News is the information that a person receives about current events, issues, and developments in his/her local community, country and in the world at large. News is primarily delivered through the electronic media, especially TV and radio, but can also be found in print and on the Internet. The primary functions of News are to inform and educate the public about important events, developments, and issues that affect them.
News often focuses on things that are unusual, surprising or significant. It can be hard to define what makes something newsworthy. However, some of the main factors include a degree of drama and consequence, timeliness, and public interest.
Many people obtain their news from a wide variety of sources and outlets, and it is recommended that you do the same. This allows you to get a well-rounded view of the news and may help you to become a more informed citizen. News is not just about the facts, but also includes commentary and opinion. This can be both good and bad, as it can influence how a person views an event or issue. It is important to remember that news articles are not meant to be biased but rather to give a neutral account of an incident or situation.
The first step in writing a news article is to identify the topic and determine what angle you want to take on it. Typically, you will need to find out the five W’s of the story: who, what, where, when and why. Then, you will need to gather as much evidence as possible about the topic. Usually this involves interviewing the source of the news, but can also involve checking newspaper and other published reports on the same topic.
Lastly, you will need to consider the audience. This will likely influence how you present the news and what kind of audience it is aimed at.
Crime: Whether it is a theft, robbery or murder, a serious crime will generally be more newsworthy than a small one. The same is true for weather events; a hurricane or earthquake that affects large numbers of people will be more newsworthy than an event that only impacts a small number.
Money: Stories about fortunes made and lost, taxes, budgets, wages, food prices and compensation claims are newsworthy. Also, a story about someone giving away a lot of money is more interesting than a rich person simply spending their wealth.
The headline is a key element of any news article. It needs to grab the reader’s attention and be clear and concise. It can be helpful to write a headline using AP style guidelines (unless your publication has specific requirements). The title should also provide the basic information that the reader will need to understand the news. Finally, the byline should be included to let the reader know who wrote the news article. This is important because it lets them know that the writer is a professional journalist and that they can be trusted to present the news in an accurate manner.