News is information about events, people or things that are currently happening. It can be broadcast on TV, radio or newspapers. It is often written in an objective way without giving any opinion or bias. It can be a straight report on an event or a feature that provides in-depth research into a specific area of interest. It can also include interviews with key players. It should be clear and concise and be able to capture the reader’s attention from the headline right through to the conclusion. To get a feel for how to write a good news article, read other articles and watch news stations or shows. A good conclusion is usually a restatement of the leading statement (thesis) and may give hints as to future developments in the story.
The amount of information that is available is ever increasing and most people now get their news online, through apps or from social media. Some people like to have a newspaper delivered, others prefer to watch TV or listen to radio. The most important thing is to find what works for you and your audience. It is also helpful to ask people whom you respect where they get their news and what news outlets they prefer.
It is generally agreed that the job of news is to inform and educate its audience rather than entertain them. This does not mean that the news should be dull or depressing. Entertainment can come from other areas – music and drama on the radio, cartoons or crossword puzzles in newspapers.
Events that are new and unusual, interesting or significant make the best news stories. These can be anything from a discovery by scientists, to a celebrity gaining or losing weight, to a political coup. The more unusual the better, because this will help the story stand out from other similar news stories.
A lot of people are interested in what other people are doing, so news stories about celebrities, famous athletes or successful businesspeople are popular. The lives of people who are in the public eye are also of interest, especially when they are involved in scandal or if they fall from grace. People are also interested in money, so stories about inheritance, lottery wins, business ventures and investments all have a certain appeal.
Every person has both conscious and unconscious biases which influence their selection of what to consume, and how it is presented. This is particularly true of the news media, which tends to focus on stories which affect the majority of its audience.
As a result, the biggest news stories will appear first in a bulletin or on Page One of a newspaper, and lesser news items are reported later or on inside pages. This is how most news stories are evaluated, and how readers make judgments about what they should be reading or listening to.