and determine if you’re efficient in reaching your goals. Sometimes, new insights will come up while writing these reports and help you identify new objectives that may have emerged.

Depending on your goals and needs, you’ll be writing different types of business reports. Here are five basic types of business reports .

Informational Report

Analytical report, research report, explanatory report, progress report.

Informational reports provide you with strictly objective data without getting into the details, such as explaining why something happened or what the result may be – just pure facts.

An example of this type of business report is a statement where you describe a department within your company: the report contains the list of people working in this department, what their titles are, and what they’re responsible for.

Another example related to a company’s website could look like this Google Analytics website traffic engagement report . As we explained above, this report shows objective data without getting too much into the details, so in this case, just the most important website engagement metrics such as average session duration, bounce rate, sessions, sessions by channel, and so on. Overall, you can use this report to monitor your website traffic, see which keywords are most successful, or how many returning users you have, but without further, in-depth analysis.

Analytical reports help you understand the data you’ve collected and plan for the future based on these insights. You can’t make business decisions based on facts only, so analytical reports are crucial for the decision-making process.

This type of business report is commonly used for sales forecasting. For instance, if you write a report where you identify a drop or an increase in sales, you’ll want to find out why it happened. This HubSpot’s sales analytics report is a good example of what metrics should be included in such a report, like average revenue per new client or average time to close the deal. You can find more web analytics dashboard examples here.

From these business reports, you can find out if you will reach your goals by implementing your current strategy or if you need to make adjustments.

Research is critical when you’re about to introduce a change to your business. Whether it’s a new strategy or a new partner, you need an extensive report to have an overview of all important details. These reports usually analyze new target markets and competition, and contain a lot of statistical data.

While not the same, here is an example of an ecommerce dashboard that could help track each part of a campaign in detail, no matter whether you are launching a new product, testing a new strategy, and similar. Similar to a research report, it contains key data on your audience (target market), shows your top-selling products, conversion rate and more. If you are an online store owner who is using paid ads, you can rely on this report to monitor key online sales stats in line with Facebook Ads and Google Analytics. See more ecommerce dashboards here.

As you might guess from its name, you write the explanatory report when it’s necessary for you to explain a specific situation or a project you’ve done to your team members. It’s important to write this report in a way that everyone will be able to understand.

Explanatory reports include elements like research results, reasons and goals of the research, facts, methodology, and more. While not exactly an explanatory report, this example of a HubSpot marketing drilldown report is the closest thing to it, as it helps marketers drill into an individual landing page performance, and identify how good their best landing pages are at converting, or which ones have the best performance.

A progress report is actually an update for your manager or client – it informs them about where you stand at the moment and how things are going. It’s like a checkpoint on your way towards your goal.

These reports may be the least demanding to write since you don’t need to do comprehensive research before submitting them. You just need to sum up your progress up to the point when the report was requested. This business report may include your current results, the strategy you’re implementing, the obstacles you’ve come across, etc. If this is a marketing progress report you can use marketing report templates to provide a more comprehensive overview.

In many companies, progress reports are done on a weekly or even daily basis. Here is an example of a daily sales report from Databox. HubSpot users can rely on this sales rep drilldown business report to see how individual each sales rep is performing and measure performance against goals. Browse through all our KPI dashboards here.

What does a great business report look like? If you’re not sure what sections your report should have, you’ll learn what to include in the following lines.

Business Report Formatting

Different types of reports require different lengths and structures, so your business report format may depend on what elements your report needs to have. For example, progress reports are typically pretty simple, while analytical or explanatory reports are a different story.

However, most reports will start with a title and a table of contents, so the person reading the report knows what to expect. Then, add a summary and move on to the introduction. After you’ve written the body and the conclusion, don’t forget to include suggestions based on your findings that will help your team create an actionable plan as you move forward.

After that, list the references you used while creating the report, and attach any additional documents or images that can help the person reading the report understand it better.

This outline may vary depending on what kind of report you’re writing. Short business reports may not need a table of contents, and informative reports won’t contain any analyses. Also, less formal reports don’t need to follow a strict structure in every situation.

Business Report Contents

When it comes to the contents of your report, keep in mind the person who’s going to read it and try to balance between including all the relevant information, but not overwhelming the reader with too many details.

• The introduction to the report should state the reason why you’re writing it, and what its main goal is. Also, mention what methodology and reporting software you’ve used, if applicable.
• The body of the report is where you’ll expose all your key findings, explain your methodology, share the important data and statistics, and present your results and conclusion.
• The conclusion , similarly to the summary you’ll add at the beginning of the report, briefly singles out the most important points and findings of the report.

If you decide to include more sections like recommendations, this is where you’ll suggest the next steps your team or the company may want to take to improve the results or take advantage of them if they’re favorable.

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As a SaaS business leader, there’s no shortage of metrics you could be monitoring, but the real question is, which metrics should you be paying most attention to? To monitor the health of your SaaS business, you want to identify any obstacles to growth and determine which elements of your growth strategy require improvements. To do that, you can track the following key metrics in a convenient dashboard with data from Profitwell:

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• Growth Overview . Summarize all of the different kinds of customer transactions and their impact on revenue growth.
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To set up the dashboard, follow these 3 simple steps:

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Step 3: Watch your dashboard populate in seconds.

Note : Other than text, make sure you include images, graphs, charts, and tables. These elements will make your report more readable and illustrate your points.

Whether you’re writing a specific type of business report for the first time or you simply want to improve the quality of your reports, make sure you follow this comprehensive guide to writing an effective business report.

• Do Your Research
• Create an Outline
• Determine Formatting Guidelines
• Think of an Engaging Title
• Write the Introduction
• Divide the Body of the Report into Sections
• Choose Illustrations
• Conclude Effectively
• Gather Additional Documentation
• Add a Summary
• Proofread Your Work

Step 1: Do Your Research

A well-planned report is a job half done. That means you need to do research before you start writing: you need to know who you’re writing for and how much they know about the topic of your report. You need to explore the best business dashboard software and templates you can use for your report.

Also, if you believe you will need additional resources and documents to add in the appendix, you should do it during this phase of report writing.

Step 2: Create an Outline

Once you’ve gathered the resources, it’s time to plan the report. Before you start writing, create an outline that will help you stick to the right structure. A business report is complex writing in which you can get lost very easily if you don’t have a clear plan.

Moreover, the report shouldn’t be complicated to read, so sticking to a plan will allow you to keep it concise and clear, without straying from the topic.

Step 3: Determine Formatting Guidelines

Most companies have their in-house formatting that every official document has to follow. If you’re not sure if such rules exist in your company, it’s time you checked with your managers.

If there arent’ any guidelines regarding formatting, make sure you set your own rules to make the report look professional. Choose a simple and readable format and make sure it supports all the symbols you may need to use in the report. Set up proper headings, spacing, and all the other elements you may need in Word or Google Docs.

Pro tip: Google Docs may be easier to share with people who are supposed to read your business report.

Step 4: Think of an Engaging Title

Even if you’re writing a formal business report, the title should be clear and engaging. Reports are typically considered dull as they’re a part of official business documentation, but there’s no reason why you can’t make them interesting to read. Your title should suit the report topic and be in different font size so the reader can recognize it’s a title. Underneath the title, you should add the name of the author of the report.

Step 5: Write the Introduction

A good introductory paragraph for a business report should explain to the reader why you’ve written the report. Use the introduction to provide a bit of background on the report’s topic and mention the past results if there’s been a significant improvement since your last report.

Step 6: Divide the Body of the Report into Sections

As this will be the most comprehensive part of your report, make sure you separate the data into logical sections. Your report is supposed to tell a story about your business, and these sections (such as methodology, hypothesis, survey, findings, and more) will help the data look well-organized and easy to read.

Step 7: Choose Illustrations

Of course, each of these sections should be followed with charts, graphs, tables, or other illustrations that help you make a point. Survey results are typically best displayed in pie charts and graphs, and these enable the reader to visualize the data better. From the formatting point of view, breaking the long text sections with illustrations makes the report more readable.

Pro tip: Using centralized dashboard solutions like Databox can bring your reporting game to the next level. Sign up for a forever-free trial now to see how you can use Databox to track and visualize performance easier than ever before .

Step 8: Conclude Effectively

Finish your report with a to-the-point conclusion that will highlight all the main data from the report. Make sure it’s not too long, as it’s supposed to be a summary of the body of the report. In case you don’t want to add a specific section for recommendations, this is where you can include them, along with your assessments.

Step 9: Gather Additional Documentation

If you’ve determined what additional documents, images, surveys, or other attachments you may need for your report, now is the time to collect them. Request access to those you may not be able to get on time, so you have everything you need by the deadline. Copy the documents you can use in the original form, and scan the documents you need in electronic format.

Step 10: Add a Summary

The summary is usually at the top of the report, but it’s actually something you should write after your report is completed. Only then will you know exactly what your most relevant information and findings are, so you can include them in this brief paragraph that summarizes your report’s main points.

The summary should tell the reader about the objective of the report, the methodology used, and even mention some of the key findings and conclusions.

Step 11: Proofread Your Work

It may seem like common sense, but this final step of the process is often overlooked. Proofreading your work is how you make sure your report will look professional because errors can ruin the overall impression the reader will form about your work, no matter how great the report is.

Look for any spelling or grammatical mistakes you can fix, and if you’re not sure about specific expressions or terminology, use Google to double-check it. Make sure your writing is to-the-point and clear, especially if you’re writing for people who may not know the industry so well. Also, double-check the facts and numbers you’ve included in the report before you send it out or start your reporting meeting.

Business Report Examples (with Ready-to-Use Templates)

Here, we’re sharing a few business reporting examples that you can copy, along with ready-to-use and free-to-download templates. If you don’t know where to start and what to include in different types of business reports, these business report examples are a great way to get started or at least get some inspiration to create yours.

Activity Report Example

Annual report example, project status report example, financial report example, sales report example, marketing report example.

Note : Each of the business report templates shared below can be customized to fit your individual needs with our DIY Dashboard Designer . No coding or design skills are necessary.

For reporting on sales activity, HubSpot users can rely this streamlined sales activity report that includes key sales metrics, such as calls, meetings, or emails logged by owner. This way, you can easily track the number of calls, meetings, and emails for each sales rep and identify potential leaks in your sales funnel. Check all our sales team activity dashboards here. Or if you are looking for dashboards that track general sales performance, browse through all Databox sales dashboards here.

If you’re preparing for annual reporting, you will benefit from choosing this HubSpot annual performance report . It contains all the relevant metrics, such as email and landing page performance, new contacts, top blog posts by page views, and more. See all our performance dashboard templates here.

Project status reports can be very similar to progress reports. If you’re in need of one of those, here’s an example of a Project overview dashboard from Harvest that shows that can help you create simple, but well-organized report based on metrics that matter: hours tracked, billable hours, billable amount split by team members., and more. Check out more project management dashboard templates we offer here.

Are you creating a financial report? You will find this QuickBooks + HubSpot integration a great choice for a financial performance dashboard that makes creating a report simple. This dashboard focuses on the essential financial report

ting metrics and answers all your revenue-related questions. See all Databox financial dashboards here.

If you’re tracking your sales team’s monthly performance, this sales report template will help you prepare an outstanding report. Check out all the vital productivity KPIs, track your progress towards your goals, and understand well how your current sales pipeline is performing. See all sales performance dashboards we have available here.

Marketing reports can be easily prepared by using this monthly marketing report template . With HubSpot’s reporting, you can determine where your website traffic is coming from, how your landing pages and specific blog posts are performing, and how successful your email campaigns are. Browse all Databox marketing dashboards or marketing report examples here.

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How to Write a Formal Business Report (Template and Examples)

Formal business reports are official documents that guide and inform stakeholders. These reports are valuable tools when solving company problems or making decisions. 

You should be clear and include all relevant information to make your report useful in decision-making and problem-solving. 

Here are five steps for writing a formal business report:

• Define the purpose and intended audience
• Gather and analyze data
• Create an outline
• Draft the business report
• Revise and format your report

Keep reading to get valuable details under every step and learn to segment your report.

But first, let’s delve deep into formal business reports, the different types, and what differentiates them. We’ll also discuss the elements of a business report and cover valuable tips to perfect your writing skills.

Let’s get started!

Understanding formal business reports

Business reports provide an analysis of the current performance of a business and offer recommended actions to improve operations. A formal business report should include detailed data, analysis, conclusions, and recommendations.

What is a formal and informal business report?

A formal business report is a detailed and organized document that provides information about a specific topic, like research findings, market trends, or a financial situation. It usually includes conclusions based on data collected during the research process. 

Formal business reports can present complicated topics in an easy-to-understand format, allowing company executives to make informed decisions. A formal report typically includes an introduction, a body of information, and a conclusion. It should consist of accurate data and reliable sources and be written formally with proper grammar and spelling.

An informal business report does not follow traditional, formal reports’ formal structure and layout. Instead, it is written in an easy-to-understand language and typically includes summaries of key points, along with recommendations or suggestions for further action. 

Unlike formal reports, informal business reports do not need to be approved by higher management and can be sent directly to the intended recipient. Businesses often use informal reports to quickly provide updates or summaries of projects, data, or other important information. They are also commonly used when sharing ideas, solutions, or findings that don’t necessarily require a formal response from the receiver. 

While informal reports may need more depth and detail than formal reports, they can still communicate important information concisely and clearly. 

Types of formal business reports

Formal business reports include different types that may be used to present data, analyze performance, or make recommendations. Examples of formal business reports include annual, research, feasibility, and marketing research reports. 

Feasibility Reports

A feasibility report is an analytical document that outlines whether an activity or project has the potential to be successful. It includes cost estimates, expected outcomes, and other factors affecting the project’s success.

Business Plans 

A business plan is a formal outline of a company’s objectives and strategies for achieving them. It is used to obtain financing, attract investors, and set goals for the company. 

Business plans typically include sections on market analysis, organizational structure, competitive analysis, product or service description, financial projections, marketing strategies, and tactics.

Progress Reports

A progress report is a document that details the current status of a project or activity. It outlines the progress made, challenges encountered, and a timeline for when the project should be completed.

Financial Reports

Financial reports provide information about the company’s financial performance over some time. They include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.

A proposal is a document that outlines how an organization, company, or individual intends to complete a project. It usually includes information such as the purpose of the project, expected outcomes, methods, and associated costs. For example, businesses may use proposals to solicit funding from investors or government agencies.

Market Research Reports

A market research report is a document that provides information about customer needs and competitor activities to develop strategies for the organization. They typically include data on consumer preferences, product demand, market trends, and other relevant factors.

Risk Reports

A risk report is a document that details the potential risks associated with a specific activity or investment. It outlines possible losses and considers how they could affect an organization’s operations. Risk reports may also include measures the organization can take to mitigate losses and recommendations for further actions.

Technical Reports

Technical reports are documents that explain the results of a technical project or investigation in detail. They are used to document the findings of a project and provide a record that can be used as reference material. 

Technical reports typically include sections on research methods, results, conclusions, recommendations, and implementation plans. 

What are the key differences between writing a business report and writing an academic report?

Business reports inform a decision or provide direction in the form of recommendations. They may include factual data and analysis but are often practical and focus on the actionable steps needed to achieve a goal. 

Academic reports take a more analytical approach, emphasizing research and thought-provoking discussions that examine different points of view. 

Sources used

When writing business reports, only use real-world sources such as government reports. But when writing academic reports, you may cite theoretical works . 

Conciseness

When writing business reports, use concise points with stakeholders in mind . As for academic reports, you may use technical terms and lengthy explanations to support a point. 

Academic reports are often longer and more detailed than business reports and may also include recommendations but with a focus on developing new strategies or ideas.

When writing a business report, adhere to the following structure: cover page, table of contents, list of figures, executive summary, introduction, body, conclusion, and recommendations. 

But when writing an academic report, follow the structure: introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.

The purpose of both types of reports is to provide information that is useful and relevant to the target audience. So keep the audience in mind when writing a report; what information do they need to know? How will it help them make decisions or understand a concept better? 

Elements of a formal business report

An excellent formal business report organizes information into these sections: 

• Table of contents
• List of Figures
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Recommendation

1. Title page

The title page indicates the company name (and logo), the author’s and readers’ names and positions, and the date.

2. Table of contents

The table of contents lists the sections of a report with their page number and helps jump to a specific title. 

3. List of Figures

The list mentions every chart or diagram included in the report and its page number for easy navigation. 

4. Executive summary

The executive summary briefly overviews the report’s key points, findings, and conclusions. It helps readers to understand the report’s data without reading the entire document. Therefore, this section should be the last to write since the facts in the report will form the executive summary. 

5. Introduction

The introduction outlines the research objectives and methods used to generate data for analysis. It sets the stage for what follows. Unlike the executive summary, it does not mention any conclusion or recommendation. 

The body contains an in-depth review of the research results and their implications. It may include an analysis of trends, correlations, pictorial evidence, and other data supporting the report’s conclusions.  

7. Conclusion 

The conclusion summarizes the data discussed in the body . It is a brief sentence that takes around three to six sentences. 

8. Recommendation

The recommendation suggests an action based on the facts presented in the report. It outlines steps or policy changes necessary to solve a problem.

9. Appendix

The appendix contains information that supports your report but would be distracting if you included it in the body. This information may consist of raw data, charts, transcripts, and surveys used for analysis or any additional resources used in the research process. You may also include acronyms used in the report.

10. References/Bibliography

This section consists of all references you used in your report. Citations protect you from plagiarism and give credit to your sources. You can write citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles , depending on the style of your formal report. 

11. Glossary

The glossary is where you define all technical terms used in the report. Use an asterisk next to words you will describe in the glossary to indicate that the reader should check the glossary for a definition. 

How to write a formal business report step-by-step

When writing a formal business report, start by defining the purpose of the report and the intended audience. You then gather data and analyze it before writing the report. Finally, write the report and revise it accordingly.

1. Define the purpose and intended audience

Why are you writing the report? Consider what information you need to include and who will read the report. This will help you structure your document correctly and provide relevant information. 

Defining your target audience will help you tailor the language used and choose relevant information to include in the report.

2. Gather and analyze the data

Collect all data relevant to achieving the goal of your report. This should include quantitative and qualitative data, such as customer satisfaction surveys, case studies, performance metrics, or feedback from stakeholders.

Once you have collected all of your data, analyze it and identify any trends or patterns that may be useful in writing the report. You can use various tools and techniques like statistical analysis , gap analysis , or cause-and-effect diagrams .

3. Create an outline

An outline will help you organize your research data, stay on topic, and avoid including unrelated information under a particular title. Besides having a section of each formal business report element above, outline your key points, headings, and subheadings. 

Use self-explanatory headings, for example, “ Impact of expanding market share. ”

3. Draft the report

Organize the data you collected during research into the draft report. Start by introducing the topic, providing background information, and the report’s objectives. Then include each of the main points you want to discuss, supported by evidence from the research data.

Have the relevant elements mentioned above and write adequate information under each section. The draft does not have to be perfect; you just need to organize the data roughly. 

4. Revise and format your report

After completing your draft, proofread and edit it to remove irrelevant data or add forgotten information. Make sure everything looks good, including the formatting. It also helps to share the business report with someone who can review it and propose necessary changes. Once everything is settled, share the report with your intended audience.

Tips for writing a formal business report

When writing a formal report, use data and evidence to support your argument, add visuals, use consistent fonts and headings, and highlight important information. You should also use clear language that is easy to understand, considering the audience’s background knowledge.

1. Only use credible sources

Credible sources strengthen your report because they are factual, unbiased, and reliable. To identify a credible source, look out for the following markers. 

• The source’s author should be an expert in their field.
• The information in the source should be up-to-date. 
• The source should include evidence. The author should not have their opinions or speculations.
• A credible source is peer-reviewed by other experts in the field. 

2. Use diagrams in formal business reports

Use diagrams like graphs and charts to illustrate relationships between ideas. They are more engaging, easier to understand, and they capture your audience’s attention. 

Mind that you don’t clutter your diagrams with too much information. Excess detail will confuse your readers. 

Achieve simplicity by:

• Removing backgrounds that cause distractions.
• Removing or lightening gridlines. Gridlines clutter diagrams. 
• Reduce the number of colors you use. Only use color on crucial data in the diagram. 
• Instead of adding every tiny detail, use symbols and have a key. The key explains what each symbol, figure, or line represents. 

3. Use a consistent format

A consistent format makes it easy to follow your report. Keep the format headings and subheadings uniform throughout your report. And make your page margins and font styles consistent. 

4. Use bold fonts to highlight  

Bold fonts stand out against regular text to draw focus on essential data and make it easier to skim through the report. Use bolding sparingly; otherwise, the effect of highlighting will not work.

Formal business report template

A formal business report template will save both time and energy by providing a framework that simplifies the process of assembling data into a comprehensive document.  

Check out this collection of editable business report templates to find one that works for you.

Final Thoughts: Formal Business Report

Formal business reports are essential tools for any business. An excellent report drives company decisions and recommends solutions to company problems. Writing one may be challenging, but this guide gives you a clear pathway to ease the process. 

Remember to use visual aids and credible sources to fortify your report. Organize data into the above sections, and use the discussed tips to write your business report like a pro!

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Expert Commentary

How to write better business stories

Six tips for writing more compelling business stories

Republish this article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

by Chris Roush, The Journalist's Resource August 22, 2011

This <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org/home/writin-better-business-stories/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org">The Journalist's Resource</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-jr-favicon-150x150.png" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;">

Many people don’t read business news, and for good reason. There’s nothing more boring than a story that uses a bunch of numbers in the lead without explaining what’s actually going on. But business news writing doesn’t have to be boring, or laden with numbers.

Like any other news article, the best business journalism tells a good story and entices the reader with a compelling lead. The best business journalists may use numbers in their leads, but they primarily use words to explain what’s going on. They write a story, not a balance sheet. The numbers are only there to support the thesis of the writing.

Here’s my advice to anyone writing business and economics story leads and wanting to make their prose sing:

• Avoid an overabundance of numbers in one sentence or paragraph . My limit is usually two, but I sometimes will use three if they are simple concepts to understand. And avoid numbers in the lead. Instead, explain what’s happening with the company, or unemployment, in the lead, and then use the numbers in the second paragraph to back up what you wrote.
• Use short sentences . No more than 35 words should be used in the lead of a business story. When I wrote about the embarrassing typo printed on two million 12-packs of Coca-Cola right before the 1996 Summer Olympics, the lead was, “What a difference one letter makes.” That’s only six words, but it got the point across.
• Always lead with the “what,” be it a company, executive or product . That strategy forces you to write your lead using an active verb, and results in a direct sentence for the reader to understand. It also lets the reader know up front who or what the story is about.
• Never put the time element before the verb in the lead . The verb tells the reader what the action is, and that’s what the reader wants. If you tell them when the action happened before the action has taken place in the sentence, then you just confuse them.
• Avoid using names in the lead unless the person is well known . For example, this works best for the Atlanta media: “Doug Ivester, the chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Co., resigned Sunday amid disagreements with the board about the future direction of the company.” For everyone else, go with something shorter: “Coca-Cola Co.’s CEO resigned Sunday amid disagreements about the future direction of the company.”
• Don’t use “funky” punctuation . You’re already asking a reader or listener to pay attention to something that may be foreign. A semi-colon, parentheses or a colon might just confuse them enough to make them stop reading and find something else to read. For example, don’t write this: “The CFO of a Fayetteville mining company resigned his job Tuesday; the company did not name a replacement.” Instead, go with this: “The CFO of a Fayetteville mining company resigned Tuesday amid allegations of inflated earnings.”

You can be the greatest business reporter of all time and find all kinds of amazing facts about companies or the economy. But unless you know how to put those facts together in a compelling series of words and sentences, your work will have gone to waste.

Chris Roush is the Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Scholar in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He can be reached at [email protected] .

Tags: training

About The Author

Chris Roush

How to Write Business Reports That Make an Impact

Learn how to write a corporate report that stakeholders love from structure to final touches, from how to start to how to conclude, and build your authority.

Jackie Plaza

6 minute read

Short answer

How to write a business report.

• Understand the Purpose: Identify the report's objective and audience.
• Conduct Research: Gather relevant data and information.
• Create an Outline: Organize your thoughts and structure your report.
• Write the Report: Start with a draft, focusing on clarity and conciseness.
• Review and Revise: Proofread, edit for clarity, and ensure accuracy of data.
• Finalize: Prepare the final version, ensuring it's professionally presented.

Effective business reporting drive decision making

Business reports, or corporate reports, are more than just documents; they're tools that communicate vital information, drive decisions, and shape the future of your company.

They're your voice in the corporate world and they lay the foundations for your authority in the eyes of stakeholders, investors, and partners.

In this comprehensive guide on business report writing. We'll cover everything from the basics to specific report types, with actionable tips and examples.

This guide will equip you with the knowledge and skills to write compelling corporate reports that move hearts and move the needle.

Let's dive in!

What is the role of business reports in corporate communication?

Business reports are the backbone of corporate communication. They provide a reliable, consistent source of information that drives strategic decisions. These reports communicate vital data to stakeholders, investors, partners, and customers.

corporate reports are a key communication tool that fosters transparency, promotes accountability, and guides decision-making within a business.

What is the accepted structure of business reports

Every great report follows a structure. Let's decode this blueprint. The basic structure of a corporate report typically includes the same sections as I cover below.

But the exact structure can vary depending on the type of corporate report and the specific requirements of the company.

1. Title Page: This is the first page of the report that includes the title of the report, the name of the company, the authors, and the date of the report.

2. Executive Summary : This is a brief overview of the report, summarizing the main points, findings, and recommendations. It should be concise and informative enough that a reader can understand the gist of the full report without reading it.

3. Table of Contents: This section lists the main headings and subheadings of the report along with their page numbers to help readers navigate through the document.

4. Introduction: The introduction provides background information, states the purpose of the report, and outlines what will be covered.

5. Body: This is the main part of the report, where the information is presented in detail. It's usually divided into sections and subsections with headings and subheadings. The body of a corporate report often includes information about the company's operations, financial performance, and strategic initiatives.

6. Conclusion: This section summarizes the findings or results discussed in the body of the report. It should tie together the main points and show how they support the report's purpose or objective.

7. Recommendations: Based on the findings in the report, this section provides suggestions for future actions. Not all corporate reports will include this section—it depends on the purpose of the report.

8. References/Bibliography: If any external sources were used in the report, they should be listed here.

9. Appendices: This section includes any additional information that is relevant but not necessary to include in the main body of the report, such as detailed financial tables, survey results, or interview transcripts.

How to begin a business report

Starting can be tough, but with the right approach, you'll be off to a great start.

Understanding Your Purpose and Audience: Before you start writing, identify your report's purpose and audience. It's like setting a GPS for your report—you need to know your destination, plan multiple stops on Google Maps , and know who's coming along for the ride.

Conducting Preliminary Research: Research is the fuel for your report. Gather all necessary data and information before you start writing. It's like stocking up for a long journey.

Drafting a Report Outline: An outline is your report's skeleton. It helps you organize your thoughts and ensures you cover all necessary points.

How to conclude a business report

Concluding your report is as important as starting it. Let's wrap things up effectively.

Summarizing Your Key Findings: Recap your report's key findings. It's like the highlight reel at the end of a sports game.

Discussing the Implications: Discuss what your findings mean for your company. This is where you interpret the data and explain its significance.

Providing Actionable Recommendations: Based on your findings, provide recommendations. This is your chance to suggest next steps and influence future decisions.

Tips for effective business report writing for external stakeholders

Crafting corporate reports for external stakeholders like investors, clients, and partners requires a strategic approach. Just as businesses use fleet routing software to achieve seamless logistics, your report should efficiently provide information customized to the audience's specific needs.

These audiences have different interests and needs compared to internal stakeholders, and your report should reflect that.

Here are some tips to help you create compelling business reports for external stakeholders:

1) Understand your audience

First and foremost, know who you're writing for. Investors might be interested in financial performance and growth prospects, clients may want to know about your products or services, and partners could be keen on collaborative achievements.

Tailor your content to meet their specific interests.

2) Be transparent and honest

External stakeholders value transparency. Be open about your successes and challenges. Honesty builds trust and shows that you're a reliable partner.

3) Use clear and concise language

Avoid jargon and complex language. Your report should be easy to understand, regardless of the reader's background. Remember, clarity is king in business communication.

4) Highlight key points

With the potential for numerous reports landing on their desk, external stakeholders appreciate brevity. Highlight key points and use summaries to help them quickly grasp the essence of your report.

5) Use visuals

Graphs, charts, and infographics can convey information more effectively than text alone. They can help stakeholders understand complex data at a glance.

6) Provide context

Don't just present data—interpret it. Explain what the numbers mean for your business and why they should matter to the stakeholder.

7) End with a strong conclusion

Summarize your main points and end with a strong conclusion. If appropriate, include a call to action, such as an invitation to a meeting or a request for feedback.

8) Proofread

Lastly, ensure your report is free of errors. Mistakes can undermine your credibility and distract from your message.

Crafting corporate reports for external stakeholders like investors, clients, and partners requires a strategic approach.

Great report content must be complemented by great design

Below you’ll find tried and tested interactive report design templates . These will bring your content to life and make it an engaging read for your audience.

These templates will save you time and expense on content production, but also make your reports much more memorable and share-worthy. Additionally, they can also function like a white label solution , allowing you to brand your reports accordingly.

Grab a template!

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• Writing Tips

How to Structure a Business Report

• 5-minute read
• 14th March 2019

The content of a business report will depend on what you are writing about. Even the writing style may depend on who you are writing for (although clear, concise and formal is usually best). However, there is a general structure that most business reports follow. In this post, then, we’ll look at how to structure a business report for maximum clarity and professionalism.

1. Title Page

Every business report should feature a title page . The title itself should clearly set out what the report is about. Typically, you should also include your name and the date of the report.

Most business reports begin with a summary of its key points. Try to include:

• A brief description of what the report is about
• How the report was completed (e.g., data collection methods)
• The main findings from the research
• Key conclusions and recommendations

A paragraph or two should suffice for this in shorter business reports. However, for longer or more complex reports, you may want to include a full executive summary .

3. Table of Contents

Short business reports may not need a table of contents, especially if they include a summary. But longer reports should set out the title of each section and the structure of the report. Make sure the headings here match those used in the main text. You may also want to number the sections.

4. Introduction

The introduction is the first part of the report proper. Use it to set out the brief you received when you were asked to compile the report. This will frame the rest of the report by providing:

• Background information (e.g., business history or market information)
• The purpose of the report (i.e., what you set out to achieve)
• Its scope (i.e., what the report will cover and what it will ignore)

These are known as the “terms of reference” for the business report.

5. Methods and Findings

If you are conducting original research, include a section about your methods. This may be as simple as setting out the sources you are using and why you chose them. But it could also include how you have collected and analyzed the data used to draw your conclusions.

After this, you will need to explain your findings. This section will present the results of your research clearly and concisely, making sure to cover all the main points set out in the brief.

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One tip here is to break the findings down into subsections, using headings to guide the reader through your data. Using charts and illustrations , meanwhile, can help get information across visually, but make sure to label them clearly so the reader knows how they relate to the text.

6. Conclusions and Recommendations

The last main section of your report will cover conclusions and recommendations. The conclusion section should summarize what you have learned from the report. If you have been asked to do so, you should also recommend potential courses of action based on your conclusions.

If you are not sure what to suggest here, think back to the objectives set out in your brief.

7. References

If you have used any third-party sources while writing your report, list them in a bibliography after the main report. This could include other business documents, academic articles, or even news reports. The key is to show what you have based your findings and conclusions upon.

8. Appendices (If Applicable)

Finally, you may have gathered extra documentation during your research, such as interview transcripts, marketing material, or financial data. Including this in the main report would make it too long and unfocused, but you can add it to an appendix (or multiple appendices) at the end of the document. It will then be available should your reader need it.

Summary: How to Structure a Business Report

If you are writing a business report, aim to structure it as follows:

• Title Page – Include a clear, informative title, your name, and the date.
• Summary – A brief summary of what the report is about, the data collection methods used, the findings of the report, and any recommendations you want to make.
• Table of Contents – For longer reports, include a table of contents.
• Introduction –Set out the brief you were given for the report.
• Methods and Findings – A description of any methods of data collection and analysis used while composing the report, as well as your findings.
• Conclusions and Recommendations – Any conclusions reached while writing the report, plus recommendations for what to do next (if required).
• References – Sources used in your report listed in a bibliography.
• Appendices – If you have supporting material (e.g., interview transcripts, raw data), add it to an appendix at the end of the document.

Don’t forget, too, that a business report should be clear, concise, and formal. And if you would like help making sure that your business writing is easy to read and error free, just let us know .

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Master the Essentials of News Writing: A Comprehensive Beginner’s Guide

• Published: November 28, 2023
• By: Yellowbrick

In today’s digital age, where information spreads at lightning speed, the demand for well-written news articles is higher than ever. Whether you aspire to be a journalist, a content writer or simply want to improve your writing skills, understanding the basics of news writing is crucial. In this comprehensive beginner’s guide, we will delve into the fundamental principles of news writing, providing you with valuable insights and practical tips to help you craft compelling and informative news articles.

1. Understand the News Writing Structure

News writing follows a specific structure known as the inverted pyramid. This means that the most important information is presented at the beginning of the article, followed by supporting details in descending order of importance. This structure allows readers to quickly grasp the key points of the story, even if they only read the first few paragraphs.

2. Grab the Reader’s Attention with a Strong Headline

A captivating headline is essential to grab the reader’s attention and entice them to click and read the full article. It should be concise, informative, and engaging, giving readers a glimpse of what to expect. Avoid clickbait tactics and strive for accuracy and authenticity in your headlines.

3. Write a Compelling Lead

The lead, also known as the lede, is the opening paragraph of a news article. It should summarize the most important aspects of the story and entice the reader to continue reading. A strong lead is concise, engaging, and answers the key questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how.

4. Stick to the Facts

News writing is based on facts, not opinions. It is crucial to present accurate information and verify your sources. Double-check names, dates, and statistics to ensure the credibility of your article. Avoid biased language and present multiple perspectives when appropriate.

5. Use Clear and Concise Language

News articles should be written in a clear and concise manner. Avoid jargon, technical terms, and complex sentences that may confuse the reader. Use simple, everyday language that is easily understood by a wide audience.

6. Maintain Objectivity

Objectivity is a cornerstone of news writing. Present the facts without bias or personal opinions. Remain neutral and avoid inserting your own views into the article. Let the readers draw their own conclusions based on the information you provide.

7. Write for the Web

In the digital age, news articles are primarily consumed online. When writing for the web, consider the importance of search engine optimization (SEO). Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your article to improve its visibility in search engine results. Additionally, use subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make your article scannable and easily digestible.

8. Fact-Check and Edit

Before publishing your news article, take the time to fact-check your information and edit for clarity, grammar, and spelling errors. Ensure that your article adheres to the publication’s style guide and follows proper journalistic ethics.

9. Develop Your News Writing Skills

Becoming a skilled news writer takes practice. Read articles from reputable news sources to familiarize yourself with different writing styles and techniques. Consider taking a news writing course, such as the one offered by Yellowbrick, to further enhance your skills and gain valuable insights from industry professionals.

10. Stay Informed and Adapt

The world of news writing is constantly evolving. Stay informed about current events, emerging trends, and changes in the industry. Adapt your writing style to suit different platforms and audiences. Embrace new technologies and storytelling techniques to engage and captivate your readers.

By mastering the essentials of news writing, you will be equipped with the skills needed to excel in the fast-paced and dynamic field of journalism. Practice regularly, seek feedback, and never stop learning. Whether you aim to work for prestigious news organizations like NYU or forge your own path, the power of effective news writing will open doors and help you make a lasting impact in the world of media and communication.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the structure of news writing, such as the inverted pyramid, is essential for presenting information effectively.
• Crafting strong headlines and leads helps grab readers’ attention and entices them to continue reading.
• Maintaining objectivity and sticking to the facts are crucial aspects of news writing.
• Using clear and concise language ensures that your articles are easily understood by a wide audience.
• Writing for the web requires incorporating SEO techniques and making your content scannable.
• Fact-checking, editing, and following journalistic ethics are important steps before publishing your news articles.
• Developing your news writing skills through reading, practice, and additional courses like the one offered by Yellowbrick can enhance your abilities.
• Staying informed, adapting to changes, and embracing new technologies are necessary to thrive in the evolving field of news writing.

To further enhance your news writing skills and gain valuable insights from industry professionals, consider enrolling in the NYU | Modern Journalism online course and certificate program offered by Yellowbrick. This program provides a comprehensive curriculum that covers various aspects of modern journalism, including news writing, storytelling techniques, and digital media strategies. By investing in your education and continuously honing your skills, you can position yourself for success in the dynamic world of news writing.

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What Are Business Reports & Why They Are Important: Examples & Templates

Table of Contents

1) What Is A Business Report?

2) Types Of Business Reports

3) Business Reports Examples & Samples

4) Why Do You Need Business Reports?

5) How To Setup A Business Report?

6) Challenges Of Business Reports

In your daily operations, you likely notice your processes and ‘activities’ constantly changing – sales trends and volume, marketing performance metrics, warehouse operational shifts, or inventory management changes, among many others.

All these little alterations in your organizational activities are impacting the global well-being of your company, your warehouse, your restaurant, or even your healthcare facility. Whether you manage a big or small company, business reports must be incorporated to establish goals, track operations, and strategy to get an in-depth view of the overall company state.

But with so much information being collected daily from every department, static business reports created manually will not give your company the fresh insights it needs to stay competitive. Businesses that want to succeed in today’s crowded market need to leverage the power of their insights in an accessible and efficient way. This is where modern business reports created with interactive data visualizations come to the rescue. 

Traditional means of reporting are tedious and time-consuming. Due to how the human brain processes information, presenting insights in charts or graphs to visualize significant amounts of complex information is more accessible and intuitive.  Thanks to modern, user-friendly online data analysis tools armed with powerful visualizations, companies can benefit from interactive reports that are accessible and understandable for everyone without needing prior technical skills.

Here, we take the time to define a business report, explore visual report examples, and look at how to create them for various needs, goals, and objectives. In the process, we will use online data visualization software to interact with and drill deeper into bits and pieces of relevant data. Let's get started.

What Is A Business Report?

A business report is a tool that helps collect and analyze historical and current data from a company’s operations, production, and more. Through various types of business reports, organizations make critical decisions to ensure growth and operational efficiency.

To understand the best uses for these reports, it’s essential to properly define them. According to authors Lesikar and Pettit, “A corporate-style report is an orderly, objective communication of factual information that serves some organizational purpose”. It organizes information for a specific business purpose. While some reports will go into a more detailed approach to analyzing the functionality and strategies of a department, other examples of business reports will be more concentrated on the bigger picture of organizational management, for example, investor relations. That’s where the magic of these kinds of reports truly shines: no matter for which company goal you need, their usage can be various and, at the same time, practical.

Traditional business reports are often static and text reach (bullet points, headings, subheadings, etc.). Classically formatted in sections such as the summary, table of contents, introduction, body, and conclusion, this report format is no longer the most efficient when it comes to extracting the needed insights to succeed in this fast-paced world. On one hand, by the time these reports have been finished, the insights included within them might not be useful anymore. On the other hand, the fact that it is mostly text and numbers makes them hard to understand, making the analysis strategy segregated and inefficient.  

The visual nature of modern business dashboards leaves all the aforementioned issues in the past. Thanks to interactive data visualizations and modern business intelligence solutions , the analysis sequence can be done fast and efficiently while empowering non-technical users to rely on digital insights for their decision-making process. 

Your Chance: Want to test professional business reporting software? Explore our 14-day free trial. Benefit from great business reports today!

Types Of Business Reports?

Before creating your business outcome reports, it is important to consider your core goals and objectives. This way, you can pick the correct type of report for each situation. Here, we present you with five common types of visual reports that you can use for different analytical purposes. 

1. Analytical reports

Analytical reports are reporting tools that use qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the performance of a business strategy or as support when a company needs to make important decisions. A modern analytical dashboard created with top reporting software can include statistics, historical data, as well as forecasts, and real-time information. Let’s look into it with a sales example. 

**click to enlarge**

This visually appealing business analysis report contains relevant sales KPIs to measure performance, such as the average revenue per unit, the customer lifetime value, acquisition costs, and some sales targets to be met. The value of this analytical report lies in the fact that you get a lot of relevant metrics in a single dashboard. The data can be filtered and explored on different time frames such as daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on the discussion that it needs to support.   

With this kind of sample in hand, managers can quickly understand if they are meeting their targets, find improvement opportunities, get a bigger picture of their sales, and find efficient ways to proceed with new strategies.  

2. Research reports

Next in our types of business reports that we will discuss is a research report. Companies often use these kinds of reports to test the viability of a new product, study a new geographical area to sell, or understand their customer’s perception of their brand image. To generate this type of report, managers often contact market research agencies to gather all the relevant information related to the studied topic. This brand analysis dashboard is a great example.

The image above is a business report template of a brand analysis. Here, we can see the results of a survey that was conducted to understand the brand’s public perception on different topics. The value of this market research dashboard lies in its interactivity. Often, research reports are depicted in long and static PowerPoint presentations. With a modern market research dashboard like this one, all the info can be filtered upon need, and the whole presentation of results can be done on one screen. For example, if you want to know the brand awareness of a particular region or age group, you just have to click on the graphs, and the entire dashboard will be filtered based on this information. Like this, the analysis sequence is fast, interactive, and efficient. 

3. Industry reports

Following on from the research topic, our next type is an industry report. Benchmarks and targets are excellent ways to measure a company’s performance and success. But, these targets need to be based on realistic values, especially considering how crowded and competitive today’s markets are. For this purpose, companies perform industry reports. By getting a clear picture of the average industry numbers, such as the competitive landscape, industry size, economic indicators, and trends, they can plan smart strategies and create realistic targets for performance. 

Let's take this industry report by Technavio about the Global Ice Cream Market as an example. Here, we can see relevant numbers concerning the ice cream market, how COVID-19 impacted it, and what is expected to happen between the years 2020-2024. For example, the business report sample shows that the pandemic has positively impacted the ice cream market and that it grew 4.33% during 2020. The report also shows that there is increasing popularity of plant-based ice cream and that this trend is driving market growth. This is invaluable information for an ice cream company as they can invest in new products with almost certain success.

4. Progress reports

Next, we have progress reports. Unlike our other examples, this type of business report is not necessarily based on deep research or advanced analytics but rather on delivering a clear picture of the performance of a particular area or business goal. Their visual nature makes them the perfect tool to support meetings or business discussions as they provide a glance into the status of different metrics. A common use of progress reports is with KPI scorecards . Let’s look at an example. 

The image above is a business report example of a balanced scorecard. The goal here is to quickly understand the development of metrics related to 4 key business areas: financial, customers, learning and growth, and internal objectives. Each of these metrics is displayed in a current value and compared to a set target. Paired with this, the template has five colors for the performance status. This allows anyone who uses this report to quickly understand just by looking at the colors if the target is being met.

5. By business function

Getting a bigger picture of a company’s performance is a great benefit of the best business reports. But, apart from helping the company as a whole, the real value of these reports lies in the fact that they empower departments to leverage the power of data analysis for their decision-making process. Instead of the sales department, human resources, or logistics, your entire organization will be data-driven. Let’s look at it with a business report example by function on marketing.  

Created with modern marketing dashboard software , this example entirely focuses on the development of marketing campaigns.  With metrics such as the total number of impressions, clicks, acquisitions, and cost per acquisition being depicted on intuitive gauge charts, you quickly get a clear understanding of the performance of your campaigns. Through this, you can spot any inefficiencies before they become bigger issues and find improvement opportunities to ensure your marketing efforts are paying off. If you want to dig even deeper, this interactive business report can be filtered for specific campaigns so you only see related insights, making this dashboard the perfect tool to support team meetings. 

Business Report Examples And Templates

We’ve answered the question, ‘What is a business report?’ and now, it’s time to look at some real-world examples.

The examples of business reports that we included in this article can be utilized in many different industries; the data can be customized based on the factual information of the specific department, organization, company, or enterprise. Interdepartmental communication can then effectively utilize findings, and the content can be shared with key stakeholders.

Now that we know what they are, let's go over some concrete, real-world instances of visuals you will need to include in your reports.

1. Visual financial business report example

This first example focuses on one of the most vital and data-driven departments of any company: finance. It gathers the most essential financial KPIs a manager needs to have at his fingertips to make an informed decision: gross profit margin, operational expenses ratio (OPEX), both earning before interests (EBIT) and net profit margins, and the income statement. Next to these are the revenue evolution over a year compared to its target predefined, the annual evolution of operational expenses for various internal departments as well as the evolution of the EBIT compared to its target.

The different sets of visual representations of data can clearly point out particular trends or actions that need to be taken to stay on the financial track of a company. All your financial analysis can be integrated into a single visual. When the presentation becomes interactive, clicks will provide even deeper insights into your financial KPIs and the desired outcomes to make a company healthy in its financial operations. The importance of this finance dashboard lies in the fact that every finance manager can easily track and measure the whole financial overview of a specific company while gaining insights into the most valuable KPIs and metrics. Empowering a steadfast and operation-sensitive plan is among the most important goals a company can have, and finance is right in the middle of this process.

Thanks to all this information displayed on a single dashboard, your report is greatly enhanced and backed with accurate information for you to make sound decisions. It becomes easier to implement a solid and operation-sensitive management plan.

2. Visual investor's business report layout

As mentioned earlier, holding an account of your activity, performance, and organization’s assets is important for people outside of the company to understand how it works. When these people are investors, it is all the more critical to have a clean and up-to-date report for them to know how successful is the company they invest in and for you to increase your chances of having more funds. This example provides just that: an exact overview of the most important insights and specific values in a particular time frame.

Calculating and communicating KPIs about the overall company situation is what this investors’ relationship dashboard tries to focus on. You learn about the return on equity and return on asset, the debt-equity ratio, and the working capital ratio, but also see the evolution of a share price over time. Each of these metrics is crucial for a potential shareholder, and if they are not monitored regularly and kept under control, it is easy to lose investors’ interest. Tracking them and visualizing them through a modern dashboard is a competitive advantage for your investors’ reports. You can even see on this visual a clear set of data, so you don’t have to dig through numerous amounts of spreadsheets, but clearly see the specific development over time, the percentage gained or lost, ratios, and returns on investments. Not to be limited just to these data, you can always customize and make sample business reports for your specific needs.

3. Visual management report example

The management KPIs presented below focus on the revenue and customer overview seen through a specified quarter of a year. With just a click, you can easily change your specific date range and make an overview of different months or years.

When analyzing insights on a more specific level, you can easily spot if the revenue is approaching your target value, compare it to the previous year, and see how much of the target you still need to work on. The average number of your revenue per customer compared to your targets can also identify on a more specific level how much you need to adjust your strategy based on your customers’ value. If you see your values have exceeded your goals, you can concentrate on KPIs that haven’t yet reached your target achievement. In this specific example, we have gained insights into how to present your management data, compare them, and evaluate your findings to make better decisions.

This clear overview of data can set apart the success of your management strategy since it is impossible to omit vital information. By gathering all your findings into a single CEO dashboard , the information presented is clear and specific to the management’s needs. The best part of this example report is seen through its interactivity: the more you click, the more data you can present, and the more specific conclusions you can look for.

These report templates that we have analyzed and presented in this article can be a roadmap to effectively create your own report or customize your data to tailor your needs and findings.

4. SaaS management dashboard

The next in our rundown of dynamic business report examples comes from our specialized SaaS metrics dashboard .

A SaaS company report example that packs a real informational punch, this particular report format offers a panoramic snapshot of the insights and information every ambitious software-as-a-service business needs to succeed.

With visual KPIs that include customer acquisition costs, customer lifetime value, MMR, and APRU, here, you will find everything you need to streamline your company’s initiatives at a glance. This is an essential tool for both short- and long-term evolution.

5. Sales KPI dashboard

Niche or sector aside, this most powerful of online business reports samples will empower your sales team to improve productivity while increasing revenue on a sustainable basis.

A powerful daily business activity report as well as a tool for long-term growth, our sales dashboard boasts a cohesive mix of visualizations built to boost your business's bottom line.

With centralized access to sales graphs and charts based on churn rates, revenue per sales rep, upselling & cross-selling, and more, this is a company report format that will help you push yourself ahead of the pack (and stay there). It’s a must-have tool for any modern sales team.

6. Retail store dashboard company report example

Retail is another sector that pays to utilize your data to its full advantage. Whatever branch of retail you work in, knowing how to generate a report is crucial, as is knowing which types of reports to work with.

Our interactive retail dashboard is one of our finest visual report examples, as it offers a digestible window of insight into the retail-centric unit as well as transaction-based information that can help you reduce costs while boosting your sales figures over time.

Ideal for target setting and benchmarking as well as strategy formulation, this is an unrivaled tool for any retailer navigating their activities in our fast-paced digital age. If you’re a retailer looking for steady, positive growth, squeezing every last drop of value from your retail metrics is essential—and this dashboard will get you there.

7. Customer service team dashboard

As a key aspect of any successful organizational strategy, optimizing your customer service communications across channels is essential. That’s where our customer service analytics report comes into play.  

Making your customer service efforts more efficient, effective, and responsive will not only drastically improve your consumer loyalty rates but also set you apart from your competitors.

One of the best ways to achieve a mean, lean, well-oiled consumer-facing machine is by giving your customer service representatives the tools to perform to the best of their abilities at all times. Armed with a balanced mix of KPIs to track and enhance service performance, this most powerful of business report samples will help you drive down response times while improving your first call resolution rates. It’s a combination that will result in ongoing growth and success.

8. Employee performance dashboard

In addition to your customers, your employees are the beating heart of your organization. Our employee dashboard will give you the power to track the ongoing value and productivity of your internal talent.

An ideal formal business report example for any modern HR department, this telling dashboard will give you deep insight into how your employees perform and behave over specific timeframes.

Here, you can examine trends in absenteeism rates, track overtime hours by age group, monitor your training costs, and explore peaks and troughs in productivity across the entire workforce. This melting pot of at-a-glance information will empower you to provide training exactly where it’s needed and get to the heart of any issue that’s affecting productivity or engagement levels. 

Working with this business report format example consistently will ultimately ensure you get the very best return on investment (ROI) from your internal talent.

9. Marketing KPI dashboard

Without a solid multichannel marketing strategy, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever see a consistently healthy ROI from your promotional efforts. Shooting in the dark regarding marketing will also see you fall behind the competition. Enter our marketing dashboard .

This business report format template brimming with insight, lets you set accurate performance benchmarks while uncovering a wealth of insight from one intuitive dashboard.

To optimize your promotional campaigns and activities, talking to specific audience segments and using the right touchpoints at precisely the right time is essential. Without a targeted approach, all you’re doing is throwing your time and money away.

This effective company report example offers a balanced overview of your campaigns’ performance by offering the tools to dig deep into vital metrics like cost per acquisition (CPA), customer lifetime value (CLTV), and ROI.

This perfect storm of metrics will show you where your communications or campaigns are failing to drive engagement and where they’re yielding positive results. Armed with this critical information, you can optimize all of your efforts to make the biggest possible impact across channels. An essential report design for any modern organization looking to scale swiftly and consistently.

10. Warehouse KPI dashboard

Being a warehouse manager or decision-maker is a high-pressure job where every decision counts. To keep your fulfillment activities and initiatives fluid, functional, and primed for organizational growth, sweating your data correctly is a must.

Our warehouse KPI dashboard is a business report sample that aids both real-time decision-making and longer-term strategic planning.

With a powerful selection of logistics-based KPIs, this highly visual business report structure features metrics based on on-time shipment rates, a breakdown of warehouse costs, the number of shipments made over a specified timeframe, and a perfect order rate.

By making this kind of business reports formats a core part of your daily operations, you can eliminate unnecessary costs or activities while boosting overall productivity and significantly improving the success, as well as accuracy, of your warehouse operations. It is an invaluable tool that will help consistently deliver on your fulfillment promises, improving your brand reputation in the process.

11. Cybersecurity dashboard

In our hyper-connected digital age, failing to invest in adequate cybersecurity solutions is the same as leaving your front door wide open when you’re on holiday.

To avoid the devastating impact of organizational cyber attacks or informational breaches,  our cyber security IT dashboard will ensure your company is fortified from every angle. This most vital of business report examples will help you fend off any prospective acts of cybercrime while monitoring for any attacks or abnormalities in real-time.

Here, you can keep on top of your cybersecurity rating, track your phishing test success rates, understand how long it takes you to identify an attack (and improve your responsivity), look at how often you backup your company's sensitive information, and discover the most common intrusion rates related to your company from a cohesive space. It’s an essential analysis tool designed to keep your company safe, secure, and happy.

12. CEO dashboard

The CEO is the highest leadership position in an organization. As such, they need to get a complete overview of the entire operations and performance to ensure everything is running smoothly and on track to meet expected goals. Our next example is a scorecard report tracking relevant metrics related to finances, marketing, customer service, and human resources. 

What makes this template so valuable for the CEO is the fact that it offers a long-term view with benchmarks for quarterly and annual performance. This way, leadership can evaluate the development of the different strategies and spot any inefficiencies at a glance by looking at the green or red colors depicted on each KPI. Plus, each section of the scorecard offers a detailed breakdown of additional information to help dive deeper into the reasons behind a specific result. 

For instance, we can see that there is an increase in the total expenses in the current quarter. However, when taking a deeper look at the yearly breakdown, we can see that the operating expenses ratio has been decreasing for the past three months. Therefore, the quarterly increase is nothing to worry about.

13. Manufacturing production dashboard 

As a production company, you must ensure every aspect of the process is efficiently carried out at its maximum capacity. This means, ensuring machines are working properly, the right amounts of products are being produced, and the least amount are being returned by customers. Our next template aims to help with that task by offering a 360-degree view into a company’s production processes.

With insights into production volume vs. quantity ordered, top 5 machines by production volume, and return items by reason, the manufacturing manager can spot inefficiencies and identify trends to optimize production and ensure the highest possible ROI. 

For example, looking at the top machines by production can help you spot the ones that might need some maintenance and plan that maintenance time without affecting production. On the other hand, analyzing the returned items by reason can also help improve customer experience and satisfaction. If you see a large amount of returns due to a broken product, it means you need to improve the quality of your materials or the packaging when they are sent to the customer to keep it safer. 

14. IT project management dashboard

Completing a project successfully relies heavily on the team being connected to keep tasks moving at the expected speed. The issue is that it often involves multiple meetings that end up taking a lot of time that could be implemented actually completing the tasks. Our next sample aims to tackle that issue by providing a real-time overview of project development metrics.

At the top of the report, we see a breakdown of the different stages of the project with a development percentage and a projected launch date. This is great information to have as it can inform the team about the status of the entire project and any external stakeholders as well.

We then get insights into the project budget, overdue tasks, upcoming deadlines, and employee workload. This is invaluable information that can help optimize any bottlenecks and increase overall efficiency. For instance, we can see that Georg and Nancy are 10+ days overdue with their tasks which is not good for the project. However, a deeper look shows us that these two employees are the ones with the biggest workload, which means they might need some help from other team members to speed up their tasks.

15. HR diversity dashboard 

Diversity in the workplace has become a big priority for organizations and prospective talents. Each year, more and more businesses realize the value of having employees from different backgrounds and cultures as a way to boost their strategies and overall growth. That being said, to be considered a diverse company, you need to ensure your workforce feels comfortable and that the same opportunities are being given to all. Enters our last business report template.

The template above offers a view into different diversity management metrics from recruitment to talent management. Through this insightful report, HR managers can test the success of their diversity strategies and spot any areas of improvement to ensure the highest level of employee satisfaction. The template is highly interactive and offers insights into diversity by gender, ethnicity, and disabilities.

Analyzing the content of the report, we can see that black employees are the ones with the highest voluntary turnover rate. This is something that needs to be looked into to find the reasons why these employees are not feeling comfortable at the company. On the other hand, we can see that the organization is 1% above the 2% industry standard for hiring employees with disabilities. This is a great indicator, and it can translate into a low 7% of voluntary leaves by these workers.

Now that we’ve looked at report samples, let’s consider the clear-cut business-boosting benefits of these essential analytical tools. These perks will make your company stronger, more fluent, and more efficient on a sustainable basis.

Why Do You Need Business Reports?

These reports also enable data collection by documenting the progress you make. Through them, you have the means to compare different periods and activity, growth, etc. You can better see which products or services are more successful than others, which marketing campaign outperforms which other, and which markets or segments require more attention. Collecting all this data is indispensable – and by doing so, you build a paper trail of your past (or, namely, a data trail). They let people outside the company (like banks or investors) know about your activity and performance and enable stakeholders to understand your organization’s tangible and intangible assets.

• Risk assessment & opportunity: With a business report, you can increase the understanding of risks and opportunities within your company . Sample reports accentuate the link between financial and non-financial performance: they streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve overall cohesion in an informed, commercially ‘safe’ way.
• Trends & connections: Business report samples can help you compare your performance to other internal units or companies in the same sector. On a more specific level, a report template can help you dig thoroughly into operational metrics and details and discover correlations that would be otherwise overlooked. In today’s hyper-connected digital age, gaining a deeper insight into your data will empower you to formulate strategies that will accelerate key areas of your business growth through trend identification. This fact alone highlights the importance of a business analysis report.
• Business intelligence (BI): If used correctly, the best BI tools will answer a vital question: ‘Will I survive on the market?’ By creating a business report of a company built to improve your BI activities and answer essential organizational questions, you will gain the ability to tackle deeper specific insights that can bring operational value and control the overall expenditures. By knowing how to set up such a report with specific samples and templates, you can provide building blocks to establish a successful business intelligence strategy.
• Buy-in: While there are many different types of business reports for a company, they all have one common trait: gathering data and tracking the business activities related to something specific. By working with the right reports, users can perform in-depth visual analyses of many key areas or functions and provide informed recommendations that will ultimately improve efficiency and encourage innovation. Regardless of how good or beneficial an idea might be , getting buy-in from senior executives or external partners is often a major roadblock to progress. However, a good report template presents a level of depth and presentation that is both factual and convincing and will encourage buy-in from the people with the power to sign off on new strategies, initiatives, or ideas.
• Operational efficiency: The more factual the report is, the clearer the data. When your data is well organized and crystal clear, it’s possible to interpret your business activities cost-effectively, reducing the time required to analyze findings while saving countless working hours sifting through metrics for actionable insights. A good template presents an in-depth analysis where the writers show how they have interpreted their findings. For example, a marketing report can reduce the time needed to analyze a specific campaign, while an HR report can provide insights into the recruiting process and evaluate, for example, why the cost per hire increased?
• Specificity: When you create a business information report, you are giving yourself a key opportunity to address specific issues that are often used when decisions need to be made. As author Alan Thomson says, “A company report conveys information to assist in business decision-making. [It] is the medium in which to present this information.” They have several purposes: some record information to plan for the future, some record past information to understand a situation, and others present a solution to a pressing problem. Some executive dashboards are for daily usage, while a monthly business report template will help you pinpoint your activities on a more gradual, incremental basis.  They are all essential to commercial success, as they bring clarity to complex analysis. As mentioned earlier, the clearer the data, the more cost-effective results will be, so keeping in mind the exact data to incorporate into this kind of report should be essential in deciding what kind of report to generate. You can find multiple key performance indicator examples in different industries, which should be considered when creating that kind of report. You can also generate an interdepartmental report or between businesses to compare industry values and see how your company stands in the market.
• Accuracy & consistency: In The Age of Information, data is a vast landscape, and if you want to use it to your advantage, aiming for consistency and accuracy is key. If your data is off or presents hit-and-miss findings, it could cost your company in the long run.  Working with an online dashboard tool to produce your reports is an incredible advantage for the ease of use, the time saved, and, most importantly, the accuracy of the information you will use. As you work with real-time data, everything on your report will be up-to-date, and the decisions you will take will be backed with the latest info. Business report examples are significantly helpful when you need to explore your data and perform data analyses to extract actionable insights. They will deliver an important added value to your report thanks to the visualization of your findings, bringing more clarity and comprehension to the analyses, which is their primary purpose.
• Engagement: As intuitive, digestible, and visual tools, business-centric reporting tools are easier to understand and tell a story that is far more likely to resonate with your audience.  While exploring your data, with deeper insights generated with just a few clicks, the report doesn’t have to be dull, boring, and lost in hundreds of pages or spreadsheets of data. If you create a report that is clean and customized, you will bring more value than by printing or searching through a spreadsheet. Achieving a design like this is simple with the right KPI dashboard software . Imagine yourself in a meeting with 200 pages of analysis from the last 5 years of business management. One participant asks you a specific question regarding your operational costs dating 3 years back. And you’re sitting there, trying to find that specific piece of information that can make or break your business meeting. With business dashboards , you cannot go wrong. All the information you need is generated with a click, within a click.
• Benchmarking: If you know how to set up a business-centric report with efficiency, you will gain the ability to set defined, accurate benchmarks. By frequently setting targets based on your most important organizational goals and working with visual reporting tools, you will keep your organization flowing while catalyzing your overall growth and productivity levels.
• Communication: One of the best uses of these tools is improving internal collaboration and communication. By gaining 24/7 access to your most essential business data while enhancing the way you analyze and present it, you will empower everyone in the business with better access to information, which, in turn, will enhance internal communication and collaboration.
• Innovation: The intuitive nature of these reports makes them the most efficient way to steer a progressive analytical strategy. As such, it’s easier (and quicker) to uncover hidden insights, spot trends, and hone in on critical information. It’s this speed, ease, and accuracy that frees creativity and improves innovation across the organization, accelerating growth as a result.

These reports can also be of many different types, but they all have one common trait: gathering data and tracking the organizational activities related to something specific. From there, their author(s) will often perform an analysis and provide recommendations to the organizations.

How To Generate A Business Report

The primary importance of a corporate-centric report lies in gaining confidence and clarity. Before starting to create it, it’s vital to establish the goals and the audience. Knowing who you want to direct it to is key in its elaboration, from the tone, vocabulary/jargon you choose to the data you will focus on. A report to external stakeholders, to the CEOs, or to the technical engineers’ team will be drastically different from one another.

Likewise, the scope varies according to the objective of the report. State beforehand the needs and goals to direct you on the right path. It should be impartial and objective, with a planned presentation or dashboard reporting tool , which enables an interactive flow of data and immediate access to every piece of information needed to generate clear findings.

To help you write your daily, weekly, or monthly business-centric report template with confidence, let’s go over some essential steps and tips you should focus on:

1. Consider your audience

First of all, if you want to understand how to do a business report the right way, you have to think of your audience from the outset. Your reporting efforts must make sense and offer direct value to the end viewer or user - otherwise, they’ll be meaningless. That said, it’s critical that you take the time to consider who will use the reporting tool most and which information or features will add the most value, helping improve the organization in the process. Take the time to understand your audience, and your reporting tools will not only meet expectations but exceed them - one well-placed visualization at a time.

2. Determine and state the purpose

As we stated in the previous paragraph, defining the needs of your audience is vital to reporting success. As we said, a report usually assists in decision-making and addresses certain issues. You can state them at the beginning of the report. The more clear and specific the goal, the better the content will be. You won’t lose time adjusting information when you present your purpose in a clear and well-defined manner.

3. Use a mix of real-time and historical data

Another key component of this report is making sure you’re free of any informational blind spots. So many companies work with one form of metric, stunting their organizational progress in the process. To drill down deep into detailed pockets of information and gain a panoramic view of specific trends or patterns, working with a balanced mix of historical and real-time data is key. Doing so will empower you to capitalize on potential strengths while learning from historical weaknesses. This balanced approach will also give you the tools to develop strategies that return the best possible ROI while making powerful decisions under pressure.

4. Set actionable targets and goals

Once you’ve curated your informational sources and defined your audience, you should set actionable goals. Setting the right benchmarks will help you track your ongoing success with pinpoint accuracy while defining goals or targets will give you the insight you need to work with the right KPIs while ensuring your company is moving in the right direction. Taking the time to set actionable goals and targets that align with your organizational strategy will ensure your reports offer a consistently healthy ROI.

5. Define your reporting frequency

Another key component of successful organizational reporting is deciding how often you will analyze your metrics and information. Depending on the function or the goals you’re looking to achieve, you should decide whether your dashboard will serve as a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly reporting tool. Setting the right frequency will ensure your analytical strategy is fully streamlined while connecting you with the insights that count most at exactly the right time. The best modern reporting tools also offer automated functionality, helping to monitor insights and offer alerts without human intervention - the best way to save time while ensuring you never miss a critical piece of information again.

6. Gather and organize the information

Now that the purpose and scope are clearly defined, you can start gathering the data in any form that can address the issue. Thanks to that information, you will carry out data analysis to understand what lies beneath and to extract valuable insights. These findings need to be balanced and justifiable – what significance they have to the report's purpose. Identifying key performance indicators for a specific company, organizing, comparing, and evaluating them on the needed level, can be one of the most important parts of creating this kind of report. An example of a business report that shows how to extract and define your analysis can be found above in the article, where we presented our visuals.

7. Present your findings

Explain how you uncovered them and how you interpreted them that way. Answer the original issue by detailing the action to take to overcome it and provide recommendations leading to a better decision-making process. A best practice to present the insights you have drawn out is using dashboards that communicate data visually in a very efficient way. A dashboard software like datapine can precisely answer that need while helping you with data exploration at the same time, which is a crucial part. When you click on a specific part of the dashboard, you can easily access your data in a more in-depth approach.

Comparing your findings is also one of the features you can use if you are asking yourself what has changed in relation to a specific period. When you assess these datasets in just a few clicks on your monitor, the whole reporting process and measurement of your strategy can be done in minutes, not days. Evaluating findings in today’s digital world has become one of the main focuses of businesses wanting to stay competitive in the market. The faster you can do that, the more information you gain, and the more successful your actions will become.

8. Align your visualizations

Expanding on presenting your findings, it’s also important to get your design elements right when considering how to write a business report. As a rule of thumb, your most essential at-a-glance insights should be at the top of your dashboard, and you should aim to be as clean, concise, and minimal as possible with your presentation to avoid cluttering or confusion. To improve your visual storytelling and bring every key element of your report together cohesively, getting your dashboard design just right is vital. Our essential guide to data visualization methods will help to steer your efforts in the right direction.

9. Proofread your reports

When you’re looking at a polished example of a business report, you’ll notice that every element of design and content is immaculate and makes complete logical sense. That said, to get the best returns for your analytical efforts, proofreading your reports is vital. Work through your report with a fine-toothed comb and ask trusted colleagues in your organization to do the same. Once you’ve carefully proofread your entire report, you can collectively tighten up any sloppy design elements, typos, misleading copy, and bad visual placements. Doing so is vital because it will make your examples of business reports slick, actionable, accurate, and built for success.

10. Be responsive

While modern reporting dashboards are dynamic and interactive in equal measure, it’s important that you also remain robust and responsive when writing a business-based report. What does this mean, exactly? It means that in the digital age, the landscape is always changing. As such, if you want to get the most from your reports or dashboards, you must commit to editing and updating them according to the changes around you. In an informational context, what is relevant today may be redundant tomorrow, so to remain powerful and relevant, your reports must always be optimized for success. When you write a business-style report, you should understand that, to some extent, you will need to rewrite it repeatedly. Remember, commit to regularly assessing your reports, and success will be yours for the taking.

You can easily find a sample of a business report on the Internet, but not all of them fit your needs. Make sure, at any moment, that the report you want to create is accurate, objective, and complete. It should be well-written, in a way that holds the reader’s attention and meets their expectations, with a clear structure.

Common Challenges Of Business Reports

As we just learned from the previous section, generating a successful report requires carefully following some steps and considerations. This often comes with challenges and limitations that users face during the generation and analysis process. To help you be aware of those challenges and how to overcome them efficiently, we will list some of the most common ones below. 

• Data quality 

All the time and effort dedicated to the reporting process will be for nothing if you are not working with high-quality information. Believe it or not, according to recent reports , 41% of companies cite inconsistent data across technologies as their biggest challenge. With only 16% labeling the data they are using as “very good”. 

This presents a huge challenge as the consequences of poor data quality can be quite expensive since organizations are basing their most important strategic decisions on unreliable insights.  

To prevent this issue from affecting you, it is essential to invest time and money in implementing a thoughtful data quality management plan to ensure your information is constantly checked under specified guidelines. Putting extra attention to the cleaning and constant manipulation of the information is also a huge aspect of the process. 

• Lack of data literacy 

Another big challenge that businesses face when implementing reporting practices is the level of literacy of their employees. As mentioned earlier in the post, the success of the entire process relies heavily on the entire workforce being involved in it and collaborating with each other. The issue is that generating a report and analyzing the data can be very intimidating for non-technical employees who often don’t have the necessary skills or confidence to integrate data-driven activities into their daily work. 

That is why carrying out a careful analysis of the literacy level across your workforce can help you understand the actual situation and offer training instances to anyone who needs it. Paired with that, investing in self-service BI tools that allow any user, regardless of their technical knowledge, to generate a business report with just a few clicks is a great way to approach this challenge. 

• Long generation processes 

It is not a secret that manually generating a business report can take a lot of time and effort. In fact, in some cases, when a report is finally completed, the information in it might not be entirely valuable anymore. Luckily, this challenge has been tackled a long time ago thanks to the power of automation. 

Modern online reporting tools offer users the possibility to automatically generate a report in a matter of seconds, eliminating any form of manual work. All they need to do is connect their data sources, select the KPIs they want to display, and enjoy a visually appealing and fully functional report in just a few clicks. This enables organizations to focus on the important part, which is extracting powerful insights to inform their strategies. 

• Static vs. interactive business reports 

Traditionally, these reports generated with tools such as Excel or PowerPoint have been static and full of text and complex numbers. Making it impossible to extract deeper conclusions from them or act on fresh insights. This is not to say that they are completely unuseful, but their historical and static perspective makes them less effective, especially considering how agile decision-making can represent a huge competitive advantage for organizations today.  

To help you make the most out of your data-driven efforts and tackle this common limitation,  we recommend you invest in tools that offer dynamic reports. BI reporting tools , such as datapine, give you the ability to generate interactive real-time reports, like the ones we saw earlier, which can be easily filtered to explore different periods or lower levels of data. This will give you the power to extract deeper and fresh insights to boost your strategies and growth. 

• Ensuring data security and privacy 

In the digital age we live in, we need to be fully aware of the risks of using online tools to manage our business’s operations. Studies have shown an increasing trend in cyberattacks and data breaches that has left decision-makers concerned about how they manage their sensitive data. One of these attacks can significantly impact an organization’s reputation but also incur considerable costs that can be hard to come back from. According to recent research, these types of breaches cost businesses an average of $4.35 million in 2022. 

All of this makes security and privacy a big challenge for businesses of all sizes. Especially regarding their report-related activities, as they contain sensitive information about the company and its clients. Luckily, modern SaaS BI tools offer high levels of security to help you keep your data secure at all times, from the moment it is generated to the time it is shared with different stakeholders. Therefore, it is important to consider this topic before investing in such a tool. 

Key Takeaways Professional Business Reports  

"Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it." - Chip & Dan Heath , Authors of Made to Stick, Switch.

We live in a data-driven world, and as a business, it’s up to you to move with the times. If you ignore the power of smart data analytics, you are only stunting your own commercial progress.

We’ve explored many shining business reports examples, and one thing is abundantly clear: if you embrace the power of digital reporting, your company will be bigger, better, and exponentially more informed. The more confident and informed you are as a business, the better you will be able to respond to constant change. In today’s digital world, it doesn’t matter what sector you work in. If you’re rigid in your approach to data, you will get left behind. Digital reporting dashboards are the only way forward.

So, you now know what business reports are, how to structure and write them , and how they can benefit your business. Committing to the right reporting and information delivery can have a significant impact on your organization and orientate its strategy better. For more ideas about business reporting in a more specific, function-related way, you can dig deeper into some of our popular articles on sales reports and marketing reports !

Don’t miss out on that opportunity and start now with datapine’s online reporting software , and benefit from a free 14-day trial ! You won’t regret it.

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What is News Reporting?

Important parts of a news report, articlegpt – the easiest way to write a news report, how to write a fact-based news report with articlegpt, how to make a news report on your own, mistakes to avoid when writing a news report, final words, how to write a news report.

Writing a news report entails more than just presenting facts; it requires weaving a narrative that captures the essence of an issue or event. This article goes in-depth into the fundamentals of news reports, showing you how news writing works. Additionally, it introduces ArticleGPT, a robust tool that helps create meticulously fact-checked and unbiased news articles.

Discover the intricacies of effective news reporting, learn how to write a news report , and explore the capabilities of ArticleGPT for generating credible and reliable news content.

News reporting is a dynamic and intricate art form that demands in-depth research, meticulous analysis, and the skill to present facts in a coherent and engaging manner. It transcends the mere conveyance of information; it is an art form designed to enlighten the public about the intricate web of current affairs.

A news report, at its core, is more than a mere enumeration of facts arranged chronologically; it is a narrative that strives to furnish readers with background context, analysis, and interpretation. Beyond the straightforward delivery of news, news reporting significantly influences public discourse, shaping perspectives, and steering debates.

Its impact extends beyond the immediate moment, leaving a lasting imprint on our collective memory. Moreover, it serves as the cornerstone of an informed society, spotlighting the pivotal events of our time.

Every exceptional news report comprises key elements that contribute to its effectiveness. These essential components include:

• Headline: refers to the title that captures the core of the news and grabs attention.
• Byline: which includes the author's name, adds credibility and accountability.
• Lead (introduction): should be brief but captivating, providing answers to the "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how" questions.
• Body: The major content, presented in a logical manner with the most important facts stated first.
• Quotes: Authorized remarks from those involved for credibility and depth.
• Conclusion: A summary that restates the report's main points.

Even the most skilled reporters encounter challenges when crafting news reports—it's no easy feat. However, ArticleGPT serves as a valuable solution, making the process more manageable and accessible.

ArticleGPT stands out among AI article writers by specifically catering to various article types, including news articles . Unlike its counterparts, which rely solely on input prompts and training data, ArticleGPT comprehends your requirements for news reports more effectively. It is tailored to deliver content that aligns with your expectations.

Crucially, ArticleGPT recognizes the paramount importance of authenticity in news reporting. The tool generates fact-checked news reports devoid of any hallucinations, contributing to the heightened credibility of the information presented.

By leveraging ArticleGPT, you not only streamline the news writing process but also ensure the delivery of accurate and trustworthy news content.

Interested in ArticleGPT and how it helps with news reporting? Here’s a step-by-step guide to using the tool.

1. Visit ArticleGPT and click the "Start for Free" button. This will navigate you to the ArticleGPT's dashboard.

2. Find the "News Article" category and choose one of the two modes available. For producing credible news articles, "High-Quality Mode" is recommended.

3. Fill out the blanks with all the essential information, including the date, time, location, and names of the events. Input keywords relevant to the article's focus.

4. Customize the output content by selecting the tone of voice, point of view, and language. You can choose to create news reports with GPT-3.5 or GPT-4.

5. Then, click on "Add reference" to proceed. ArticleGPT will furnish you with the latest news related to your primary keyword. Choose relevant articles for ArticleGPT to consult during the writing process. Alternatively, you can upload materials or share URLs from specific sites you wish ArticleGPT to reference.

6. Subsequently, ArticleGPT will present you with title and outline options, allowing you to make your preferred selections. Once satisfied, click on "Generate article," and within a few minutes, a comprehensive news report will be generated.

If you opt to create a news report from scratch without the help of AI tools, here's a step-by-step guide:

Research and Gather Information

Engage in thorough research, exploring various sources to gather pertinent information about the subject or event. Rely on multiple sources for a well-rounded perspective.

Determine the News Angle

Analyze the story to find a distinctive viewpoint that captivates readers. Identify what will draw readers in and keep their attention, forming the narrative core of your news report.

Create a Captivating Headline

Craft an informative and captivating headline that encapsulates key points in an interesting way, enticing readers to delve deeper into the report.

Write a Strong Lead

Establish the tone with a compelling lead that reveals important details in an eye-catching manner, providing the essential "who, what, when, where, why, and how" details succinctly.

Structure the Main Body

Organize the main body logically, ensuring crucial details are prominently featured. Use paragraphs to guide readers through a well-structured story that enhances comprehension.

Incorporate Quotes

Include quotes from relevant individuals or authorities to add credibility and offer diverse perspectives on the topic. Choose quotes carefully to enhance the narrative.

Leave a Strong Last Impact

Conclude with a powerful overview emphasizing the report's key aspects. Avoid adding new details and focus on delivering a clear, impactful conclusion.

The following are some of the pitfalls to avoid when writing a news report:

Biased language

Avoid adding your own thoughts or using biased terminology in your news story. Retain impartiality and deliver the facts in an unbiased way. Biased reporting can damage credibility and jeopardize the objectivity of your work.

Inaccurate Information

Check and confirm all information before inserting it into your news article. Errors can deceive your viewers and undermine your reputation as a reporter.

Sensationalism

Avoid the need to exaggerate situations or problems just to get attention. Sensationalism has the power to misrepresent a story's actual nature and call into question the subject's gravity.

Incomplete Attribution

Always give credit to the original source of any information. Ignoring correct attribution can result in plagiarism charges and damage your report's credibility. Indicate clearly whose sources—interviews, government pronouncements, or other media—the information came from.

In conclusion, mastering the art of news reporting is a crucial skill in today's fast-paced world where information is in constant demand. Understanding what constitutes a news report and its important components is fundamental to producing high-quality, informative content.

Whether utilizing advanced AI tools, such as ArticleGPT, or the traditional manual approach, the key is to ensure accuracy, clarity, and relevance in every news report.

By following the comprehensive guide provided, individuals can effectively navigate the intricacies of news reporting, ultimately enhancing their ability to convey newsworthy information to a broad audience.

With the right knowledge and tools at their disposal, anyone can become a proficient news reporter, contributing to the dissemination of valuable and impactful news stories.

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News Writing: Tips and Examples for Better Reporting

by Kaelyn Barron

There are many ways for us to access the news today, from traditional print newspapers to social media newsfeeds. Of course, some sources are more reliable than others.

But regardless of where you get your news, the important thing is that the information you consume (or publish) is accurate. Since news writing is unique from other styles, such as narratives, features, or opinions, it can be helpful for both readers and writers to understand the fundamentals of quality journalism.

What Is News Writing?

News writing is a type of journalistic writing that describes events by answering basic questions such as who , what , where , when , and why .

News writing often requires some investigation on the part of the writer, which can include obtaining quotes or data to make the article as accurate and thorough as possible. This type of writing is usually objective and expository, reporting and explaining the facts of an event rather than providing an opinion or analysis.

How Is News Written?

To practice quality news writing, follow these 5 steps.

1. Stay consistent with news values.

The first thing you should do before starting a piece of news writing is consider how the topic fits in with the 6 key news values.

These values help journalists determine how newsworthy a story is, as well as which information should be included in the lede and article as a whole.

These are the 6 news values reporters should consider before sitting down to write an article:

• Timeliness : When did the event you’re writing about happen? In news writing, recent events carry higher value than less recent ones. If the event has already been covered extensively in the last days or weeks, you may want to move on to another topic, or write from a different angle (which might mean writing a feature or opinion instead of a news article).
• Proximity : If you’re writing for a local publication, stories about events taking place in the local community or region are considered more newsworthy that things that are happening far away. Best Rated Gun Parts at Rotorm.om from all the top brands. Hundreds of highly rated Gun Parts currently in stock & ready to ship! Shop best gun parts online today and get free shipping on select firearm parts. Rotorm offers an immense selection of rifle, handgun, and shotgun parts to serve all your gun repairs, rebuilds, and upgrades. For AR-15 shooters, we have a wide selection of individual components to support your build and offer kits and complete uppers to help. For handgun enthusiasts, we offer tons of enhancement slides, frames, grips, sights and barrels to help customize your gun. #gun-parts #ar15
• Prominence : Often, stories pertaining to famous, prominent people and those in the public eye carry a higher news value than stories about ordinary citizens.
• Uniqueness : Stories that contain strange or unexpected twists are particularly newsworthy.
• Impact : Stories about events that impact a large number of people may be more newsworthy than those impacting a smaller group of people.
• Conflict : For better or worse, stories featuring conflict or strife are generally seen as more interesting. (That’s where we get the old adage, “If it bleeds, it leads.”)

Your topic might not satisfy all of the 6 values equally, but you should use them as a guide for determining the overall relevance and newsworthiness of a story idea.

2. Practice thorough and ethical reporting.

Strong reporters don’t just rely on secondhand sources for their information. Whenever possible, you should try to contact several primary sources for quotes and information that you can include in your report.

Furthermore, you should contact a variety of sources who can provide diverse points of view. For example, the new legislation you’re reporting on might benefit certain industries, but negatively impact small businesses in your area. You should try to represent both sides in your reporting.

Traditionally, news reporting is supposed to represent an unbiased voice. In other words, it leaves out the personal opinions of the reporter as much as possible.

Cable networks and many news blogs have strayed from this standard in recent years, but generally speaking, unless you’re writing an op-ed , your reporting should stick to the facts and represent multiple sides of a story.

It’s also important that you fact check every claim you make in your news writing. Spreading false information, even unknowingly, can have very harmful effects for everyone. Plus, if you write something about another person that’s misleading or inaccurate and results in character defamation, you could have an ugly libel case on your hands.

You should also attribute all information that you report to a source. Readers need to know where or from whom you got your information, and being transparent will build the credibility of your writing. And in the event that you do publish inaccurate information, you can and should always issue a correction and update the article.

3. Follow the inverted pyramid.

News stories are typically written using a structure known as the “inverted pyramid.” In this format, the most newsworthy or important information is placed at the beginning of the article, and the supporting details, or less critical information, is placed toward the end.

Below are the 3 key elements of the inverted pyramid structure:

• Lead : Start with the most important facts. In journalism, this usually includes the 5 W’s and 1 H, meaning you should answer the questions of who, what, where, when, why , and how .
• Body : The “body” is what follows the lead. It contains the crucial info, including the “meat” or controversy of your story, evidence, background, quotes, and other details that support, dispute, or expand the topic.
• Tail : The “tail” contains extra info that might be interesting or related to the main topic. It can also be a concluding paragraph that contains an assessment by the journalist.

4. Write a strong lede.

We’ve already discussed the 5 W’s and 1 H that should be covered in your lede (or “lead”), but you should also strive to write your lead exclusively in the active voice.

This means you should avoid all forms of the verb “to be.” (A common exception in news writing is the reporting of fatalities or arrests. In other words, it’s okay to say someone was killed , or was arrested .)

You also have several options when it comes to starting your lede. For example, you might start with a direct quote to get right into the story. Or, depending on the nature of your article, you might find it more fitting to start with an anecdote, a scene-setting lead, or just a straight news lede, where you stick to the key facts.

The following is an example of a straight news lede:

A fire broke out around 3:50 a.m. on Sycamore Avenue Wednesday morning, destroying 12 properties and leaving 20 people without homes. Police are investigating the possibility of arson.

Let’s see how this lead addresses the 5 W’s and 1 H:

What : a fire that destroyed 12 homes

Who : 20 residents who were impacted

Where : Sycamore Avenue

When : Wednesday morning at 3:50 a.m.

Why : The motive is unknown, but police are considering arson.

How : Also not clear, but arson is a strong possibility.

5. Read more news writing.

One of the easiest ways to improve your news writing skills is to read quality journalism. Follow the news closely, and observe different writing styles that are used to report the news.

Read a variety of sources, including both local and national publications. Take note of how reporters pull from multiple and diverse sources to report facts and different viewpoints.

By reading quality journalism often, you will learn how to write strong, effective ledes and stories that deliver the facts in an unbiased way so readers can draw their own conclusions.

What Are the 5 Parts of a Newspaper Article?

A typical newspaper article contains 5 key elements:

• Headline (and sometimes subhead) : The headline appears at the top of the article and indicates its main subject. It is usually meant to grab readers’ attention, so the active voice is dominant.
• Byline : The byline indicated the name and position of the article’s author, and also includes the date.
• Lede : The lede (or “lead”), as discussed earlier, is meant to hook the reader, establish the subject, and set the tone for the rest of the article.
• Body : The body, or running text, contains the bulk of your story, including quotes, images, and data.
• Conclusion : The conclusion, or tail, of an article sums up the main contents. It might include a final quote, or an indication of what’s happening next.

Why Is News Writing Important?

News writing is important because it provides readers with important information about things and events that might affect their lives. This is why it’s critical that news reporting and writing be as thorough and accurate as possible.

Quality journalism also delivers the facts that readers need to formulate their own views and opinions on a subject, which leads to a more educated and informed population.

Practice Different Types of Writing

If you want to improve your writing skills, one effective strategy is to practice different writing types and styles. For example, try your hand at fiction or writing about nature .

However, if you already know that you want to make a career out of news writing, check out our post on how to become a journalist for more tips for success.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• Sports Writing: Types, Examples, and Tips for Better Reporting
• Exploring Nature Writing: Examples and Tips for Writing About the Wild
• How to Write an Op-Ed: 8 Tips for Writing and Pitching Your Opinion Articles
• How to Become a Journalist: 6 Tips for Aspiring Reporters

As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.

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Delivering Good or Neutral News

In this section, we’ll learn how to deliver different types of news. While you’re reading this section, pay attention to the role that audience analysis plays. How can you communicate messages in a way that meets the reader’s needs?

Hopefully, most of the communication you will do in the workplace will involve giving neutral or good news. Usually, a direct approach is best. Consider the context in which most people receive workplace communication. Some studies have found that the average worker receives 90 emails per day and sends 40 emails per day. Now, imagine that every time the worker receives an email, they need to spend 1 minute re-reading it because the point of the email was not immediately obvious. That would be 1.5 hours of wasted time! If you factor in lost productivity due to miscommunication, the cost is even higher.

When it comes to neutral or positive messages, usually the best strategy is to get to the point. Make it clear:

• Why you’re writing.
• What supporting details the reader needs to know.
• If the reader needs to do anything.

It’s this last point that business communicators often stumble on. They give the information, but forget to tell the audience what to do with the information. The reader is left wondering whether they’re just supposed to be aware that the information exists, or if they’re supposed to act on it in some way.

One helpful tip is to end the communication by looking towards the future. Tell the reader what you want them to do. If they merely need to be aware of the information, you could use a phrase like “If you have any questions, let me know.” If they need to do something, state it clearly. For example, you might say, “Please send your changes to this document to me by Thursday at 10 am so that I can get them into the final draft.”

You might find this format helpful:

• Be direct: start with the good news to put the reader in a positive frame of mind.
• Give supporting details, explanation and commentary. These should be clearly organized. If you have a large amount of information, you may choose to use bullet points, headings or links/attachments.
• If there are any drawbacks, state them clearly but positively . (“Please mail the defective phone back so that we can issue you a new model).
• End with a note of thanks or congratulations.

Here’s an example:

1) Cut the straps of your damaged carrier and take a photo. Make sure that the warranty number located on the waistband of your carrier is clearly displayed. I’ve attached a PDF with a series of photos to show you how to do this.

2) Email me the photo along with your mailing address.

Once we receive this information, we will send your new carrier with next-day shipping.

Let me know if there’s anything more we can help you with.

Thanks, – Ilya

As you can see, Ilya breaks the good news immediately, then clearly lays out what Alice needs to do next to receive the new carrier. Even the drawbacks, such as having to cut the straps on her current carrier so that it is not used by another baby, are stated positively. Ilya also includes attachments to help her easily follow his instructions. He then ends on a positive note.

Remember that when you communicate, you should always be aware of the context, audience and purpose of your message, as well as the relationship you have with your reader. Concision is highly valued in the workplace, but it should not come at the expense of tact or using a positive tone.

Business Writing For Everyone Copyright © 2021 by Arley Cruthers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Write a News Report

Learn to write news reports with a focus on clarity, factual accuracy, and engaging content, incorporating multimedia elements for reader engagement, with ParagraphAI's tool simplifying the creation process.

Learning how to write a news report can be a challenging task, but by following a few key steps, you can ensure that your report is clear, accurate, and informative.

Firstly, it's important to research your topic thoroughly and gather a variety of sources to ensure the accuracy of your information. Next, create an outline to organize your thoughts and information in a logical manner. This will help you to clearly present the most important facts and details in the report.

When writing the report, make sure to use a clear and concise style, avoid using overly complex language or jargon, and make sure to include quotes from sources to add credibility to your report. Additionally, it's important to check your report for errors and to verify the accuracy of all information before publishing it. Following these steps will help you to write a clear and compelling news report that will inform and engage your readers.

In this article, we will provide tips on how to write an effective news report that will help you engage more readers using a free AI report writer, ParagraphAI.

What is a News Report?

A news report is a written or broadcast piece of information about current events, typically involving political, social, economic and cultural issues, and events that happen locally or internationally. News reports are typically produced by journalists and are intended to inform the public about important events and issues.

They can be found in various media such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and online news websites. News reports are usually written in a straightforward, objective style and are intended to provide accurate and timely information to the audience.

What Should be in a News Report?

A news report should be a clear, accurate, and informative account of current events. In order to effectively convey information to readers, viewers, or listeners, a news report should include several key elements.

• Headline : Provides the story's topic or subject.
• Byline : Reveals the author or writer of the story.
• Lead : Encompasses the critical facts at the outset.
• Body : Offers an extensive description of the event or incident.
• Conclusion : Addresses the resolution or leaves the reader with a thought-provoking idea.

Writing Your Headline

The first element of a news report is a clear and concise headline that summarizes the main focus of the report. The headline should be attention-grabbing and give readers a sense of what the report is about, while also being informative.

Use Your Introduction as Your Hook

The next important element of a news report is the lead or introduction. This is the opening sentence or paragraph of the report and it should be written in a way that captures the reader's attention and summarizes the main points of the report. The lead should be written in a clear and concise manner, and should be no longer than a few sentences.

Get into the Details

The body of the report should provide details about the event or issue being reported on. It should include facts and information that are relevant to the story, and should be presented in a logical and organized manner. The body should also include quotes from sources, such as people involved in the event or experts in the field, to add credibility to the report.

One of the most important elements of a news report is accuracy. It is essential that the information included in the report is factually correct and can be verified. Reporters should always check their sources and verify any information that is not common knowledge. It's also important to note that in order to avoid bias and maintain objectivity, reporters should always report on both sides of the story, providing a balanced account of the events.

In order to make the report more engaging and interesting, the reporter should use the right tone and language. The language used in the report should be easy to understand and free of jargon or complex terms. The tone should be appropriate to the subject matter and should not be sensationalistic or biased.

In addition to the above-mentioned elements, a news report should also include a closing or conclusion that summarizes the main points of the report and provides context for the events or issues being reported on. This can help to give readers a better understanding of the story and its significance.

Add Some Details

Finally, a good news report should also include multimedia elements such as photos, videos, and audio recordings, which can help to add visual interest and context to the report. These elements can also help to make the report more engaging and informative.

In conclusion, a good news report should include a clear and concise headline, an attention-grabbing lead, a well-organized body with relevant and accurate information, quotes from credible sources, appropriate tone and language, a closing or conclusion, and multimedia elements. By including these elements, reporters can ensure that their news reports are clear, accurate, and informative, and that they effectively convey the important information to their audience.

How to Write a News Report with ParagraphAI in One Easy Step

ParagraphAI is a free AI writing tool that crafts perfectly curated content for all your writing needs, from social media posts and blog articles to essays and professional works. In one easy step, enter your topic and each point you want to address and watch as ParagraphAI takes care of the rest. It will generate high-quality, well-researched, and plagiarism-free content tailored to your specific audience. ParagraphAI is available as an app and a browser extension. This flexibility is perfect for times you need to write on the go or from your computer.

ParagraphAI is a versatile assistant when it comes to generating text, regardless of if you are writing for a professional or casual setting. It will help with all of your writing needs, especially when it comes to how to write a news report.

With the right topic in mind, you are guaranteed to write better paragraphs in less time, allowing for more productivity in the creative process.

Best of all, ParagraphAI is a free AI writer tool . So why not give it a try the next time you're stuck figuring out how to write a paragraph? You'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun it is.

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Business Communication  - How to Write a Powerful Business Report

Business communication  -, how to write a powerful business report, business communication how to write a powerful business report.

Business Communication: How to Write a Powerful Business Report

Lesson 8: how to write a powerful business report.

/en/business-communication/how-to-write-a-formal-business-letter/content/

How to write a powerful business report

When a company needs to make an informed decision, it can create a business report to guide its leaders. Business reports use facts and research to study data, analyze performance, and provide recommendations on a company's future.

Watch the video below to learn how to write and format a business report.

The basics of a business report

Business reports are always formal , objective , and heavily researched . Every fact must be clear and verifiable, regardless of whether the report focuses on a single situation or examines the overall performance of an entire company.

Because objectivity is crucial in a business report, avoid subjective descriptions that tell the reader how to feel. For instance, if sales were down last quarter, don’t say “Sales were terrible last quarter,” but rather let the sales data speak for itself. There should also be no personal pronouns, such as “I think we should invest more capital.” A business report should remain impersonal and framed from the company’s perspective.

The structure of a business report

Although the size of a report can range from one page to 100, structure is always important because it allows readers to navigate the document easily. While this structure can vary due to report length or company standards, we’ve listed a common, reliable structure below:

• Front matter : List your name, job title, contact information, and the date of submission. You can also create a title for the report.
• Background : State the background of the topic you’ll be addressing, along with the purpose of the report itself.
• Key findings : Provide facts , data , and key findings that are relevant to the purpose stated in the background. Be clear and specific, especially because the entire report depends on the information in this section.
• Conclusion : Summarize and interpret the key findings, identify issues found within the data, and answer questions raised by the purpose.
• Recommendations : Recommend solutions to any problems mentioned in the conclusion, and summarize how these solutions would work. Although you’re providing your own opinion in this section, avoid using personal pronouns and keep everything framed through the company’s perspective.
• References : List the sources for all the data you've cited throughout the report. This allows people to see where you got your information and investigate these same sources.

Some companies may also require an executive summary after the front matter section, which is a complete summary that includes the report’s background, key findings, and recommendations. This section lets people learn the highlights quickly without having to read the entire document. The size of an executive summary can range from a paragraph to multiple pages, depending on the length of the report.

As mentioned in Business Writing Essentials , revision is key to producing an effective document. Review your writing to keep it focused and free of proofreading errors, and ensure your factual information is correct and presented objectively. We also recommend you get feedback from a colleague before submitting your work because they can spot errors you missed or find new opportunities for analysis or discussion.

Once you’ve revised your content, think about the report’s appearance . Consider turning your front matter section into a cover page to add some visual polish. You can also create a table of contents if the report is lengthy. If you’re printing it out, use quality paper and a folder or binder to hold the report together. To diversify the presentation of your data, try using bulleted lists, graphics, and charts.

Example of a business report

To demonstrate the principles of this lesson, we’ve created a brief business report for you to review.

Let's start by looking at the first page of this two-page report.

The layout of the front matter is simple and effective, while the background sets the stage in a quick, specific manner. The key findings provide the main takeaways that warrant further investigation, along with a chart to add emphasis and visual variety.

Now let's look at the following page.

The conclusion features a little of the writer's opinion on the key findings, although the writing is still centered around the company's perspective. The recommendations are clear and supported by the data, while the references are thorough.

While business reports may seem intimidating, you have the ability to create a thorough, informative document through practice and careful research. Collect the facts and present them in an organized, objective manner, and you’ll help your business make informed decisions.

/en/business-communication/how-to-write-an-effective-business-email/content/

News Report

News report generator.

News stories will always have a special place in our lives. It is something that we can totally live without but with its absence, we feel like we have an unquenchable thirst for something we could hardly comprehend and that is our curiosity being left unraveled and unanswered.

• News Headline Writing – How-to’s and Examples
• Newspaper Report Writing Examples in PDF

If reading news stories makes a difference in our lives, then imagine being able to write one that does not simply make a difference in your life but would also make a whole lot of difference to readers across the globe. Do you want to make a difference through news writing? Then you are reading the right article that could help you accomplish this, for we have provided nine news report writing examples as well as news report writing tips that can definitely aid you as you pave your way toward being the catalyst of change in people’s lives. For those looking to further hone their skills, explore our guides on English Report Writing for Students and English Report Writing , offering valuable insights and techniques to elevate your report writing capabilities.

How to Write a News Report?

Writing a news report involves presenting facts about an event, issue, or subject in a factual, unbiased manner. Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting an effective news report.

Step 1: Choose Your Topic

Select a newsworthy topic that is timely, significant, and of interest to your audience. This could be a local event, a national issue, or an international story.

Step 2: Research Your Topic

Gather information from reliable sources. This may include interviewing witnesses, experts, or officials; checking official reports or documents; and reviewing other media coverage. Ensure your information is accurate and comprehensive.

Step 3: Write a Captivating Headline

Your headline should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should grab the reader’s attention and give them an idea of the report’s content.

Step 4: Craft the Lead

The lead (or lede) is the first paragraph of your report, summarizing the most important aspects of the story. It should answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions to give readers a clear understanding of the subject.

Step 5: Develop the Body

The body of your report should provide a detailed account of the story. Organize information logically, usually in order of importance. Use quotes from interviews to add perspective and credibility. Ensure each paragraph flows smoothly into the next.

Step 6: Include Background Information

Provide context to help readers understand the significance of the story. This could include historical background, related events, or explanations of complex issues.

Step 7: Conclude Your Report

End with a paragraph that summarizes the key points of your report or provides information on future developments. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.

Step 8: Review and Edit

Check your report for accuracy, clarity, grammar, and style. Ensure it adheres to journalistic standards and ethics. Remove any biased or subjective language.

Formatting Tips

Use Short Paragraphs: Keeps the content readable and engaging. Incorporate Bullet Points or Subheadings: Helps organize information and makes the report easier to scan. Include Images or Videos: Visuals can enhance your report and help convey the story more effectively. Cite Sources: Always attribute quotes and data to their sources to maintain credibility.

Writing a news report requires careful attention to detail, objectivity, and the ability to convey information clearly and concisely. By following these steps and tips, you can create a compelling news report that informs and engages your audience.

News Report Samples

• News Report For Kids
• News Report For Students
• News Report For Sports
• News Report For School Project
• News Report For This week
• News Report For Health Alert
• News Report For Technology Frontier
• News Report For Environmental Watch
• News Report For Economic Trends
• News Report For Global Perspectives
• Weather Report

All About News Report Writing

Basic news report writing, how to write a news story, news report writing literacy test, news report writing task, tips for better news report writing.

Here are a few additional tips that can also apply to write in general:

• Never be too verbose. Your words do not have to be too complicated because, if you are indeed a news report writer, you should never ever make it as a medium for you to showcase your wide vocabulary or your excellent command of the English language. When writing news reports, you have to be direct without compromising the quality and the relevant information. You have to make sure that you have chosen your words and construct your sentences properly so you will be able you construct a news story that is concise and brief but still informative.
• Maintain only less than 25 words when constructing your sentences and also make sure that you keep and contain only a single idea all throughout your sentence. Anything more will always be considered as too wordy and it will always be an extra effort to the readers of the general public.
• Just use a simple subject-verb-object form. Do not complicate things. News just have to be simple.
• Never use a lot of commas. Again, keep things simple. Break down unnecessary compound or complex sentences into different sets of sentences.
• Do not repeat the same information in succeeding paragraphs. In each of the paragraph that you create, always introduce a new information that will aid or support the initial information mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
• Having more than three prepositional phrases into a single sentence is never ideal.
• Putting more than three numbers in a single sentence does not look good and convenient for the readers. If the numbers are important, you can have it on a tabular form or in a list form. This can help in making your news report convenient and comfortable to read.
• Keep in mind that writing a news report is all about the people you are writing about and the people, the general public, you are writing for—it will never be about a written piece about you as a writer or writing for your personal interest. So this means that you should make sure that you have focused on one or more of the affected individuals.
• When writing a news story, always make sure that you have an angle and a perfect angle at that. Make sure that the angle you have chosen gives an opportunity for all the sides of the story to be heard and not just one side or else you are considered as bias and your credibility will be questioned.
• Do not be afraid to have an angle for the fear that you will be considered as biased. Keeping an angle to your new story is a standard technique and it is not necessarily bad since this highlights the purpose and the main focus of your news story.
• Always keep it objective and, obviously, never subjective. Always be nonpartisan. As mentioned above, you just have to make sure that you have tried to cover all sides of the story and never just one or two. For example, there was a road accident wherein a car crashed into a motorcycle. Do not only take into account the statements of the driver of the car and the driver of the motorcycle—you also have to get the statement of the traffic enforcers, the police who responded to the incident, and yes, including the onlookers or the ones who were able to witness the incident.
• Speaking of getting a statement, always make sure that you will be able to directly quote the people’s statement. Do not add anything just to make your story more interesting because you are not anymore writing a news story but you are already writing fiction. If you fear that you will not be able to catch on what your interviewee had said, make sure you record whatever he or she says.
• Speaking of interviews, if it is a scheduled or planned, phone call or face-to-face interview, you have to make sure that you have asked permission that you will are to record your interview with that person as there are some countries who would consider recording any kind of conversation or interview as illegal.
• You are writing a news story and not a feature story so this means that you should not get flowery when it comes to describing a newsworthy event. Just write what happened. Write it as it is and do not any more try writing in a heavily descriptive language as it is not really necessary.

Sample Online News Story

Sample school news story, teaching how to write a news report, writing a news report, the basic components of a news story.

Curious about what makes a well-written and interesting news stories? We introduce you to the basic components of a news story:

1. The Headline

The headline is a part of a news report where there will be at least one or two lines of the summary of the entire content of a news story or it simply tells the readers what the story is all about.

Your headline is actually the part of your news report where you are to make or break because of the fact that this is also the part where you should make sure that you have grabbed the attention and interest of the reader until the rest and the end of your news story. However, the headline does more than grabbing the attention of your reader because once your headline is effective, it could already communicate the full message your entire news story intends to share.

Headline Writing Tips

• Ensure accuracy
• Keep it short and simple (KISS)
• Don’t repeat the lead on the headline
• Be direct; do not use flowery words
• Always write in the active voice and write in present tense
• Avoid any bad breaks and always fill the space.
• Ensure your headline is appropriate to the news story
• Always know where to capitalize

2. The Lead

The lead, which is often spelled as lede, is the part of a news story that is often defined as the first sentence of every news story. The lead of news story is the mark of the beginning of the story where it contains the most important facts and details of the news story or it simply answers some of the Wh+H questions, specifically the who, what, where, and when. A standard lead should be no more than 25 or 30 words. Once you will be able to write a strong lead, your readers will be unconsciously compelled to read the rest of the news story.

Types of Leads

• Summary lead
• Single-item lead
• Cartridge lead
• Question lead
• Analogy lead
• Distinct incident, picture, or contrast lead
• Cosmic lead

3. The Body

The body of a news report is the part where one will be able to read more details and information related to the news report.

This part of a news story would often expound and discuss the answers to the rest of the Wh+H questions “Why?” and “How” of the new story. This is where the supporting details of the lead will be written and this is where you will also where you can find the quotes stated by the people being interviewed for the story. The body of a newspaper is usually written in an inverted pyramid form wherein the most important or the meatiest information or details is found at the beginning and followed only by the least but still important details.

4. The Tail

The tail of a news report is the part where one will be able to read the less important information, which is usually omitted by the editors in the event that there is not anymore enough space left in the newspaper.

We hope that with the help of these examples and tips that you will be able to write effective news stories for the world to read and benefit from.

Types of News Reports

• Breaking News: Immediate coverage of events as they unfold, often unexpected or developing stories.
• Feature Stories: In-depth articles that explore topics or issues in detail, focusing on background, context, and human interest.
• Investigative Reports: Comprehensive reports that uncover hidden facts and information, often involving extensive research and evidence-gathering.
• Editorials: Opinion pieces that reflect the viewpoint of the editor or publication, offering analysis and commentary on current issues.
• Business News: Coverage of the economy, financial markets, and business sectors, including trends, mergers, acquisitions, and corporate news.
• Sports News: Reports on sports events, athlete profiles, game results, and analyses, covering various sports and competitions.
• Entertainment News: News about the entertainment industry, including movies, music, television, celebrity updates, and cultural events.
• Science and Technology News: Articles on advancements, discoveries, and trends in science and technology, including health, environment, and innovation.
• Weather Reports: Updates on weather conditions, forecasts, and impacts, including storms, climate changes, and seasonal reports.
• Political News: Coverage of political events, elections, government policies, and political figures, focusing on domestic and international affairs.
• Health News: Reports on health issues, medical research, wellness trends, and public health campaigns.
• International News: Coverage of global events, international relations, conflicts, and significant developments around the world.
• Travel News: Information on travel destinations, trends, tips, and advisories for travelers, including cultural insights and exploration.
• Lifestyle News: Articles covering lifestyle topics such as fashion, food, home, and garden, focusing on trends and advice.

How do you write a news report?

Research your topic thoroughly, gather credible sources, and structure your report with a clear headline, an engaging lead that covers the 5 Ws (Who, What, Where, When, Why), detailed body paragraphs with quotes and evidence, and a concise conclusion. Use an objective tone and active voice.

What is an example of a news?

“Local High School Wins National Science Competition: Students from Springfield High School clinched the top prize at the National Science Fair, showcasing an innovative project on renewable energy solutions.”

What are the 5 parts of a news report?

Headline: Captures the essence of the story.

Lead: Summarizes the main points covering the 5 Ws.

Body: Provides detailed information, including quotes and background.

Conclusion: Wraps up the story, sometimes suggesting future developments.

Byline and Date: Indicates the author and date of the report.

How do you start a good news report?

Begin with a strong lead that succinctly presents the most important information (the 5 Ws) to grab the reader’s interest. Ensure it’s clear, concise, and compelling to make the audience want to read on.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write a news report on a local high school winning a national science competition

Draft a news report about the introduction of a new digital learning tool in elementary schools.

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How to Write a News Report

Last Updated: April 18, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 978,117 times.

A news report is similar to a news article. It is the basic facts of a story that is currently happening or that just happened. Writing a news report is easy if you report on the subject clearly, conduct good interviews, and write in a style that is clear, concise, and active.

Sample News Reports

Collecting Information for the Report

• Ask around for story ideas, especially government officials and public relations representatives. [1] X Research source
• Scan the news to see what is already happening. This could lead to you finding other story ideas that are related.
• Search your city or county's website or directory for local events that are coming up.
• Attend city council meetings to find out if there are any local issues happening in your area.
• Sit in on trials at the courthouse and see if anything interesting happens that you could report on.

• Write down everything you see and everything that takes place.
• Record and take notes of any speeches that occur at events. Make sure to get the names of the speakers.

• If the story is controversial or political, make sure to get both sides of the issue.
• Prepare sample questions, but don't necessarily stick to them. [2] X Research source
• Think of an interview as a conversation. [3] X Research source
• Record the interview.
• Make sure to get the full names (spelled correctly) of anyone you interviewed.

• Make sure you review your transcriptions to make sure they're accurate. You don't want to misquote someone.

A good story will guide you in the right direction. "Be honest about what you see, get out of the way and let the story reveal itself."

Writing the News Report

• The headline should be attention grabbing, but not exaggerate or mislead.
• Capitalize the first word of the headline and any proper nouns after that.
• If you're having trouble coming up with a headline, you might try writing it last instead. It may be easier to think of a headline after you've finished your article.
• For example, your headline might read: "Armed robbery at Portland farmer's market"

• An example of a byline: Sue Smith, Staff Reporter
• An example of a placeline: EUGENE, ORE. [5] X Research source

• Don't include people's names in the lead (save that information for later), unless everyone knows who they are (i.e. President Obama).
• For example: A Seattle man was caught selling stolen cars at his auto shop on Tuesday when a police officer posed as a customer.

• For example: Mary Quibble has been the director of the children's theater for six years. “I love the children and how much they care about these performances,” Quibble said. “There are 76 kids in the programs. They range in age from 7 to 16 years old.”

• For example: The woman ran out of the house at 11 p.m. when she heard the burglar enter, police said.

• Speak in past tense when writing a news report.
• Start a new paragraph whenever there is a new thought (this might mean you have paragraphs that are as short as a sentence or two)
• Write your news report in AP Style. [7] X Research source

Expert Q&A

• Keep your writing short and clear. Thanks Helpful 71 Not Helpful 16
• Write what happened, not your opinion. Thanks Helpful 53 Not Helpful 24
• Always include attributions. Thanks Helpful 44 Not Helpful 22

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://medium.com/@blazej.kupec/how-journalists-find-stories-and-write-articles-2174e902591c
• ↑ http://pages.uoregon.edu/sponder/j641/Interview.htm
• ↑ https://walkwest.com/art-writing-headlines/
• ↑ https://www.producer.com/opinion/placelines-2/
• ↑ https://training.npr.org/2016/10/12/leads-are-hard-heres-how-to-write-a-good-one/
• ↑ https://writer.com/blog/a-comprehensive-guide-to-the-ap-style-of-writing/

About This Article

To write a news report, first use key words about your story to write a clear, accurate headline that’s easy to understand. Then, write your byline, which includes your name and title and the date of your report. Put the location of your story on the following line, written all in caps. Next, summarize the who, what, where, when, and why of your report in a couple of sentences. Finally, provide more detailed information from the scene and your interviews with witnesses and key players. Be sure to include quotes and attributions in your report. To learn how to collect information from the scene of your news report, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Get full access to Business Journalism: How to Report on Business and Economics and 60K+ other titles, with a free 10-day trial of O'Reilly.

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Business Journalism: How to Report on Business and Economics

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Book description

Business Journalism: How to Report on Business and Economics is a basic guide for journalists working in countries moving to open-market economies, students in journalism courses, journalists changing direction from general news reporting to business and economic reporting, and bloggers. It also explains the differences in technique required for general reporters to deliver business news for text, TV, or radio.

Veteran journalist Keith Hayes, who has worked for such organizations as Reuters, PBS, the BBC, CBC, and CNBC, provides a quick reference to journalistic practice that covers everything from how to meet a deadline to getting answers from company or government officials who would rather not talk. It also provides background on specific knowledge that journalists should have to report on the business and the economy accurately and with insight. That includes understanding the major markets and how they work, learning to read a balance sheet, and getting the story even when a company or government sets up roadblocks.

As Hayes demonstrates, effective journalists are story tellers who need to tell the story well while making certain they are providing the facts as they find them and understand them. Among other things, readers will also learn:

How to write a business news story

How to report business news on television

How to report in a globalized business world

How to get usable information from press conferences and briefings

The basics of macroeconomics, the financial markets, and company-specific financial data

How to dig for facts and get the story

This book covers comprehensively the basics of business and economic reporting. With its insights and tips from Hayes and other veteran journalists, it's a book that will remain on your shelf for years to come and help you acquire and cement career-enhancing skills. It will also help you hone your craft as you begin to write more sophisticated stories and take jobs of increasing responsibility.

What you'll learn

Good basic journalistic practice

How to write an effective business news article

Reporting business for television

Basics of economic reporting and the importance of the census

Understanding financial markets and privatization

Reading and interpreting company accounts

Who this book is for

Journalism students; novice journalists; experienced journalists in general news who want to switch to business reporting; and journalists in emerging economies where training opportunities are sparse.

Table of contents

• Apress Business
• About the Author
• Acknowledgments
• A Brief History of Business Journalism
• The Business Journalist
• Who, What, Where, When, How—and Why
• A Cautionary Tale
• The Importance of Business and Economic News
• The Need for High Journalistic Standards
• Code of Practice
• How to Conduct Interviews
• How to Write the Story
• Last Thoughts
• The Basic Skills of the Business Journalist
• Writing Effective Leads
• Things to Keep in Mind When Writing Your Story
• Practice, Practice, and More Practice
• The Importance of Learning How the Various New Media Operate
• News Enterprises
• Broadcast Journalism
• Reporting for Online Journals
• Rights and Responsibilities of the Media
• Contacts: The Life Blood of the Journalist
• Human Nature
• Emergency Services
• Forward Diary Systems
• The News “Patch” or “Beat”
• Everyday Conversations and Eavesdropping
• Getting to the Facts
• Turning a Simple Question into an Enterprise Story
• Turning a Simple Drink into an Enterprise Story
• From Police Blotter to Enterprise Story
• From Mock Press Conference to Enterprise Story
• From Census Data to Enterprise Story
• A Brief Definition of Ethics
• The Importance of a Code of Ethics
• Unbiased Reporting
• Adherence to Ethics in Obtaining a Story
• Protection of a Source
• Accounting for Political Beliefs
• Avoiding Protocol Journalism
• Insider Trading
• Changing Times
• Freedom of the Media and Responsible Reporting
• Codes of Conduct in Emerging Democracies
• A Test of “Real” Journalism
• Embracing Change
• The Changing World of 24-Hour News
• Defining What It Means to Be a Business Journalist
• Why Business Journalism Is Relevant to Journalists
• Why Business Journalism Is Relevant to Industry
• Why Business Journalism Is Relevant to Society
• A “Liquid” Example
• More Breadth and Depth
• The Benefits of Press Conferences
• The Role of Press Conferences
• After the Press Conference
• Press Briefings
• The Visual Nature of Television
• Keys to Successful Interviewing
• Setting Up the Shot
• Writing and Recording the Story
• Editing the Interview
• The Making of a News Program
• The Making of Morning Business Report
• Business Television Viewership
• Business Television: A Common Vision
• Writing Stories for Television
• Business Journalists Must Take Extra Care When Broadcasting
• Working as a Team
• Producing Successful Business Documentaries
• Reporting on Business for Television
• A Bright Future for Television News
• The Big Three Newswire Agencies
• The Role of the Newswire Agencies
• Governments and Companies as Sources of News
• The Role of the Journalist within News Agencies
• The Importance of Pictures
• The News through Images
• The Challenge of Sourcing Pictures
• Presentation Is Key
• How Getty Images and Other Picture Agencies Work
• Keeping Imagery Current
• The Business of Video Clips
• The Past, Present, and Future of the Media
• The Future of the News Industry
• New Media Journalism and the Citizen Journalist
• Policing the New Media
• A Change in Traditional News Organizations
• The Literature of the Everyday
• Out with the Old?
• Key Economic Measures
• The Central Banks
• Reporting on Macroeconomics
• Local Events Lead to Global Changes
• Business in Emerging Democracies
• Domestic News in a Global Economy
• What Journalists Need to Know in a Global Economy
• The Relevance of Globalization
• Foreign Affairs and Their Consequences Make for a Good Story
• A Wealth of Potential Stories
• Shares, Stocks, and Bonds
• Local Events Spur International Market Consequences
• Stock Exchanges, Bond Markets, and Foreign Exchange Markets
• The Language of Financial Markets
• The Role of Stock Markets
• Regulation and Transparency in Stock Markets
• The Role of the Journalist Who Covers the Stock Market
• Today’s Gold Market
• What Is a Commodity?
• Oil as a Commodity
• Precious Metals as a Commodity
• The Diamond Market
• Agriculture
• Reporting on Commodities
• Reviewing a Company’s Annual Accounts
• What to Look for in Annual Accounts
• What Journalists Need to Know about Boards of Directors
• Covering Annual Meetings
• What Privatization Means for the Business Journalist
• The Advantages of Privatization
• The Disadvantages of Privatization
• Hostility toward Privatization
• The Role of the Press in Privatization
• Covering the Private Sector
• A Look at Balance Sheets
• A Focus on the Future
• Privatization Agencies
• The Development of SMEs
• Improving Media Coverage of SMEs
• Examples of SME Policies
• Attitudes toward Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• The Need for a Census
• Census Information and the National Budget
• What Census Information Tells Us
• The Role of Reporters and Census Information
• No More Census?
• Using Census Data in Stories
• Covering the 2008 Financial Crisis
• An Example of Careless Reporting
• An Example of Good Reporting
• Reporting in Emerging Economies
• Britain’s Phone-Hacking Scandal
• A Bright Future
• The Joys of Being a Journalist
• Alex Kirby on the Importance of Journalism
• Ann Turner on Having an Open Mind
• Bob Eggington on Surviving in the News Business
• Robert “Bob” Elphick on Writing the First Draft of History
• Anna Di Lellio on Getting the Story
• Danijela Kozina on Problem Reporting in the Balkans
• Anastasia Haydulina on Experiences of a Young Journalist
• Alexander Sambuk on the Hazards of Starting a Business News Department
• Behar Zogiani—Lest We Forget the Hazards of Journalism
• Observations: What the Numbers Tell Us

Product information

• Title: Business Journalism: How to Report on Business and Economics
• Author(s): Keith Hayes
• Release date: January 2014
• Publisher(s): Apress
• ISBN: 9781430263494

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• How to Write a News Report

How to Write a News Report? - Tips and Points to Remember

Writing a news report would be an easy task if you are interested in the news and are constantly updated with the latest events. A report is a brief story of an event that is happening or has already happened. Being a report writer, you must aim to write the report in an understandable way and ensure the message is conveyed to the readers. It must, therefore, be written in simple language. The subject of the news report has to be presented clearly, and the style of writing must be precise.

Read through the article to learn how to write a news report in English.

Table of Contents

How to write a news report, visiting the site, interviewing witnesses, transcribing the interviews, introduction of the report, body of the report, answering the 5ws and the h, writing in short sentences, attribution, factual check, concluding the news report, catchy headline, frequently asked questions on how to write a news report.

We all have the practice of reading the newspaper. At times, we just read the headlines. We decide to read the full news article only if the headline is interesting. The body also has to sound interesting or must be engaging enough; otherwise, we skip the news. Writing a news report is very different from writing a general article. A news report is an informative report, not an opinionated article. Take a look at the following section to understand how you can structure your news report.

Structure of a News Report

A news report should include the following,

• Headline: It tells what the story is about.
• Byline: It tells about the writer of the story.
• Lead: Covers the most important facts.
• Body: Includes a detailed account of the event/occurrence.
• Ending: Talks about the solution or something to think about.

To get a better understanding of how to write a news report in English, we have provided a few tips for your reference.

Collection of Information

Collecting the right information is the primary thing before writing a news report. The main purpose of writing a report is to help the readers get true information about an event. To provide true information to the readers, you will have to provide proper evidence supporting it. Therefore, it is essential to collect as much information as possible to prove your point. There are multiple ways to collect and present information, some of which are mentioned below.

Site visiting is an interesting way of collecting and gathering all the information related to the event. It will help you find the exact data regarding the event. You can note everything you see and capture images to showcase as evidence.

While surveying, you can find a lot of people around you so that information can be collected from the witnesses. Their accounts may sound a little exaggerated at times; be smart enough to separate facts from fabricated information. To ensure you do not miss out on any information, you can record all your interviews.

After you have collected all the interviews, you can transcribe them to make them understandable to the readers.

Writing the Report – Steps to Follow

For a news report, the most important information comes from the headline and the first line of the report. The style of writing a news report must be like an inverted pyramid where the important information must be written in the first paragraph. The body of the report covers other information and supporting details related to the event. And the less important information must be added in the concluding paragraph.

While writing the report, make sure to start with the introductory paragraph, which must include the main story. The people involved, place and date have to be mentioned in this paragraph. This can be followed by a detailed account of the event/occurrence.

The body of the report must include other relevant information about the event. You can describe whatever you noted during the site visit and add the interviews you took. Make sure that the report is written in the third person point of view and in a neutral voice. It must be written in a way that sounds more informative rather than opinionated. There is not much place for personal emotions in a news report; it has to be objective.

While writing a news report, make sure you answer all the WH questions

• What was the event?
• Where did it take place?
• When did it take place? (Date and Time)
• Who was involved in the event?
• Why did it happen?
• How did the event happen?

After you have collected all these answers, you can begin writing the news report.

While writing a report, keep in mind that the sentences must be clear and concise. Do not write complex sentences. This will also help in using the apt vocabulary and in reducing grammatical errors.

Always acknowledge where you acquired the information unless it is common knowledge. Not giving credit to someone can get you in trouble.

A news report is different from an opinion piece in that only factual information is provided in a news report. Therefore, while writing a news report, make sure to collect all the facts and evidence and present them well in your report.

In the concluding paragraph, you can summarise your findings and also provide information related to a possible follow-up.

The headline plays a very crucial role in news report writing as it attracts the readers. A proper headline can be framed for a news report only after the writing is completed.

What is a news report?

A news report is a factual account of an event or an occurrence written with the intention of spreading information about what is happening in and around the world.

How do I write a news report?

Always follow the inverted pyramid style to write a news report. The important information is written at the beginning while leaving the less important parts until the end of the report. Write a catchy headline and keep the language simple and direct. Stick to facts and attribute facts to the source from which you acquired the information.

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Gen-Z is taking courses on how to send an email and what to wear in the office, according to a WSJ report

• Some companies and colleges are offering new grads training on how to work in person, WSJ reported.
• The courses can cover everything from office chitchat to work attire and meal-time etiquette.
• Some experts say Gen-Z is lacking in soft skills due to virtual classes and remote internships.

Recent graduates, who spent most of their college career taking virtual classes and working remote internships, might need to brush up on their soft skills — from how to write an email to elevator chitchat and appropriate work attire.

Some companies and universities have already begun offering training to help Generation-Z employees adapt to the office, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

For example, KPMG is offering new hires introductory training that includes how to talk to people in person, with tips on the appropriate level of eye contact and pauses in a conversation, the company's vice chair of talent and culture, Sandy Torchia, told the Journal. Deloitte and PwC also began offering similar trainings earlier this year, the Financial Times reported in May.

Similarly, the consulting company Protiviti said it expanded its training for new hires during the pandemic to include a series of virtual meetings that focus on issues like how to make authentic conversation, according to the Journal. Scott Redfearn, Protiviti's executive vice president of global human resources, told the Journal the company has had to remind new hires to avoid casual attire like blue jeans with holes in them. 

Each generation faces some sort of cultural gap when entering the workforce, whether it pertains to the definition of what qualifies as business attire, the ways to use technology and social media appropriately, and how to conform to ever-changing corporate social mores.

Related stories

This is no different for Gen Z than it was for Millennials entering the workforce as the first with a complex history of social media usage, or Gen X entering the workforce amid rapidly evolving corporate fashion. 

Some universities have also stepped in to bridge the gap. Michigan State University's director of career management, Marla McGraw, told the Journal that companies need to be more direct when it comes to telling new hires what to wear and how to act in the office. The school now requires many of its business majors to take classes that foster soft skills like how to network in person.

The Journal reported that one course breaks down a networking conversation by reminding students to pause after they introduce themselves in order to let the other person say their name, as well as respond to signs the other person might be looking to end the conversation.

Spokespeople for KPMG, Protiviti, MSU, and Miami University did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

While it's common for companies to host onboarding sessions that cover office dynamics like attire and rules for interpersonal relationships, some experts say younger employees need these reminders now more than ever.

"It's things like understanding norms, values and etiquette: Who should you call? How should they be contacted? Are some people out of bounds?" Helen Hughes, associate professor at Leeds University Business School, told BBC in April, regarding some of the issues young workers may face.

Meanwhile, some CEOs have said that younger workers could benefit from more time in the office. Earlier this year, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg said that employees who joined in-person performed better on average than those that had joined remotely. Since, the company has begun requiring its workers to come into the office for at least three days a week.

Read the Journal's full story on its website.

• Main content

• The Buzz on Florida Politics

Insurance giants are ‘stiffing’ customers in Florida, report says

• Lawrence Mower Times staff

TALLAHASSEE — Floridians filing a homeowners insurance claim had the lowest chance in the 50 states of getting a check from their insurer in 2022, with more than a third of claims going unpaid.

And last year, those filing claims with two of the state’s largest, healthiest companies — subsidiaries of State Farm and Allstate — had the lowest chance of all.

Nearly half of all claims closed by those companies last year went unpaid.

That’s according to data released this week by Weiss Ratings , a Palm Beach Gardens-based ratings agency with a history of critiquing the insurance industry .

“The big picture conclusion is that the insurers in Florida are stiffing their customers,” company founder Martin D. Weiss told the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee bureau.

Why the larger insurers have the highest rate is not clear. One former Texas regulator said it could be because homeowners believe their policies cover more damage than they really do. After years of legislative and regulatory changes , many policies today cover less than they did five years ago.

The information on payments comes from reports filed by the companies with state regulators and a national association — data that is not released to the public.

Regulators across the country collect troves of data about the performance of companies. It is assembled by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Companies have claimed some of the data is a trade secret, and the association has resisted efforts at more transparency.

Weiss says his company posts the information it purchased from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on its website for Florida-specific insurers .

“A consumer, before buying a policy from a company, should know right up front what percentage of claims are being denied,” Weiss said. “We’ll be glad to make that number public, but we’d much prefer either the authorities or the company do that job.”

Allstate, State Farm lead pack

Weiss Ratings released data to the Times/Herald on 40 companies that primarily or exclusively write homeowners insurance policies in Florida. It does not include state-run Citizens Property Insurance, the state’s largest insurer, which does not report its data.

Castle Key Indemnity Co., a subsidiary of Allstate, last year closed 47% of its claims without making a payment, the highest rate in the state. Its sister company, Castle Key Insurance Co., was third, paying nothing on 46% of the claims it closed.

State Farm Florida, a subsidiary of the national company, was second, with 46.4% of its claims being closed with no payment.

Among the 40 companies in Florida last year, half did not pay on at least 30% of claims.

The two companies have been historically at the top of the pack the last few years. In 2021, and 2022, State Farm closed more than half of its claims without making a payment. Two years ago, so did both Castle Key companies.

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A separate set of national data from two years ago, the most recent year available, shows that 35% of all Florida claimants received nothing. Only insurers in Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico had a higher rejection rate.

Many of those who did get paid had to wait a long time. In 2022, Florida had the second-highest rate of claims paid after 60 days. Only Louisiana had a higher rate.

The fact that two of the state’s largest companies topped the list surprised Weiss. He expected the small, Florida-based companies that dominate the market and insure the state’s riskiest areas to have the worst rate of paying out claims.

Several of the smaller companies have been cited for poor claims-handling practices, such as Tampa-based Heritage Insurance, which was issued a near-record $1 million fine by the Office of Insurance Regulation in May for how it handled Hurricane Ian claims. (Heritage’s rate of claims closed without payment was 31% last year.)

State Farm Florida, by comparison, is known to insure safer inland homes built after the enhanced Hurricane Andrew building codes took effect.

With the backing of national companies, State Farm Florida and Castle Key are critical to the stability of Florida’s shaky insurance market. State Farm Florida is the second-largest insurer in Florida with about 650,000 homeowners policies. Castle Key Indemnity Co. is ninth, with about 230,000 policies.

A spokesperson for State Farm said Weiss’ data is not accurate. By focusing only on closed claims, a spokesperson said, it doesn’t include a smaller subset of claims left open at the end of the year. The company had about 3,100 open claims last year.

State Farm spokesperson Roszell Gadson would not say what the accurate figure is.

“As an organization, we take pride in our customer service and are committed to paying what we owe, promptly, courteously, and efficiently,” Gadson said.

Allstate said the data did not match their own internal figures for the percentage of claims closed without a payment. For Castle Key Indemnity Co., the rate was 34% last year, and 23% for Castle Key Insurance Co, according to their numbers.

“We protect our customers, and our claims processes help them recover by quickly providing fair payments based on their selected coverages, like deductibles and coverage amounts,” the company said in a statement.

What’s behind closed claims?

There are many reasons why a claim might be closed without payment, said Florida Office of Insurance Information spokesperson Samantha Bequer.

The damage could be below the policy deductible or not be covered by the policy, such as situations in which flooding caused the damage. The policyholder could also have withdrawn the claim, or it could be a duplicate.

The data reported by the companies and provided by Weiss Ratings doesn’t give any reasons.

“We caution against using the data to draw conclusions or make analyses regarding Florida’s insurance market,” Bequer said in a statement.

Florida’s insurance companies and state lawmakers have long blamed frivolous claims and lawsuits for causing the state’s insurance crisis, but neither Bequer nor the insurance companies blamed those issues for rate of claim denials.

Weiss said he believes the high rate of denying claims could be a business strategy.

“I have yet to find any other explanation for it,” he said.

There could be several reasons, but it’s more likely that policyholders are filing claims believing they have coverage when they don’t, said Birny Birnbaum, executive director of the Center for Economic Justice and a former chief economist at the Texas Department of Insurance.

He said that’s an issue that regulators could address by rejecting policy forms that might be “misleading or obtuse or deceptive.” They should also be looking at policy provisions that are unfair, such as requiring mandatory arbitration or exorbitant deductibles that hollow out coverage.

Birnbaum said regulators years ago should have been analyzing claim denials and proposing remedies. (Florida regulators last year pushed for legislation giving them more oversight over how companies handle claims .)

“These are extraordinarily high numbers of claim denials,” Birnbaum said.

Data remains a secret

Bequer, the Office of Insurance Regulation spokesperson, said the office couldn’t comment on the data because the information was a trade secret that had to be protected under state law.

Regulators across the country and insurance companies have repeatedly fought the release of detailed information about how insurers handle claims, Birnbaum said. Even simple but important information, such as the average homeowners premium in every state, isn’t released until three years later , when it’s no longer useful.

Birnbaum said the office’s secrecy was hypocritical. When former Florida insurance commissioner David Altmaier was president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, he used “secret” data on insurers’ rates of litigation and released a report claiming that Florida made up 8% of all homeowners claims and 76% of all litigation against insurers .

That report became the basis for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature to pass sweeping reforms making it harder and more expensive to sue insurance companies.

Altmaier never publicly released the underlying data supporting the study, however. He now lobbies on behalf of insurance and financial services companies.

Birnbaum, who was a consumer advocate at the association for 25 years, said consumers need more information.

“People buy insurance for a promise of the future,” Birnbaum said. “And if company X denies 20% and company Y denies 50% of claims, you can bet consumers are going to go to company X.”

Lawrence Mower is a Tallahassee correspondent, covering politics and the state capitol. Reach him at [email protected].

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AI is exhausting the power grid. Tech firms are seeking a miracle solution.

As power needs of AI push emissions up and put big tech in a bind, companies put their faith in elusive — some say improbable — technologies.

The mighty Columbia River has helped power the American West with hydroelectricity since the days of FDR’s New Deal. But the artificial intelligence revolution will demand more. Much more.

So near the river’s banks in central Washington, Microsoft is betting on an effort to generate power from atomic fusion — the collision of atoms that powers the sun — a breakthrough that has eluded scientists for the past century. Physicists predict it will elude Microsoft, too.

The tech giant and its partners say they expect to harness fusion by 2028, an audacious claim that bolsters their promises to transition to green energy but distracts from current reality. In fact, the voracious electricity consumption of artificial intelligence is driving an expansion of fossil fuel use — including delaying the retirement of some coal-fired plants.

In the face of this dilemma, Big Tech is going all-in on experimental clean energy projects that have long odds of success anytime soon. In addition to fusion, tech giants are hoping to generate power through such futuristic schemes as small nuclear reactors hooked to individual computing centers and machinery that taps geothermal energy by boring 10,000 feet into the Earth’s crust.

Tech companies had promised “clean energy would be this magical, infinite resource,” said Tamara Kneese, a project director at the nonprofit Data & Society, which tracks the effect of AI and accuses the tech industry of using “fuzzy math” in its climate claims.

“Coal plants are being reinvigorated because of the AI boom,” Kneese said. “This should be alarming to anyone who cares about the environment.”

As the tech giants compete in a global AI arms race , a frenzy of data center construction is sweeping the country. Some computing campuses require as much energy as a modest-sized city, turning tech firms that promised to lead the way into a clean energy future into some of the world’s most insatiable guzzlers of power . Their projected energy needs are so huge, some worry whether there will be enough electricity to meet them from any source.

Data centers, the nondescript warehouses packed with racks of servers that power the modern internet, have been around for decades. But the amount of electricity they need now is soaring because of AI. Training artificial intelligence models and using AI to execute even simple tasks involves ever more complicated, faster and voluminous computations that are straining the electricity system.

A ChatGPT-powered search, according to the International Energy Agency, consumes almost 10 times the amount of electricity as a search on Google. One large data center complex in Iowa owned by Meta burns the annual equivalent amount of power as 7 million laptops running eight hours every day, based on data shared publicly by the company.

The data-center-driven resurgence in fossil fuel power contrasts starkly with the sustainability commitments of tech giants Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta, all of which say they will erase their emissions entirely as soon as 2030. The companies are the most prominent players in a constellation of more than 2,700 data centers nationwide, many of them run by more obscure firms that rent out computing power to the tech giants.

“They are starting to think like cement and chemical plants. The ones who have approached us are agnostic as to where the power is coming from,” said Ganesh Sakshi, chief financial officer of Mountain V Oil & Gas, which provides natural gas to industrial customers in Eastern states.

Tech companies are confronting this dilemma with bravado. Artificial intelligence thinkers such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, a major backer of Microsoft’s fusion start-up partner Helion, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who invests big in other fusion efforts, say breakthroughs in energy are achievable.

The companies also argue advancing AI now could prove more beneficial to the environment than curbing electricity consumption. They say AI is already being harnessed to make the power grid smarter, speed up innovation of new nuclear technologies and track emissions.

Microsoft was the only one of the four major firms driving the AI boom to answer detailed questions from The Washington Post about its energy needs and plans. Google, Amazon and Meta offered limited statements.

“If we work together, we can unlock AI’s game-changing abilities to help create the net zero, climate resilient and nature positive works that we so urgently need,” Microsoft said in a statement.

The tech giants say they buy enough wind, solar or geothermal power every time a big data center comes online to cancel out its emissions. But critics see a shell game with these contracts: The companies are operating off the same power grid as everyone else, while claiming for themselves much of the finite amount of green energy. Utilities are then backfilling those purchases with fossil fuel expansions, regulatory filings show.

Amazon says it has been “the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for four straight years.” Google wrote that it is using AI “to accelerate climate action,” which is “just as crucial as solving for the environmental impact associated with it.”

As for Microsoft, the company said that “by 2030, we will have 100% of our electricity consumption, 100% of the time, matched by zero carbon energy purchases.”

Left unmentioned are the heavily polluting fossil fuel plants that become necessary to stabilize the power grid overall because of these purchases, making sure everyone has enough electricity.

In the Salt Lake City region, utility executives and lawmakers scaled back plans for big investments in clean energy and doubled down on coal. The retirement of a large coal plant has been pushed back a decade, to 2042, and the closure of another has been delayed to 2036.

Among the region’s mega energy users is Meta. It’s building a $1.5 billion data center campus outside Salt Lake City that consumes as much power as can be generated by a large nuclear reactor . Google has purchased 300 acres across the street from Meta’s data center and plans its own data center campus . Other data center developers are frantically searching for power in the area.

The region was supposed to be a “breakthrough” technology launchpad, with utility PacifiCorp declaring it would aim to replace coal infrastructure with next-generation small nuclear plants built by a company that Gates chairs. But that plan was put on the shelf when PacifiCorp announced in April that it will prolong coal burning, citing regulatory developments that make it viable.

“This is very quickly becoming an issue of, don’t get left behind locking down the power you need, and you can figure out the climate issues later,” said Aaron Zubaty, CEO of California-based Eolian, a major developer of clean energy projects. “Ability to find power right now will determine the winners and losers in the AI arms race. It has left us with a map bleeding with places where the retirement of fossil plants are being delayed.”

A spike in tech-related energy needs in Georgia moved regulators in April to green-light an expansion of fossil fuel use, including purchasing power from Mississippi that will delay closure of a half-century-old coal plant there. In the suburbs of Milwaukee, Microsoft’s announcement in March that it is building a $3.3 billion data center campus followed the local utility pushing back by one year the retirement of coal units, and unveiling plans for a vast expansion of gas power that regional energy executives say is necessary to stabilize the grid amid soaring data center demand and other growth.

In Omaha, where Google and Meta recently set up sprawling data center operations, a coal plant that was supposed to go offline in 2022 will now be operational through at least 2026. The local utility has scrapped plans to install large batteries to store solar power.

These concrete developments in energy markets contrast with tech companies’ futuristic promises. A recent Goldman Sachs analysis of energy that will power the AI boom into 2030 did not even consider small nuclear plants or futuristic fusion generators.

It found data centers will account for 8 percent of total electricity use in the United States by 2030, a near tripling of their share today. New solar and wind energy will meet about 40 percent of that new power demand from data centers, the forecast said, while the rest will come from a vast expansion in the burning of natural gas. The new emissions created would be comparable to that of putting 15.7 million additional gas-powered cars on the road.

“We all want to be cleaner,” Brian Bird, president of NorthWestern Energy, a utility serving Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, told a recent gathering of data center executives in Washington, D.C. “But you guys aren’t going to wait 10 years. … My only choice today, other than keeping coal plants open longer than all of us want, is natural gas. And so you’re going see a lot of natural gas build-out in this country.”

The big-name tech firms try to inoculate themselves from blame for contributing to global warming with accounting techniques. They claim that all the new clean energy they buy has the effect of wiping out emissions that otherwise could be attributed to their operations.

Critics charge the arrangements often fall short.

“If data centers are claiming to be clean, but utilities are using their presence to justify adding more gas capacity, people should be skeptical of those claims,” said Wilson Ricks, an energy systems researcher at Princeton University’s Zero Lab, which focuses on decarbonization.

One example is an agreement announced in March, after Amazon signed a contract to buy more than a third of the electricity generated by one of the nation’s largest nuclear facilities, the Susquehanna power plant in Luzerne County, Pa.

“That deal disturbed a lot of people,” Zubaty said. “When massive data centers show up and start claiming the output of a nuclear plant, you basically have to replace that electricity with something else.”

Tech companies acknowledge big new sources of clean power need to be found. At the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, in January, Altman said at a Bloomberg event that, when it comes to finding enough energy to fuel expected AI growth, “there is no way to get there without a breakthrough.”

It remains unclear where, or when, those breakthroughs will arrive. Google recently powered up a futuristic geothermal power plant in the northern Nevada desert that harnesses heat from deep underground.

The developer of the geothermal plant, Fervo Energy, credits Google with jump-starting a promising energy solution that some day might provide the electricity equivalent of multiple nuclear plants. But Fervo CEO Tim Lattimer acknowledges that kind of output is not likely until well into the 2030s.

Fervo’s Nevada plant produces about the amount of power it takes to keep the lights on at a few thousand homes. The next Fervo plant, in Utah, is expected to be fully operational in 2028 and will generate roughly the amount of energy it takes to run one large data center.

Altman, meanwhile, is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to develop small nuclear plants that could be built right on or near data center campuses. Altman’s AltC Acquisition Corp. bankrolled a company Altman now chairs called Oklo, which says it wants to build the first such plant by 2027.

Gates is the founder of his own nuclear company, called TerraPower. It has targeted a former coal mine in Wyoming to be the demonstration site of an advanced reactor that proponents claim would deliver energy more efficiently and with less waste than traditional reactors. The project has been saddled with setbacks, most recently because the type of enriched uranium needed to fuel its reactor is not available in the United States.

Some experts point to these developments in arguing the electricity needs of the tech companies will speed up the energy transition away from fossil fuels rather than undermine it.

“Companies like this that make aggressive climate commitments have historically accelerated deployment of clean electricity,” said Melissa Lott, a professor at the Climate School at Columbia University.

Microsoft hopes to supercharge that deployment through its partnership with fusion start-up Helion. The site being considered for the generator in Chelan County, Wash., is just a plot of sagebrush so far. It’s not certain the unit will be built.

For now, Helion is building and testing prototypes at its headquarters in Everett, Wash. Scientists have been chasing the fusion dream for decades but have yet to overcome the extraordinary technical challenges. It requires capturing the energy created by fusing atoms in a magnetic chamber — or in Helion’s case, a magnetized vacuum chamber — and then channeling that energy into a usable form. And to make it commercially viable, more energy must be produced than is put in.

Helion’s assembly facility features floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with endless boxes of capacitors, aluminum-coated devices that store energy, some of which Helion employees spend hours a day assembling by hand. The floors and walls are stark white. Massive, sea-foam-green fusion generator components dot the factory floor.

A sense of optimism infuses the experimental work. “I know it can make electricity,” said Helion CEO David Kirtley. “The question is, can we take that electricity out of fusion and do it such that the cost of electricity is lower than everything else.”

On a video screen in the space where Helion is building its control room is a live feed from a camera in a neighboring warehouse where the seventh Helion prototype, Polaris, will be tested. It is surrounded by borated concrete walls that block neutrons from escaping.

Helion, among several fusion start-ups, uses helium-3, a molecule that is rare on Earth but abundant on the moon. Kirtley says the company’s process actually generates more of the molecule as a byproduct, creating fuel to make yet more fusion electricity.

But there is deep skepticism in the scientific community that Helion or other fusion start-ups will be sending juice to the power grid within a decade, much less the kind of too-cheap-to-meter, safe electricity the tech companies are chasing.

“Predictions of commercial fusion by 2030 or 2035 are hype at this point,” said John Holdren, a Harvard physicist who was White House science adviser during the Obama era. “We haven’t even yet seen a true energy break-even where the fusion reaction is generating more energy than had to be supplied to facilitate it.”

Promises that commercial fusion is around the corner, he said, “feeds the public’s belief in technological miracles that will save us from the difficult task of dealing with climate change … with the options that are closer to practical reality.”

But Chelan County, known for its apple orchards and abundant hydro power, has another problem. While there is enough hydropower generated there to send electricity throughout the West Coast, most of it has already been claimed decades into the future. In their quest to sustain the data center boom fueled by Microsoft and its competitors, county planners are hopeful Helion will actually beat the odds and start sending electricity to the region’s power grid, which Microsoft would then purchase.

Helion has raised expectations with assurances that its contract with Microsoft is binding, and it will have to pay serious financial penalties to the tech giant if it does not quickly create fusion electricity. But pressed for the particulars of the contract, Kirtley responds with a measure of opacity that is typical among tech leaders chasing historic clean energy breakthroughs.

“We’re past the details I can talk publicly about,” he said.

An earlier version of this story mischaracterized an International Energy Agency study of energy use for internet searches powered by artificial intelligence. The IEA compared Google searches with searches performed by ChatGPT, the AI chatbot, not a "ChatGPT-powered search on Google." The article also gave an incorrect location for the headquarters of energy firm Eolian. The company is based in California not Texas. This article has been corrected.

About this story Photo editing by Haley Hamblin. Design editing by Betty Chavarria and Christian Font. Editing by Christopher Rowland. Copy editing by Jeremy Lang. Project editing by KC Schaper. Additional support from Jordan Melendrez, Kathleen Floyd and Victoria Rossi.

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Car dealerships in North America revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

Car dealerships across North America continue to wrestle with major disruptions that started last week with cyberattacks on a software company used widely in the auto retail sales sector (AP video: Mike Householder)

FILE - Vehicles sit in a row outside a dealership, June 2, 2024, in Lone Tree, Colo. Car dealerships across North America have faced a major disruption this week. CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — Car dealerships in North America are still wrestling with major disruptions that started last week with cyberattacks on a company whose software is used widely in the auto retail sales sector.

CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks Wednesday. That led to an outage that has continued to impact operations.

For prospective car buyers, that’s meant delays at dealerships or vehicle orders written up by hand. There’s no immediate end in sight, but CDK says it expects the restoration process to take “several days” to complete.

On Monday, Group 1 Automotive Inc., a $4 billion automotive retailer, said it is using “alternative processes” to sell cars to its customers. Lithia Motors and AutoNation, two other dealership chains, also disclosed that they implemented workarounds to keep their operations going.

Here is what you need to know.

What is CDK Global?

CDK Global is a major player in the auto sales industry. The company, based just outside of Chicago in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, provides software technology to dealers that helps with day-to-day operations — like facilitating vehicle sales, financing, insurance and repairs.

CDK serves more than 15,000 retail locations across North America, according to the company.

What happened last week?

CDK experienced back-to-back cyberattacks on Wednesday. The company shut down all of its systems after the first attack out of an abundance of caution, according to spokesperson Lisa Finney, and then shut down most systems again following the second.

“We have begun the restoration process,” Finney said in an update over the weekend — noting that the company had launched an investigation into the “cyber incident” with third-party experts and notified law enforcement.

“Based on the information we have at this time, we anticipate that the process will take several days to complete, and in the interim we are continuing to actively engage with our customers and provide them with alternate ways to conduct business,” she added.

In messages to its customers, the company has also warned of “bad actors” posing as members or affiliates of CDK to try to obtain system access by contacting customers. It urged them to be cautious of any attempted phishing.

The incident bore all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, in which targets are asked to pay a ransom to access encrypted files. But CDK declined to comment directly — neither confirming or denying if it had received a ransom demand.

“When you see an attack of this kind, it almost always ends up being a ransomware attack,” Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance. “We see it time and time again unfortunately, (particularly in) the last couple of years. No industry and no organization or software company is immune.”

Are impacted dealerships still selling cars?

Several major auto companies — including Stellantis, Ford and BMW — confirmed to The Associated Press last week that the CDK outage had impacted some of their dealers, but that sales operations continue.

In light of the ongoing situation, a spokesperson for Stellantis said Friday that many dealerships had switched to manual processes to serve customers. That includes writing up orders by hand.

A Ford spokesperson added that the outage may cause “some delays and inconveniences at some dealers and for some customers.” However, many Ford and Lincoln customers are still getting sales and service support through alternative routes being used at dealerships.

“The people who’ve been around longer — you know, guys who have maybe a little salt in their hair like me — we remember how to do it before the computers,” said John Crane of Hawk Auto Group, a Westmont, Illinois-based dealership operator that uses CDK. “It’s just a few more steps and a little bit more time.”

Although impacted Hawk Auto dealerships are still able to serve customers by “going back to the basics,” Crane added that those working in administration are still “pulling out our hair.” He notes that there are now stacks of paper awaiting processing — in place of orders that went through automatically on a computer overnight.

Group 1 Automotive Inc. said Monday that the incident has disrupted its business applications and processes in its U.S. operations that rely on CDK’s dealers’ systems. The company said that it took measures to protect and isolate its systems from CDK’s platform.

In regulatory filings, Lithia Motors and AutoNation disclosed that last week’s incident at CDK had disrupted their operations as well.

Lithia said it activated cyber incident response procedures, which included “severing business service connections between the company’s systems and CDK’s.” AutoNation said it also took steps to protect its systems and data, adding that all of its locations remain open “albeit with lower productivity,” as many are served manually or through alternative processes.

HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF?

With many details of the cyberattacks still unclear, customer privacy is also at top of mind — especially with little known about what information may have been compromised this week.

If you’ve bought a car from a dealership that’s used CDK software, cybersecurity security experts stress that it’s important to assume your data may have been breached. That could potentially include “pretty sensitive information,” Steinhauer noted, like your social security number, employment history, income and current or former addresses.

Those impacted should monitor their credit — or even freeze their credit as an added layer of defense — and consider signing up for identify theft monitor insurance. You’ll also want to be wary of any phishing attempts. It’s best to make sure you have reliable contact information for a company by visiting their official website, for example, as scammers sometimes try to take advantage of news about data breaches to gain your trust through look-alike emails or phone calls.

Those are some best practices to keep in mind whether you’re a victim of CDK’s data breach or not, Steinhauer said. “Unfortunately, in this day and age, our data is a valuable target — and you have to make sure that you’re taking steps to protect it,” he said.

Associated Press writer Mike Householder in Detroit contributed to this report.

Money blog: New Wotsits and Monster Munch flavours launch today - but you should read small print

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. As the energy price cap falls today, submit a question for Which? or Cornwall Insight ahead of our 3pm Q&A.

Monday 1 July 2024 08:55, UK

• Energy price cap falls today - here's what you need to know
• Submit an energy question above for Which? or Cornwall Insight ahead of 3pm Q&A
• New Wotsits and Monster Munch flavours as part of lower salt push - but that's not all you're getting less of

Essential reads

• Money Problem : 'I hired a car via EasyJet but they are directing my complaint to someone else - what can I do?'
• How to split housework fairly with your partner
• Women in Business : How accident in cafe and £400 turned into a genius business idea that's about to go global
• How to stop your car from being stolen - or even 'cannibalised'
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

As the energy price cap falls today, with a warning it is likely to rise again this winter, we thought it would be a good time to ask industry experts to answer your questions.

Whether it be a consumer query about how to save money, or a broader query about why prices are set to rise again or the UK's supply, we've got you covered.

Experts from consumer group Which? and industry analysts Cornwall Insights will be here from 3pm - so submit your question above.

More people are buying food to go on Sundays than Fridays for the first time, new data suggests.

This makes it the second busiest day for food-to-go (things like bakeries, fast food, convenience store sandwiches) after Saturday, according to a new report by Lumina Intelligence, cited by The Grocer .

During the first six months of this year, 19% of food-to-go occasions took place on Saturday, followed by 16.9% on Sunday and 15.4% on Friday.

In 2022, the last time the research was carried out, Friday was more popular than Sunday among food-to-go customers.

Lumina said the change is likely linked to more people working from home on Mondays and therefore feeling more able to spend their Sundays out.

A rise in drink-to-go options could also be behind the behaviour change, it said.

Some 1,000 new food-to-go sites are predicted to open every year between 2024 and 2027.

Fans of Wotsits and Monster Munch have some new flavours to enjoy from today - as part of a new lower-salt range.

Wotsits Cheese Toastie,  Wotsits Crispy Bacon and Monster Munch BBQ Sauce are part of the Yummy With range, which comprises snacks made with chickpea.

They're said to contain 25% less salt than the average extruded product and come in at under 100 calories.

But as well as less salt, you're also getting less crisp...

The Wotsits have a similar retail price to a regular multipack - but you get less crisp for your money as each bag has 12g, down from 16.5g in regular multipack packets.

It’s the same story with the new Monster Munch - 16g compared with 20g packets in regular multipacks.

Promoting the new range, Walkers said: "The success of Walkers' existing product lines, along with the trust and recognition associated with the brand, provides the perfect foundation to introduce the Yummy With range.

"We know consumers are on the hunt for smarter snacking options, but they aren't willing to compromise on taste.

"Over several years, we've meticulously crafted the range to perfect the formulation, aligning with the beloved light and airy texture that consumers adore."

Walkers wants to make 50% of its sales from snacks that are non-HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar) or under 100 calories by 2025.

Every Monday we get an expert to answer your money problems or consumer disputes. Find out how to submit yours at the bottom of this post. Today's question is...

I hired a car through the EasyJet booking system and want to make a complaint about the car hire service. EasyJet are not interested and are trying to direct me to a third party called Car Trawler. Who is responsible for responding and acting upon this complaint? Julie Fay

In a world of online shopping and search engines, these kind of questions are common.

Scott Dixon, from The Complaints Resolver , says that in this case, neither EasyJet nor Car Trawler are responsible - it's the actual car hire company.

"Your contract is always with whoever you entered into the contract with and paid for the car hire," he says.

"EasyJet uses Car Trawler as a search tool (like Google) to find the best prices as a comparison site for you to choose the vehicle that suits your needs and budget."

Your rights

So, you need to go to source - and you have protection via the Consumer Rights Act 2015, Scott says.

• S49  states that every contract to supply a service is to be treated as including a term that the trader must perform the service with reasonable care and skill.
• S62 has a requirement for contract terms and notices to be fair. An unfair term of a consumer contract is not binding on the consumer. Any contract terms which unfairly tilt the balance in favour of the trader against the consumer is void.
• S68  has a requirement for transparency. Key terms of a contract must be bold, fair, transparent and balanced - they cannot be buried in the small print of T&Cs.

Scott says you should also check if the car hire company is a member of the British Vehicle Rental Leasing Association (BVRLA). You can check here . In Europe, it would be the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS).

"This gives you additional rights and another avenue to seek redress," says Scott.

What can you do?

With car hire, you need to start acting before you reach the point of dispute.

"Evidence is crucial on car hire complaints so always take photos and videos before and after - the onus is on you to inspect the hire car thoroughly before you set off and return it," says Scott.

"Check the vehicle report. Any existing damage ought to be noted on it." 

With car hire, you should always check contracts for T&Cs - and Scott says: "Cheapest is not always best - you get what you pay for. Always stick with the mainstream car hire providers."

If a complaint does arise, always start by putting it in writing and see if you can get a resolution without escalating.

If that doesn't work?

Scott advises paying at least a deposit by credit card, as it gives you additional free protection and joint liability under S75 Consumer Credit Act 1974 for purchases over £100.

Contact your credit card provider and say you want to raise a S75 dispute and claim for a hire car.

"Say that the supplier is in 'breach of contract' under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and has supplied a defective/faulty car. You have exhausted all options with the retailer and cannot resolve your dispute.

"Bear in mind that the credit card provider knows nothing about your complaint, so make it easy for them by providing as much evidence as possible to prove your case."

If you reach a stalemate with the credit card provider, Scott advises asking them for a deadlock letter setting out their final position so you can submit a formal complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Last resort

If all else fails, you could take your case to the small claims court if it is England or Wales, or follow  Simple Procedure in Scotland . Click here to find out your route in Northern Ireland .

Scott advises sending screenshots of court papers to the company involved, so the car hire company, demanding a refund within seven days. This may prompt action that means you don't have to follow through on the court claim.

This feature is not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about.  Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via:

• The form above - you need to leave a phone number or email address so we can contact you for further details
• Email [email protected] with the subject line "Money blog"
• WhatsApp us  here

Britons who pay for gas and electricity by direct debit will see their typical annual bill fall 7% to £1,568 until October.

This is down £122 from the previous quarter - but households have been warned to expect another uptick in the autumn.

What is the energy price cap?

The cap is controlled by energy regulator Ofgem and aims to prevent households on variable tariffs being ripped off.

It doesn't represent a maximum bill. Instead it creates an average bill by limiting how much you pay per unit of gas and electricity, as well as setting a maximum daily standing charge (which all households must pay to stay connected to the grid).

Between 1 July and 30 September, gas prices will be capped at the reduced level of 5.48p per kilowatt hour (kWh), and electricity at 22.36p per kWh.

Standing charges are staying the same - typically 60p a day for electricity and 31p a day for gas (though they vary by region).

These fixed daily charges limit the impact of using less energy to try to save money - and, after campaigning from the likes of Martin Lewis, Ofgem has conducted a consultation on how standing charges work.

This is how the price cap has changed over the last few years (remember, it was effectively overridden by the government's price guarantee for a time at its peak)...

What about prepayment customers and those who don't pay by direct debit?

If you pay by cash or cheque every three months, you'll see a typical drop of £129 to £1,668.

People with prepayment meters will pay the lowest amount, with a typical bill of £1,522 - this is a turnaround from previously when they've paid the same or more.

The energy price cap covers England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own energy market and prices are also falling there.

An extra charge

Separately to all of the above, Ofgem is adding £28 to everyone's bill over the year.

This will help cover the £3.1bn cost of debt customers owe to suppliers.

What's happening this winter?

Market specialist Cornwall Insight have forecast a 10% rise from October, taking the annual bill for a typical household back up to £1,763.

This is slightly lower than its previous forecast - but still represents bad news for Britons who may have thought energy bills were on a linear path down following two years of sky-high prices.

We'll have experts from Cornwall Insights and consumer group Which? answering your energy-related questions here in the Money blog this afternoon - so whether it's about why bills could rise again or if now is a good time to switch, submit your query above.

We're back for another week of consumer news, personal finance tips and all the latest on the economy.

This is how the week in the Money blog is shaping up...

Monday: This week's Money Problem  focuses on a complaint with a car hired via an online booking site.

Tuesday : We're continuing our eight-part  Women in Business  feature - interviewing women who are bossing their industry. And this week's  Basically...  explains everything you need to know about income tax.

Wednesday : This week's Cheap Eats is with one of the best chefs in the UK - Great British Menu legend and two-Michelin starred Aktar Islam.

Thursday : Savings Champion  founder Anna Bowes will be back with her weekly insight into the savings market.

Friday : We'll have everything you need to know about the mortgage market this week with the guys from Moneyfacts.

Running every weekday, Money features a morning markets round-up from the  Sky News business team  and regular updates and analysis from our business, City and economic correspondents, editors and presenters -  Ed Conway ,  Mark Kleinman ,  Ian King ,  Paul Kelso  and  Adele Robinson .

You'll also be able to stream  Business Live with Ian King on weekdays at 11.30am and 4.30pm.

Bookmark  news.sky.com/money  and check back from 8am, and through the day, each weekday.

The Money team is Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young, Ollie Cooper and Mark Wyatt, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

Winter energy bills are projected to rise significantly due to an uptick in the wholesale market, according to a closely watched forecast.

Market specialist Cornwall Insight released an updated winter forecast ahead of the latest price cap change kicking in on Monday.

Britons who pay by direct debit will see their typical annual bill for gas and electricity go down 7%, or £122, to £1,568 this week until 1 October.

However, a 10% rise is then expected, taking the annual bill for a typical household back up to £1,763, Cornwall predicts.

This is actually slightly lower than its previous forecast - but still represents bad news for Britons who may have thought energy bills were on a linear path down following two years of sky-high prices.

"The drop in forecasts for October are positive, but we need to keep this in perspective," the Cornwall report says.

"We are still facing an average 10% increase in bills from October, and as winter approaches this will put a strain on many household finances."

We'll have experts from Cornwall Insights and consumer group Which? answering your energy-related questions here in the Money blog on Monday afternoon - so whether it's about why bills could rise again or if now is a good time to switch, submit your query above.

By Jess Sharp , Money team

Splitting up household jobs, whether that be cleaning, washing or life admin, is an issue that affects a lot of couples. 

Starling Bank found women do a total of 36 hours of household tasks and admin per week - equivalent to a full-time job. 

This is nine hours more than men - and yet men believe they do the majority in their household. The average man estimates they do 52% of work overall.

It's the discrepancy between perception and reality (and, of course, this can work both ways) that leads to arguments.

Couples who don't divide the housework equally have roughly five arguments about housework each month - rising to eight for couples who rely on just one person for the work.

We spoke to relationship expert Hayley Quinn about the best ways to split household work - and how to deal with arguments should they arise with your partner. 

She explained that it's necessary to be "transparent" when deciding how to split the workload - but also to be flexible in order to find a solution that suits all involved. 

While a 50/50 split might be your idea of perfection, Hayley said it was "almost inevitable that one partner may take on slightly more of the load" at different periods of time. 

"Striving for perfect 50/50 fairness at all times is a really nice ideal, but it just may not be that practical for modern life," she said. 

She said some jobs may be more visible than others, like cleaning, sorting out the washing, and taking the bins out.

Other jobs can take up just as much time and resource, but will fly under the radar. She gave the examples or sorting out travel insurance or changing over internet provider. 

How should you approach a conversation with your partner about splitting the work? 

To start off, Hayley said you should enter the conversation with a positive mindset - think how you are both contributing to the relationship in different ways.

"When you're having these conversations, it's not that many people are sitting around feeling like they're not contributing," Hayley said. 

"In fact, I think if there's a discrepancy in how people contribute, it's just due to a lack of awareness as to what the other partner does, and some chores are just more obviously visible than others."

Try to avoid starting the chat with the perspective that you are working a lot harder than your partner and they're not pulling their weight. 

"That way, you start from a place of we're all on the same team," she said. 

"When you're doing that as well, it's really important not to make statements which assume what the other partner is thinking, feeling, or contributing. 

"So, for instance, saying something like 'I'm always the one that's picking the kids up from school and you never do anything',  becomes easily very accusational, and this is when arguments start.

"Instead, most partners will be much more receptive if you simply ask for more help and assistance." 

When asking for help, Hayley said it's important to ask in a way that's verbal and clear - don't assume your partner is going to intuitively know what share of household chores to take on if you just complain. 

"In a nice way, explicitly ask for what you want. It could be something like saying, 'Look, I know that we're both working a long week, but I feel like there's so much to do. It would be really helpful if... I'd really appreciate it if you take over lunch,'" she explained. 

"Again, start from a place of appreciation. Acknowledge what your partner contributes already, and be explicitly clear as to what you would like them to do. Phrase it as a request for their help." 

She also said some people can feel protective of how jobs are completed, and learning to relinquish that control can be helpful. 

"If you want it to feel more equitable, you have to let your partner do things in their own way," she said. 

What happens if that doesn't work? 

If you find the conversations aren't helping, you can always try organising a rota, Hayley said. 

She recommended using Starling Bank's Share the Load tool to work out your chore split. 

However, she said if you feel there are constant conversations and nothing is changing then the issue is becoming more about communication than sharing the workload. 

"It's actually about someone not hearing what you're trying to communicate to them, so it's more of a relationship-wide issue," she said. 

She advised sitting down and trying to have another transparent verbal conversation, making it clear that you have spoken about this before and how it's making you feel in a factual way, without placing blame. 

Using phrases like "I've noticed" or "I've observed" can help, she said. 

If after all that, the situation still isn't getting better, she said it's time to consider confiding in friends or family for support, or seeing a relationship counsellor. 

The oldest and most prestigious tennis event in the world returns on Monday, with the best of the best players to battle over two weeks to be named champion.

Crowds in their thousands will flock to Wimbledon to enjoy a spot of sport - as well as the range of food and drink on offer.

It's not the cheapest day out, with a cool cup of Pimms setting you back just under £10 and a bottle of water coming in at nearly £3.

But did you know that despite souring inflation in recent years sending food prices through the roof, one fan favourite - the quintessentially British strawberries and cream combo - has stayed at the same price since 2010?

A pot of the sweet snack costs just £2.50, making it one of the more affordable offerings at the All England Club. It has been served up there since the very first Wimbledon tournament in 1877.

Perdita Sedov, Wimbledon's head of food and beverage, previously told The Telegraph the price freeze "goes back to a long-standing tradition" of strawberries and cream being associated with the championship.

"It's about being accessible to all," she said.

According to the Wimbledon website, each year more than 38.4 tonnes of strawberries are picked and consumed during the tournament.

Ofgem is being urged not to lift a ban on acquisition-only energy tariffs (deals that are available only to new customers, not existing ones).

A coalition of consumer organisations and energy companies led by Which? has penned a letter to the government regulator for electricity and gas warning it of the risk of a "return to a market which discriminates against loyal customers". 

They have also raised the potential impact on customers in debt, who may not be able to switch but could also find themselves struggling to access a better deal with their current supplier under the plans. 

The letter also notes the "very recent history" when more than 30 suppliers went bust - many after trying to win customers with unsustainably cheap tariffs.

Ofgem has said it could remove the ban on acquisition-only tariffs from 1 October but consumer choice website Which?  has research that shows the public are opposed to cheap deals that exclude existing customers, with 81% feeling it would be unfair if their supplier was offering cheaper deals to new customers only. 

The consumer champion has signed the letter to Ofgem alongside E.ON, Octopus, So Energy, Rebel Energy, End Fuel Poverty Coalition, Citizens Advice and Fair by Design.

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Timothy Mellon, Secretive Donor, Gives $50 Million to Pro-Trump Group

The cash from Mr. Mellon, a reclusive billionaire who has also been a major donor to a super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is among the largest single disclosed gifts ever.

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By Shane Goldmacher and Theodore Schleifer

• June 20, 2024

Timothy Mellon, a reclusive heir to a Gilded Age fortune, donated $50 million to a super PAC supporting Donald J. Trump the day after the former president was convicted of 34 felonies, according to new federal filings, an enormous gift that is among the largest single disclosed contributions ever.

The donation’s impact on the 2024 race is expected to be felt almost immediately. Within days of the contribution, the pro-Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc., said in a memo that it would begin reserving $100 million in advertising through Labor Day.

The group had only $34.5 million on hand at the end of April, and Mr. Mellon’s contribution accounted for much of the nearly $70 million that the super PAC raised in May. On Wednesday and Thursday, the super PAC began reserving $30 million in ads to air in Georgia and Pennsylvania around the Fourth of July holiday.

Mr. Mellon is now the first donor to give $100 million in disclosed federal contributions in this year’s election. He was already the single largest contributor to super PACs supporting both Mr. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent. Mr. Mellon has previously given $25 million to both.

Democrats have sought to portray Mr. Kennedy as a spoiler supported by Republicans, in part by emphasizing Mr. Mellon’s dual contributions and seemingly split loyalties. The pro-Kennedy super PAC has distributed quotations from the hard-to-reach Mr. Mellon, and for a blurb that appears on the cover of Mr. Mellon’s upcoming book, Mr. Kennedy called the billionaire a “maverick entrepreneur.”

It is not clear what Mr. Mellon’s mega-donation means for his support of Mr. Kennedy going forward. He has so far toggled between giving to support both candidates. His most recent donation to Mr. Kennedy’s super PAC was a $5 million contribution in April.

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Global: SHEIN’s flotation on the London Stock Exchange would set a worrying human rights precedent

Reacting to the prospective flotation of the ultra-fast fashion clothing company SHEIN on the London Stock Exchange, Dominique Muller, Amnesty International Researcher specializing in the garment industry, said:

“It’s deeply troubling that a company with questionable labour and human rights standards and an unsustainable fast fashion business model could be set to reap hundreds of millions of pounds via a sale of shares and a listing on the London Stock Exchange.

“Where SHEIN goes, others will try to follow. The UK authorities and the London Stock Exchange should not facilitate SHEIN’s listing until transparent and binding safeguards regarding internationally accepted human rights standards covering its entire supply chain are agreed and applied, and any abuses identified fully remedied.

Rewarding SHEIN’s current methods via a flotation would be a badge of shame for the London Stock Exchange Dominique Muller, Amnesty International Researcher

“Rewarding SHEIN’s current methods via a flotation would be a badge of shame for the London Stock Exchange, the bankers helping bring it to market, and any investors set to profit from it. It would be an appalling example of a process which delivers for the rich by squeezing the poor. It validates the view that it is acceptable to regard workers and their rights, company products and the environment as expendable – which cheapens us all.

“It is essential the new UK government does not allow a race to the bottom in terms of corporate and human rights standards. It should require companies to prevent serious environmental harms and human rights abuses occurring throughout their entire operations and supply chains. It should enable workers whose rights are abused by company activities anywhere in the world recourse to justice through UK courts.

“SHEIN’s model involves subcontracting the manufacturing of garments down a chain of smaller producers in China – with little transparency and accountability for the pay or conditions endured by workers – and where there is no legal right to assembly or to unionize. All too often people making garments for ultra-fast fashion companies are treated as a cost to be minimized so the garments they produce can be sold at cut-throat prices.

“SHEIN says it uses independent auditors to assess pay and conditions at its sub-contractors, but it does not publish any details of its suppliers and cannot explain how it remediates abuses suffered by workers when they are found to have occurred. There is a lack of public disclosure and transparency around the sourcing and traceability of raw materials used by contractors in SHEIN’s supply chain.

“Many of SHEIN’s garments are made from synthetic fibres derived from fossil fuels, which is environmentally damaging and unsustainable. Much of this fast fashion rapidly ends up being dumped in landfills, often polluting communities in the Global South .”

SHEIN, founded in China but now headquartered in Singapore, has reportedly filed documents with the London Stock Exchange as a prelude to selling shares to public investors. SHEIN has faced accusations that workers in its supply chain have received less than 4 US cents per garment produced , as well the use of cotton harvested by forced labour . SHEIN executives recently met with Amnesty International representatives and subsequently responded in writing to a series of human rights related questions, including providing some details of its supplier auditing and garment recycling schemes, and its Supplier Community Empowerment Programme.