Here's how you can maintain accuracy while infusing creativity in your reporting.

Try to vary sections of an article between paragraphs that are full of numbers and facts and those that are full of description. When writing descriptively, pause to think like an anthropologist. Imagine your subject in a detached, analytical way. Then, always focus on what you are observing, whether it's a homeless man walking down the street or a new tech invention being launched. Prioritize the meaningful words of the people in your piece over your subjective interpretation of a situation or person.

Put humans first. In any story one intends to write, one should priotise by looking at one's sources first as humans. As a human, one is prone to errors. They can make mistake. They can be driven by emotions. So, this makes verification more important. Never consider your source as infallible.

Technology helps. Check and verify using reliable sources, record whenever possible. It should never be too hard to pick up the phone once again to verify information you are putting in text. Do not pull things out of context as context is everything. Always remember that whatever platform, whatever media you work for credibility is always your product.

Know the story. Then write as if you are telling it to a friend. Write it as quickly as possible; perhaps, don't look at your notes. And then shape the mass of text you have scrawled down as you see fit and as per the specifications of your assignment. For stories over 800 or 900 words or with a narrative element, using an outline is helpful. Ensure that the reporting and facts you've gathered are placed in the relevant sections. Master the basics before even considering experimenting with form or style.

Always try to find a connection to your story from everyday life. Relevance to every day existence of your reader is very important as it makes possible for your reader to make a better connection to your story. Tell him how your story is impacting his every day life. Help him to better understand the world around him, how it functions, what the drivers are that are impacting him personally. If you can find such a story it is awesome, but every story is desired to have a direct connection to reader and his interests. Connecting your story to known events or stories, films even, does help in that way very much. Keep things simple and important but connect them to your reader in an understandable way.

Practice your style. Rewrite the article as may times as it is needed to get it really done. Listen to advice. Give it someone to read it before you send it. Describe the space you were into, persons you talked to. Look at the photos that are going to be a part of your piece, connect the text with them. Style makes a difference, but style is not everything. Do not lose yourself in words as you can lose news or topics while doing it.

Incorporating narrative, or scenes, is crucial to elevate a feature into something that feels beautiful and satisfying to read. If I've done some field reporting, those scenes often come from what I've experienced. But it's also possible to do from your desk -- find a moment of drama, of realisation, or emotion, and then gather as many specific details about that moment as possible. Use those to reconstruct an accurate but vivid scene. I often have to check back with my source over the phone after writing these, since I usually find I'm missing a few key details. That's a chance to check accuracy as well.

Creativity does not need to require a trade off with accuracy as long as the gate keeper system is consistently implemented. If the existing gatekeeper system is seen as reducing creativity, or conversely, creativity reduces accuracy, perhaps the editorial team needs to sit down together to review work procedures.