News is information about what is happening in the world. It can be in the form of newspaper articles, radio programmes or even on the Internet. It can be about anything from wars, to government, to sports, and to business.

The information that makes it into a newspaper, onto the news line-up on television or into an Internet site is decided by people who work for a particular news organisation, whether they are editors or news directors, or merely those who take recommendations from reporters and other staff. These are called gatekeepers, and are a key part of the decision-making process within the media industry.

In order to make the information they have to choose from as good as possible, they have to keep in mind some basic characteristics of news. These include timeliness, drama, consequence, proximity and narrative.

Timeliness

The first thing that gatekeepers have to consider when deciding what should be included in the stories they tell is whether something is currently happening. It is important that news is current, so that audience members can be sure they are getting the latest information about what is going on in the world today and not something from ten years ago.

Drama

Events that have a dramatic impact on people are usually the kind of things that become news, as they often involve conflict and have clear good and bad characters or situations. This is especially true of violent crimes, such as murder or robbery.

Consequence

The way that news is reported also has a lot to do with what people believe it says about them or about the way they live their lives. It is generally a good idea to avoid news that includes opinion and editorial content. It is also not a good idea to include propaganda or bullshit, as this can be damaging and counterproductive to the overall message of the story.

Proximity

Often when people think about news they imagine that it is happening all over the world and will have a huge effect on them. It is important to remember that the majority of news stories are about local issues and incidents.

Narrative

Having a good narrative is another key aspect of determining what can be considered news. A good narrative will be interesting to read, but it will also be accurate and consistent in its style and tone.

A great narrative can also be a little bit quirky or unusual, making it more memorable for the audience. This is why so many people enjoy listening to the BBC, for instance, and watching news shows on TV or the Internet.

Ultimately, when it comes to news, the best approach is to treat it as a smorgasbord of interesting and factual information. It is up to you to make the most of this, and you can do it by following some simple rules. You can start by asking yourself the ‘5 W’s’, which are what you want your article to say, where you want it to be, why you want it to be, what it is and who you are writing for. Then, you can use these questions to help guide your research and writing processes.