News is information about people and things that has been reported and printed in newspapers, magazines, radio or TV. It is usually about something unusual, interesting or significant. It may also be about something that has happened recently or is happening now.
What is newsworthy may differ between societies. A cyclone, bush fire or earthquake may be of great interest to people in one country but of little significance to those in another. People who are important to a society may become newsworthy, for example the president of a country or the archbishop of a church. Views of famous people are also often newsworthy – what they say and do, their marriages or divorces, their achievements and scandals. A new scientific discovery may be newsworthy as well, such as an insect that can live on a plant which it did not previously inhabit.
A well written news article is based on factual information and quotes from informed sources, not opinions. It should be written in a clear, concise and formal style. The writer should also give credit to the source where he or she has obtained information. Using a name with a title and surname is the standard form of attribution in journalism, although direct quotations and paraphrasing may also be used. It is good practice to have someone else read your work before submitting it. This gives an extra set of eyes on the work and can catch mistakes that the writer has overlooked.
People want to know about what is going on in the world around them, so news articles focus on current events. They report on a variety of topics, from weather to war, from sports to politics, but most news is about people and things that affect the lives of ordinary people.
Historically, the Big Three broadcast networks had an almost exclusive hold on television and radio news. This gave them the power to shape public opinion and influence elections. However, as the internet and other media channels have become more commonplace, these networks have lost their dominance.
A key to a successful news article is a snappy headline. This is important because many readers will not read past a headline, especially on a website or in print. It is important to make the headline informative and interesting, but avoid sensationalism.
The lead is the first paragraph of a news article, and should contain all the essential facts about the story. It should be concise and to the point and follow Associated Press guidelines (unless your publication specifies otherwise). The next paragraph is called the body of the news and should contain information that is relevant and timely. It is important to order the facts in a way that makes sense to readers, so that the most important information comes first. This is known as the inverted pyramid model.
The final paragraph should be a brief conclusion that reiterates the main points of the story and gives a feeling of closure.
